Review of The Invention of Lying (2009) by Stuart K — 05 Aug 2013

A classic comedy in the Shakesperian sense, sharp wit and humor leading up to a culminating wedding. Critics seem to take issue with rom-com and high-brow satire being rolled up into one in this picture for some reason, but it's a tried and true formula, and it works in keeping the audience entertained. The general problem with rom-coms isn't that they're not entertaining, we all like a good love story, the problem is they're hopelessly shallow, particularly the cookie-cutter output from Hollywood. The underlying religious satire here is anything but shallow, it's thought provoking, but, surprisingly given Gervais' caustic style, it isn't done in a mean-spirited way in this film.

Even if you believe your religion is inerrant clearly the other 99.99% of religions aren't, so the question Gervais tackles here is how did they come to be? He presents the scenario of a good-hearted "prophet" telling people reassuring white lies to bring them comfort and create incentives for certain moral behavior - and then watching it spiral out of control. While some may be put off by the not so subtle lampooning of the Judeo-Christian faiths, it presents a terrific what-if scenario for hypothesizing the motivations of a Moses, Mohammed, or Joseph Smith.

It's a great comedy that has simply been overlooked or dismissed, and ultimately been unable to find a large audience. Perhaps its subject matter is too uncomfortable for the mainstream, but it will undoubtedly live on as a cult favorite in many circles for years to come.