imageImagine a world where nobody has any concept of lying. A world where everyone tells the absolute truth, with no prompting. You would tell the parents of an ugly baby that their child was hideous, or your boss that he was rubbish at his job and you hated his guts. Then one day, a very ordinary man, Mark Bellison (Ricky Gervais), tells a lie. Telling lies makes his life a lot better and makes him powerful. This is the premise of the abysmal new comedy The Invention of Lying.
Lacking the comedic potential to warrant much more than a 15 min sketch, the script for The Invention of Lying has few redeeming qualities and even fewer laughs. Star- packed with the likes of Jennifer Garner, Louis C.K., Jonah Hill, Tina Fey, Rob Lowe, Jeffrey Tambor, Fionnula Flanagan as well as notable cameos from Jason Bateman, Philip Seymour Hoffman and Edward Norton, you have to wonder did any of these actors actually read the script before signing on?
imageChildren are often told to stay away from people their parents perceive as bad influences; it feels like it might be time to tell Ricky Gervais to steer clear of his unreliable friend, America. Gervais who has two highly successful TV series under his belt (The Office, Extras) - seems to be throwing away all his credibility with filmic endeavours in the States. We thought he might have learnt after Ghost Town, a train-wreck of a comedy, but no he is back and it looks like it is just getting worse.
click here to read my full review at Trespass
