Customer Reviews

The Invention of Lying [Blu-ray]

5 star:		(56)
4 star:		(32)
3 star:		(27)
2 star:		(25)
1 star:		(52)

 

 

Wow. I was totally blown away. The last thing I actually expect Hollywood to do nowadays is make a movie that is thought provoking, tackles some truly profound issues about the human condition, and is funny to boot.

Ricky Gervais has won instant respect for me. I bet a friend before coming to Amazon (I rented the Blu-ray on Netflix) that there would be a bunch of 1 star reviews. And that none of them would actually be about the film per se or its quality but would be religious peoplem who, get offended when someone asks them to think about what they say they believe and why.

Gervais ends up examining 2 aspects of the human condition, lying and religion. What would a world be like where people simply not only did not but could not lie. You get a number of humorous situations from this. It makes you think about the role of 'social lying' in particular. Manners, in a way, for lack of a better word

Now on to religion. I think Gervais hit on 2 issues that are very germaine. One how can an 'all good God' be responsible for the good and the bad. Very hard for anyone to explain although people try with that oldie 'everything happens for a reason'. Also explores an honest reaction to a 'god' well tourting people for eternity.

Of more interest to me though was the potential consequences of becoming focused on an afterlife at the expense of this life. The character played by Jonah Hill represents an all too real condition. People who place less value on their life, this life, because everything will work out in the afterlife or that is the real life. This can create HUGE HARM to individuals, society, and the planet. If people don't treasure every day as it should be, if they don't treasure the earth as their home, if they don't treasure each and every species as their brothers and sisters, they risk missing out on exisistence, they miss out on the universe, they miss out on Life. And they do not, perhaps, treat the Earth, themselves, and each other with the depth and meaning they should. If the Earth to them is a shadow, how can it mean what it should?

This is of course IMO. I am sure many people will disagree. But kudos, HUGE kudos, to Ricky for getting this on film. One of the most meaningful and thought provoking, yet also comedic, films Hollywood has done in years.

This film plays out like a British reality TV show. It just feels a bit off, but bear with it. That is part of its charm. Around 37 minutes into it (if memory serves), "WHAM!", it follows true reality and goes completely off script. That's all I can tell you. But here's why you really need to see this movie:

It's pure genius. The whole of it has a rather laid back feel, and the pacing is more a nice leisurely stroll through the park on a warm Autumn day than a Jason Bourne movie or the latest Transformers (both of which I enjoyed, but have nothing more to do with this review). This film draws you in slowly. For some of you it may seem a bit dry and boring, even pedantic at first--stay with it! This is the evolution of personal existence. This is real life as it happens. We go through our days performing our daily rituals and fulfilling our self-imposed duties and then we see something shiny and we pick it up, and suddenly the world starts to find color. This shiny new thing could be a relationship, or a new hobby, a passion for something we did not believe we could have before--or in this case--lying.

The point of this film is (naturally) to entertain us, but just underneath is a series of layered messages and thoughts to ponder on our own lives and the society we live in. In much the same way foreign films tend to attract a certain demographic, this film, feeling a lot like a film foreign to Americans (in pace and structure) is meant to attract people who want to THINK while they are being entertained, rather than wait for glimpses of Megan Fox in a wet bikini (and who doesn't want to do that?). This is truly a film worth owning, and it is a film worth watching a few times (spaced apart by a few months). It gets under your skin and stays with you--and it will without a doubt upset more than a few knee-jerk religionists, but that is the other half of the fun.

The movie is interesting, enjoyable and slow-paced enough to simultaneously allow the slow-to-catch-on to get the joke, but also allow those a bit faster on the up-take to digest the meaning of the joke while enjoying the film. Not at all a first date movie, but if you want to evaluate the relationship quality of your current romantic prospect, this is a MUST SEE. Much like Blazing Saddles, this movie will instantly tell you whether youa re dating the right person for you.

As always, thanks for reading :-)

I loved this movie. It's sweet, and funny and really quite brilliant. It is about an imaginary world where no one can lie (and no one has ever been able to lie), and what happens to the very human, but kind-hearted man who first becomes able to. Though his intentions are mostly altruistic (remember, I also said he is very human, so he also does things to benefit himself), he inadvertently causes some big problems in his world. It's all very funny and sweet.

Yes, there are some strong references to the idea that religion is completely made-up, for the purpose of comforting people and calming their fears of death. For someone who can actually *think* about religion, instead of being a knee-jerk reactionary or dogmatic follower, it provides some terrific things to think about.

If your religious faith is so frail that it cannot stand the idea of a fictional story in which someone makes up religion in order to make the world a better place for the people they care about, then I'd have to say that you don't have much in the way of actual faith to begin with.

I thought this would be a just a cute and silly time passer, but I was really surprised by the clever and original concept of this film (I have never seen this premise before. It's quite different than "Liar, Liar"). I was entertained, yes, but the comedy was only a part of that and not the best part. This film is a thought experiment that plays with our understanding of truth and falsehood and the functions it serves in society. The screenplay is ripe with implications and inferences! My favorite aspect was the way it pokes fun at the concept of authority and how easily people surrender their own authority (rationality) to others.
There are some negative reviews here regarding the mockery of Christian theology in this film and I am surprised (well, not really), because I have read the bible (the whole thing, more than once) and the only reference that I saw was the scene with the pizza boxes and the reference is not specifically Christian. All of the other religious references are vague and almost universal.
This film is a thought generator, with some good satirical comedy to make it go down easier. But, I am biased because I enjoy having my understandings challenged. I welcome any and all critical thought or insight. That is how we grow in wisdom. If your worldview is dependent, entirely upon conformity and a blind acceptance that cannot endure any challenges, then stay far away from this film.

