The premise of "The Invention Of Lying" is that a man named Mark Bellison (Ricky Gervais) discovers that he has the ability to lie, in a world -- an alternate reality, to be precise -- where no one is able to lie or even comprehend such a thing as a lie. Everyone tells the truth, even in advertising. Beyond that, though, they tell the truth even when unnecessary. They blurt out mean comments about people's looks, social status, etc. without being asked. Also, there's no such thing as fiction. There's no acting. The only movies are history lectures with a single narrator. There's no such thing as religion, or beliefs, or any thought of a possibility of a higher power.
It's like John Lennon's "Imagine" became reality, but it's not nearly as wonderful as the song describes. This alternate world is rather nasty and mean-spirited and totally lacking in imagination. I have no idea what makes people happy in this world, and so I have no idea why Gervais's character falls for a woman (Jennifer Garner) who tells him she would never consider being with him because of his looks and financial situation. And when he begins using his power to lie to make his life, and the lives of others, better, it doesn't make much sense that she would start feeling differently. And, in comforting his dying mother, he unintentionally invents religion as well. Yet near the end, a wedding is taking place and it's at an old church, although it's not called a church, and a minister, although he's not called a minister. How do these things exist, if there's no underlying beliefs? Just another thing that doesn't make much sense. My grade: C-minus.
No comments:
Post a Comment