A high-concept, laugh-free over-indulgence that blows up terribly in the face of its smug star.
CommentAug 9, 2010
The Invention of Lying (2009)
57
%
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:169
Fresh:96
Rotten:73
Average Rating:5.8/10
Consensus: It doesn't quite follow through on its promise, and relies too heavily on shopworn romantic comedy tropes, but The Invention of Lying is uncommonly sly and funny.
Theatrical Release: Oct 2, 2009 Wide
Box Office: $18.4M
Synopsis: Set in a world where the concept of lying doesn't exist, a loser changes his lot when he invents lying and uses it to get ahead. [More]
Starring: Ricky Gervais, Jennifer Garner, Louis C.K., Rob Lowe
Director: Matthew Robinson , Ricky Gervais
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REVIEWS FOR THE INVENTION OF LYING
There's clear comic potential in the film's high concept, and a fair amount of it is realized.
Jul 6, 2010
A wry case for atheism, The Invention of Lying would have sent many Americans into an uproar if anyone had bothered to see it.
May 19, 2010
Gervais has helped craft a funny but inconsistent film, yet I'd be lying if I didn't mention that I appreciate the ambition and humor put into what could have been a one-note premise.
Jan 31, 2010
...its weakness is its lack of bite. It's too sweet and gentle for its own good.
Jan 14, 2010
Mr. Gervais... has given us a static, crass Phil Connors to introduce the world to belief in the supernatural. Where are the Ghostbusters when you need them?
Dec 6, 2009
Fans of Gervais from the classic TV shows Extras and The Office will enjoy the half-sentences, stop-start comic delivery and awkward pauses that have become his trademark.
Nov 26, 2009
The fatal flaw of The Invention of Lying is that the film conspires with the hero -- not against him -- in a way that's ideologically driven and humourless.
Nov 26, 2009
A high-concept comedy with a low yield of laughs, The Invention of Lying fights a losing battle with what was never a winning idea for a movie.
Nov 26, 2009
Ricky Gervais' new film isn't as out-and-out funny as you might have hoped, but it's still got some funny moments.
Nov 26, 2009
Light, touching and entertaining, this comedy turns syrupy towards the end but is nonetheless sweetly affecting.
Nov 24, 2009
Ricky Gervais is a brave and creative talent and this subversive, ultimately romantic film about the value of white lies certainly has its moments.
Nov 22, 2009
There are cycles of inspiration and rebirth, but the barbed promise of the early going loses its way in choices aimed at sentimentality rather than, as Harvey Kurtzman memorably put it, humor in a jugular vein.
Nov 22, 2009
Top CriticThe premise allows the filmmakers latitude to invent a scenario that works as irony and satire about our modern world. It shows, humorously, how impossibly confronting it would be if we really didn't lie, flatter and smooth over our social interactions
Nov 20, 2009
A brilliant and original concept, The Invention of Lying is witty, seriously funny and utterly charming. The trick to it all is that Gervais' alternate reality, where there is no deceit, flattery or fiction, is grounded solidly in a credible way
Nov 20, 2009
...becomes dizzyingly hilarious, mixed with genuine sympathy, while an amusing and subversive element grows slowly, beginning as fascinating and then stumbling into inevitability.
Nov 19, 2009
It's a shame that the air gets let out of this one so suddenly, as if The Invention of Lying's backbone gets ripped out of the film as the final act kicks into gear.
Nov 17, 2009
The star cameos in The Invention of Lying are non-stop, distracting, and always blatantly pointed out as if this were a Cannonball Run sequel.
Nov 9, 2009
It feels, in spirit, like a fable, in the mold of films like It's a Wonderful Life or Miracle on 34th Street. I just wish it were better.
Oct 31, 2009
"The Invention of Lying" is like "Groundhog Day," although not in the way it intends to be. Watching the film feels like you're reliving the same lame scenes over and over, powerless to change what happens in this profoundly disappointing comedy.
Oct 27, 2009
LATEST NEWS FOR THE INVENTION OF LYING
January 18, 2010:
RT on DVD & Blu-Ray: The Invention of Lying and Gamer
Last week, we thought things might be looking better for home video releases, what with a few of the highest rated films coming out (the Golden Tomato winners for both Best Limited Release and Best...
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October 1, 2009:
Critics Consensus: Zombieland Is Bloody Good
This week at the movies, we've got zombie zaniness (Zombieland, starring Woody Harrelson and Jesse Eisenberg); derby dolls (Whip it, starring Drew Barrymore and Ellen Page); funny falsehoods (The...
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September 4, 2009:
RT Visits the Set of Cemetery Junction
"He won't do it," says Ricky Gervais, striding over to RT. He's referring to his round-headed friend Karl Pilkington. Last time we sat down with Gervais he'd suggested Pilkington -- co-star of his...
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November 14, 2008:
Ricky Gervais - RT's Dinner and the Movies Interview - Chapter 5
We continue our series of extended interviews by spending an hour in the company of Britain's funniest man. With a new chapter every day this week, today Gervais finds a job for Karl Pilkington on RT,...
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November 13, 2008:
Ricky Gervais - RT's Dinner and the Movies Interview - Chapter 4
We continue our series of extended interviews by spending an hour in the company of Britain's funniest man. With a new chapter every day this week, today Gervais discusses the ease of ambition, what...
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