The Invention of Lying is an exercise in how much you can milk one gag. The answer is, certainly not as long as this film. Another aspect that wears thin well before the final credits is Ricky Gervais’ repetitive performance. His droll, sardonic delivery is, at its best, hilarious, but over the course of a movie, its appeal wanes. He’s so far managed to make a career out of playing the same character, but unless he creates material better than this, the future looks less rosy.
It’s hard not to think, based on this evidence, that Gervais has been hanging out in Hollywood too much. The edginess that imbued his brilliant writing in The Office and Extras is sadly lacking here in what is a thoroughly formulaic romantic comedy. It’s as though he felt the premise of a world in which nobody lies was sufficient to sustain things. It is not. And all the routes The Invention of Lying takes in its search for humour almost invariably prove to be blind alleys.
When Gervais provides his typical style of glib comments over the opening credits, things look promising, but as soon as we are introduced to his character, the perennial loser Mark Bellison, the shackles go on. The world in which Bellison lives, on the surface at least, is essentially the same as ours. The one fundamental difference is that all the inhabitants are completely incapable of lying, to the point where they are unable to even grasp the concept of lying. This would appear to provide a wealth of opportunity for hilarity to ensue, but little does
Events begin with Bellison going on a date with the successful and beautiful Anna (Jennifer Garner), but, as she bluntly tells him, being short and fat, he is a totally unsuitable candidate to father her children. The fact that he’s facing the imminent sack from his job as a screenwriter within a giant corporation that turns out historical films, doesn’t help his cause. But when he inadvertently stumbles upon the benefits to be had from lying, his fortunes take a turn.
Co-written and directed with Matthew Robinson, The Invention of Lying is populated with a strong cast, including a number of big name cameos. All are essentially there as stooges for Bellison to work off as the once self-professed loser begins to acquire messianic status.
The feature of Gervais’ comic genius is to mine wit from discomfort. You find yourself alternately wincing and laughing. The Invention of Lying has few such moments. It’s all rather too polite. The sooner Gervais stops trying to fit his round humour into the paralyzingly square Hollywood mould, the better.
Kevin Murphy
