The Official "Invention of Lying" Thread

[it's_a_foodage]

Yeah, I got it. Thanks for that one.

[Christina]

Any objection to this becoming the Invention of Lying Review thread and later the Official Invention of Lying Thread? Might mean you have to stop talking about Kermode and fanboying, is that too much of a price to pay?

Additionally, I enjoyed this:

more like it's_a_fraudage

WHAAAAAA SNAP~!

[ScottHanson]

Well it's full of negativity and bickering... that sure sounds like an official Pilkipedia thread to me!

::Audience laughter::

[Steven]

Rotten Tomatoes rating has gone down from 86% to 75%... and this before it's been released.

http://uk.rottentomatoes.com/m/invention_of_lying/

[ScottHanson]

Well it's been press screened, general audiences don't affect the score.

[Barrylad]

metacritic has their first score up for the movie. Based on 6 reviews it has a score of 58/100 "mixed or average reviews".

[Brent Hogwell]

Well it's full of negativity and bickering... that sure sounds like an official Pilkipedia thread to me!

::Audience laughter::

Thanks for that. I fell asleep waiting for the programme: why does it have to be on so damned late?

RTE arts show The View reviewed the movie last night, can be watched here: http://www.rte.ie/tv/theview/
I'm afraid they weren't impressed, phrases like 'embarrassingly bad' were bandied about...

[FaultyTooth]

RTE arts show The View reviewed the movie last night, can be watched here: http://www.rte.ie/tv/theview/
I'm afraid they weren't impressed, phrases like 'embarrassingly bad' were bandied about...

Hmmm. They latched onto the old 'blurt out what your thinking' rather than lying issue as well.

Although interesting they thought the film got better once religion themes were introduced into it whereas most other reviews preferred the "funnier" first half hour or so.

[Dimus Mancoid]

I have a feeling that Karl's review was accurate...he struggled to find something good to say about it....maybe he didn't want to hurt Ricky's feelings.

I don't have high hopes for it I'm afraid. But by the time it is released in Australia I will know what the rest of the world thinks.

[Dimus Mancoid]

IMDb have it rated at 8.8/10 from 358 votes.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1058017/

Who are the 358 people who voted for it? The cast and crew? No way is this an 8.8 movie, watch that number fly down when everyone watches it.

[Bret]

The problem with these reviews, of course, is that they only work on three levels.

[lanagan]

The problem with these reviews, of course, is that they only work on three levels.

I think I spotted nine.

[Bret]

The problem with these reviews, of course, is that they only work on three levels.

I think I spotted nine.

Nine? Yes, well, yes... you were counting the, uhh... ah yes. Well, for heaven's sake let's be condescending about this.

[ike]

SH did post this video in the Miscellaneous discussion thread but I figured it might as well be brought to this 'official' thread...



I thought this interview was pretty interminable, Ricky appeared almost uncomfortable partly by the fact he was unnecessarily outnumbered by 3 interviewers to 1, and Ian Wright seemed to be edging unnaturally close to him on that sofa.

I did watch a bit more of that show after the Ricky Gervais interview and it was terrible. Charlie Brooker sums it up here: http://www.guardian.co.uk/tv-and-radio/ ... tudio-five

[wetknee]

he Invention Of Lying (12A) 99 mins
By Damon Smith - The truth about Ricky Gervais' new comedy, co-written and co-directed by Matthew Robinson, is that it is mean-spirited, misconceived and starved of big laughs.

Set in an alternate reality in which everyone instinctively tells the truth and the concept of telling a lie doesn't yet exist, The Invention Of Lying is ripe with true comic potential.

Sadly, Gervais and Robinson take their central dramatic conceit to garish extremes, having characters converse with brutal honesty, regardless of the hurt they might cause.

It's not enough for a woman to politely rebuff a man's offer of a date with a simple no: she has to crush what remains of his shattered self-confidence with a barrage of insults.

When another character discusses his feelings, he confides, "Sometimes I cry in my sleep and wake up in a pool of urine."

This sadistic streak runs throughout the screenplay, sporadically vanishing for a handful of touching and poignant scenes like a son tearfully bidding farewell to his dying mother and convincing her about the existence of Heaven.

Predictably, Gervais casts himself in the lead role and as with Ghost Town, he's an unconvincing romantic lead.

The notion that Jennifer Garner's acid-tongued beauty might succumb to his so-called charms is more laughable than anything in the script.

Screenwriter Mark Bellison (Gervais) is about to be fired by his boss Anthony (Tambor) and his landlord is demanding rent money he doesn't have.

When he heads to his bank to close the account Mark tells the bank teller a porky, asking for $800 rather than the $300 he actually has to his name.

Having stumbled upon the art of lying, he begins to exploit deceit for personal gain with best friend Greg (Louis CK). He also wins the affections of the lovely Anna McDoogles (Garner).

As Mark continues lying, he realises there will be grave consequences.

The Invention Of Lying is an unnecessarily crude subversion of polite social mores, littered with cameos from the likes of Stephen Merchant and Edward Norton.

Gervais' bluster grates and we lose patience completely when he delivers a 21st Century Ten Commandments.

There are occasional chuckles but they are lamentably few and far between. Verdict 5/10