Review of The Invention of Lying (2009) by Christopher M — 16 May 2011

Gervais came up with a wickedly funny idea for a movie - and then purged the wickedness right out of it. There are some laughs here. Gervais shares scripting and directing credit with writer Matthew Robinson, and their setup is a good one: What if the imagination required to deviate from the facts had never evolved? And what would happen if one average schmo figured out the benefits of lying?

The development of the story leaves the viewer excited but when Gervais' character tells the truth, the movie loses its nerve. The editing is not consistent and Gervais spends too much effort chasing a woman who isn't worth his or the viewer's time. She is unpleasant. So was this film.