I enjoyed this movie, with the exception of the ending which felt artificially sweet. As a funny take on life through a particularly skewed lens this is a fun movie, but when it tries to be a romantic comedy it seems to veer off course a bit. I think if it had stuck with its strengths I might have rated it 5 stars. I know there are likely to be people arguing over whether the humorous assault on religion is offensive, but I won't weigh in on that. All I know is there were a lot of funny scenes through most of the movie so I liked it. Jennifer Garner was great, Gervais was pretty good too.

I thought this movie was very funny! I also thought it was very intelligent and even touching at times. Brilliant stuff! Any Ricky Gervais fan and/or atheist should enjoy this. Religious fanatics should probably stay away, though.

By the way, I don't believe that Ricky set out to attack or make fun of religious people with this movie. I'm sure he just firmly believes that the idea of a God is pure fiction... and this belief inspired him to make a very funny movie about that subject.

Keep up the good work, Ricky!

The Invention of Lying is a beautifully poignant, smart and funny movie. It raises many questions about how we treat each other, and about what motivations truly lie behind our decisions.

By setting the story in a world where lies of any kind do not exist, we can begin to see just how pervasive lying is in our real lives. People in this alternate world are cruel to each other. This is not because they are trying to be hurtful, but because they are incapable of omitting the truth when answering questions or making someone feel better with a half-truth or "white lie."

In this entirely honest world, we see what really drives people. The beautiful woman may enjoy spending time with the clever, funny man, but she would rather marry a man whose genetics will give her beautiful children. A homeless man carries a sign that says, "I don't understand why I'm homeless and you're not," and the nursing home is "A Sad Place for Hopeless Old People."

The absence of any form of lie also means that there is no such thing as fictional stories in books or movies. For entertainment, people watch filmed lecture series that factually recount historical events. Likewise, advertisements cannot sell their products with false promises of the happiness they will bring.

People in this completely honest world have also never heard of god or religion of any kind. This is entirely fitting, given the context of this alternate world. After all, various religions have their own competing stories of "the truth," yet each are a matter of faith--not fact.

Those who are uncomfortable exploring the idea of religion as a man-made invention will probably not like this film. There are certain sight-gags that Christians may find blasphemous (e.g. 10 rules delivered on the backs of tablet-like pizza boxes).

However, those with an open mind will see that both lying and the Man in the Sky mythology that emerges are depicted as having both good and bad points. Lies make the world more complicated, but the brutally honest world at the beginning of the film has many flaws of its own.

The Invention of Lying is a brilliantly written film....to be able to get
this movie into major motion pictures houses was immensely clever. I wish there
were more like this one; one that isn't afraid to ask the big questions.
I wish EVERYONE would see this film--the world would be a much better place.

if your belief in religion does not allow for any questioning or reflection, you will not like this movie. You can check the other reviews and see why - religion is "invented" according to this movie.
"The Invention of Lying" takes place in an alternative world, where lying was never used - not even "No, that dress doesn't make your butt look big" or "oh, yes, cute baby". It's a painful world to live in, where every thought spills out of your mouth without any censoring. So if your assistant is looking for another job on work time, she'll tell you in no uncertain terms.
But Mark discovers lying - he can lie to his bank and withdraw more money than what he has, cheat at casinos and gain lots of money. But he is the only one who knows how to lie. Everybody else takes what Mark says as gospel.
Having achieved some measure of success, Mark manages to get a second date with the girl of his dreams. She still isn't attracted to him, doesn't want to have "snub nosed fat kids". The second date seems okay, but it is interrupted by Mark's mother's death. This (to me) is one of the most moving parts of the movie. His mother is terrified of dying, terrified of an eternity of "nothingness". To calm his mom, to allow her to have a peaceful death, Mark tells his mom of a wonderful place where you go after you die, where you see all the people you've loved that have died. You get a mansion. You're young, healthy, you can do what you want.
Suddenly, Mark is extremely popular - everyone wants to hear what he has to say. He writes down his 10 things about religion and puts them on the back of a pizza box and reads them to the waiting crowd. Mark has managed to create an afterlife, a heaven, something for people to believe in and hope for.
Of course, this causes a lot of problems. And Mark's DNA is still the same even though he has become successful. And he can't lie to the Jennifer Garner character - the only one he can't lie to. And she's going to make a huge mistake, marrying Mark's work rival because he is a better genetic match for her.
The movie resolves itself a little "cute" for me, but I did enjoy it. If you're able to take some questioning of religion, you will be rewarded by this gem of a movie.
I recommend it highly for those who enjoy Ricky Gervais' comedy.

I have just watched this film and I loved it, however I can see how it really polarises opinion; you really love it or hate it. If you are a theist then you will most likely hate it, it is very difficult to like something if you totally disagree with the message. If you are atheist then you will most likely love it and you should read the bad reviews too as they are funny. For me the bad reviews are positive because of the sort of people who have written them, they get upset because the film contradicts their views on religion, and they betray themselves with their ranting. I have seen many films with a religious message and enjoyed them so why can't they laugh a little when some one pokes fun at them?

Many critical reviews indicate that the film starts well but runs out of steam. Would that be about the time when the main joke of the film kicks in and it's on you?

Don't be put off by the negative reviews. A very funny clever, thought provoking, deceptively satirical film. It takes a somewhat over used fantasy idea and builds the comedy over and above what anyone else has done. Then half way through slaps a large section of the unsuspecting audience in the face with a large wet fish.

"A sad place for hopless old people" - sign outside old peoples home.
"A great place for sleeping with people who you've just met" - a sign outside a Motel
"A quiet place to think about the man in the sky" - Church