Warner Bros. | 2009 | 99 mins. | Rated PG-13
Anyone who considers themselves a fan of comedy should know who Ricky Gervais is. The Englishman introduced the world to The Office, the hit British series chronicled the day-to-day lives of office workers so well, that it spawned the hit American version. Subsequently, he starred in the HBO series Extras, which garnered Gervais an Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series. In the few films he’s done, Gervais has shown a desire to make comedies that are unique. In Ghost Town (2008), he played a nasty dentist who suddenly had the ability to see restless spirits. Prior to that, he appeared in Stardust, as a shady, talking fence.
In his latest film, The Invention of Lying, in which he stars, co-produces, co-writes, and co-directs, the film takes place in a world where the human race hasn’t learned how to tell a lie. Gervais plays Mark Bellison. The film begins with a voiceover by Gervais, referring in third person referring to his image on screen as that of, “a chubby little loser…all alone at the bottom of the pile.” A screenwriter for a studio called Lecture Films that produces historical documentaries, Mark’s boss (Jeffrey Tambor) doesn’t believe he does a good job and wants to fire him. Mark’s secretary, Shelley (Tina Fey), hates him, but no real reason why either of these people want to excise Mark from their lives is given. It doesn’t make sense, because to viewers, Mark seems like your average, affable guy. By contrast, successful screenwriter, Brad Kessler (Rob Lowe), who hates Mark as well, may be handsome, but he’s an arrogant self-centered jerk.
Throughout the film, Mark is trying to woo the gorgeous, but shallow Anna (Jennifer Garner), who tells him they can’t be together because she doesn’t want to have “little fat kids with snub noses.” As brutal as she is, it’s impossible to truly hate Anna because everyone is moved to speak whatever truth that comes into their heads no matter how hurtful. On her first date with Mark, Anna tells him repeatedly that she’s there not because she finds him attractive, but because she’s afraid of dying alone.
Out of a job, and short on money to pay his rent, Mark finds himself facing eviction. He goes to the bank to withdraw the last $300 in his account, when a crazy idea hits him: in a world of absolute truth, there is no disbelief, so if he tells the teller his account balance is higher than it is, she’ll probably give him what he asks for. She does, and this sets off a chain reaction of lies for the greater good. The trouble starts when he makes up a story about the afterlife and God, to comfort his dying mother. Of course, he meant for his tale of a better existence in the afterlife to be just between him and his mother, but people overhear him and demand to know more. When he starts inventing additional details he invents what is essentially Christianity, complete with Ten Commandments, and people see him as some kind of prophet or messiah. Overnight, he goes from being a total outcast to the most important man in the world.
Clearly an indictment of organized religion, I’m sure some will be offended by The Invention of Lying right out of the box. Outside of that, Gervais and co-director/writer Matthew Robinson let a movie with such a serious message off easy. While Invention is an indictment of religion, the secondary story of Mark’s relationship with Anna, and its syrupy ending ultimately clouds the real message of the film.
It should also be noted that American audiences used to over-the-top slapstick and vulgar humor, may not find Gervais’ more subtle, dry comedy to their liking. Gervais is a real talent, but The Invention of Lying is one of those films people are bound to love or hate.
The Invention of Lying is currently available on Blu-ray, DVD, On-Demand, and Digital Download.
The Invention of Lying comes to Blu-ray with a rather unremarkable 1080p/VC-1 transfer. There’s nothing wrong with the transfer per say, it’s just very bland. Color vibrancy is adequate and skintones remain natural throughout, but inconsistent detailing and dull contrast make everything look two-dimensional. Thankfully, artifacting, banding, aliasing, crush, unintentional noise, and other digital anomalies are nowhere to be found. Edge enhancement is apparent throughout and several faint halos haunt a number of wide shots, but it never becomes a significant distraction. Shown in its theatrical aspect ratio, 1.85:1 this transfer is far from terrible, but isn’t anything to write home about either.
The Invention of Lying’s dreary Dolby TrueHD 5.1 surround track mix has little to offer listeners aside from conventional conversations, Tim Atack’s musical score, and a variety of unassuming sound effects. Dialogue, though subdued at times, is crisp and intelligible from beginning to end. LFE support, while restrained, manages to lend weight and presence to voices and a handful of songs that play during the film’s montages. Rear speaker activity takes the biggest hit — a packed conference room, a congested front lawn, several bustling restaurants, and a crowded church provide the soundfield with a few minor standout sequences — but interior acoustics and ambience are fairly consistent (albeit entirely forgettable). Ah well, to the track’s credit, pans are transparent, dynamics are decent, and directionality is relatively accurate. Some more power would have been nice, but the studio has done a fine job reproducing the limited source it’s been handed. Fans of the film will be pleased.
The disc includes English, French, and Spanish spoken languages; French and Spanish subtitles; and English captions for the hearing impaired.
The special features offered are of the fairly standard variety, and are presented in standard definition.
• Prequel: The Dawn of Lying (SD, 7 minutes): A short in which a group of cavemen (played by the film’s main cast members) encounter deception for the first time in their prehistoric lives.
• Meet Karl Pilkington (SD, 18 minutes): The co-host of The Ricky Gervais Show plans a trip to Boston, mulls over his journey, and makes an appearance as an extra on his first major studio film.
• A Truly Honest Making-of Featurette (SD, 7 minutes): The cast members discuss Gervais’ talent as an actor and filmmaker, his personality, and his odd obsession with Nerf wars, then take a number of amusing jabs at his on-set crackups and directorial style.
• Additional Footage (SD, 7 minutes): Five deleted scenes are included.
• Ricky and Matt’s Video Podcasts (SD, 10 minutes): Four aimless podcasts that find Gervais and Robinson doing very little.
• More Laughter (SD, 6 minutes): A standard assortment of outtakes.
• Digital Copy disc of the film, compatible with iTunes and Windows Media, the offer expires January 12, 2011.
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