CNN iReport

The Invention Of Lying

The Invention Of Lying takes place in a world where humans never evolved the ability to deceive each other. There are no falsehoods of any kind. There are no big lies, (Unfortunately we don't get to see the politicians of this world) and there are no white lies, (Peoples feelings are not taken into consideration at all). There's an advertisement for Coke, which is nothing more than a spokesperson telling the public it's merely just brown colored sugar-water that could cause health problems. (On the flip side, this worlds Pepsi ad's are 'Drink Pepsi: When they don't serve Coke'.) Everything in this world is so unequivocally absolute, and factual that there isn't even a word for truth. How could there be, there would be nothing to compare it to.

This presents a problem to Mark Bellison (Ricky Gervais) who can't even give name to the world's first lie. He's equally dumbstruck by his ability to say 'something that isn't'. Mark is an anomaly in this world, not only is he the only person with the ability to tell a lie, he's also the only person with the ability to recognize a lie. He tries with no success to get his friend Frank (Louis C.K.) to see past a series of lies about who he is, and what he's done, but none of these things add up, Frank just believes them all. Mark realizes that he can get away with anything, and everything because no one else can do what he can.

At the start of the film Mark is set up on a blind date with Anna (Jennifer Garner). She is overwhelmingly unimpressed Mark from the very start, communicating her absolute true feelings, that at first glance he's a fat snub-nosed man of little importance to the world, and very clearly that he isn't a suitable partner with which to provide a comparable genetic match for any potential future offspring. She later lets Mark no that there would be no future dates. This behavior is considered rude, or too direct, it's just the way this world is. Mark Bellison, thinks it's time the world changed.

Mark starts lying to everyone, most of his lies are attempts to try and make people feel better, or solve problems. He amasses huge amounts of money by taking advantage of a Casino (Easy to do in a world where there are no untruths). Eventually his lies escalate into the biggest form of lying there is.

He creates religion.

The religion which he inflicts on the world is that there is an invisible man in the sky, who oversees everything, causes good things to happen, causes bad things to happen, who allows you to get away with doing 2 bad things before dying. And when you die, you get a mansion and any flavor of ice-cream you want any time you want it.

Even though Mark is the only one who can talk to the invisible sky man, and make anyone believe anything he says, he can't lie his way into the heart of Anna. While this might seem like the film is trying to convey the message of 'Be true to yourself, and don't lie to get what you want, it's unfulfilling.' It's not. It's about examining the world around you and seeing things for more than face value.

I'm not going to lie to you. The Invention Of Lying isn't the greatest movie ever made. But it's one of the best comedies I've seen this year.

I'd highly recommend it.

The Invention of Lying is Rated PG-13 for language including some sexual material and a drug reference. It's 100 minutes long, and that's the truth.

Please feel free to use the comment space below to post your own 'micro-review', or gripe about how you felt you should have waited for the DVD, etc.