The truth about 'Lying'

Gervais

Sometimes films can be too clever, unorthodox and or quirky for mainstream tastes and audiences, and that was clearly the case with the Ricky Gervais/Matthew Robinson vehicle The Invention of Lying, which will be released on DVD (Warner) Tuesday.

While using a plot device (an alternate universe) that has become tired and predictable in many other settings, this film brilliantly employed it to make both hilarious and serious points about society and human behavior.

In a world where everyone tells nothing but the truth, the word fiction doesn't exist, and people are coldly and brutally honest.

That fact has kept Mark (Gervais), a struggling writer with limited skills, from even earning a living. Then Mark comes up with a scheme to change his luck. He'll simply start lying about little things, using the fact everyone assumes he's telling the truth to benefit from his myths and fairy tales.

This works well until Mark suddently falls in love with Anna (Jennifer Garner). Now he doesn't want to deceive her about his background or talents, but he's reached a certain point through deception and doesn't want to see that position eroded. So he has to find a way to lie and tell the truth simultaneously, something that turns the last part of The Invention of Lying upside down thematically.

Gervais and Garner are both excellent, and the well-written and directed tale never unfolds in the expected manner. Rob Lowe, Louis C.K. and Jonah Hill are around for some laughs.

The DVD contains an unusual amount of extras for a single disc. These include a prequel and separate "making of" featurette, plus additional/deleted scenes and outtakes, video podcasts with behind-the-scenes details, interviews and other things that only bolster the quality of an already superior product.

As was the case with his work in both the original version of The Office and films like Extras, Gervais' acting style favors suggestion and nuance over slapstick, though he can also do physical comedy expertly when the situation demands it. He's among the most sophisticated, thoughtful comedic actor/directors around, and he was at his best throughout The Invention of Lying.

Perhaps it will gain a larger audience in the DVD market.