The Invention of Lying (2009)
Directed by: Ricky Gervais, Matthew Robinson Written by: Ricky Gervais, Matthew Robinson
Starring: Ricky Gervais, Jennifer Garner, Tina Fey, Rob Lowe, Jeffrey Tambor, Jonah Hill
Oh gosh, I feel so bad saying this, because I love Ricky Gervais, but this was a serious bomb. And why? I think this is due to the fact that Ricky Gervais is not only writing, and starring, but directing. It seems as though he felt even more of an obligation to further his usual dry, subtle humor, which ends up falling flat. Subtlety has to be played just so, in a subtle way, and when you push that, it just cancels itself out and becomes boring. Jennifer Garner lacked any comedic touch, and Tina Fey was just her normal Liz Lemon self with an extra sharp edge due to the fact that she can’t lie. Interesting story, but sadly not executed well. I would say see it if you’re really intrigued by the idea, but this film definitely does not know what emotions to prey on with the audience, and is bipolar to say the least. Darn.
My rating: 2.5/5