The Invention of Lying

Ricky Gervais plays an overweight loser (what else is new?) who can't get a break in his latest film, "The Invention of Lying". So far, so predictable, but this is not your average tale of an ordinary man - no, this is the story of a man who invents the world's first lie.

Mark Bellison (Gervais) is a down-on-his-luck screenwriter living in a world where everyone can only tell the truth. People are open, blunt and to the point - often to hilarious effect. We join Mark's story as he arrives for a first date with Anna (Jennifer Garner), a woman they both agree is way out of his league. With no hope of a second date, his boss sacking him, and his mother on death's door, things couldn't get much worse for Mark.

However, while at the bank taking out his last measly savings to pay his rent, Mark somehow manages to tell the cashier he has more money in his account than he actually does, and so sets in motion a rollercoaster journey of falsified fun. Along the way, Mark becomes an overnight celebrity, creates God (and speaks to him) and discovers his own limitations.

Don't be put off by the "Liar Liar" comparisons or deviation from the style of current comedy darling Judd Apatow's films, "The Invention of Lying" is a highly enjoyable 99 minutes of comedy. Ricky Gervais may not have to break sweat in terms of his character, but he is wholly believable and sympathetic as the downtrodden Mark, and even pulls off a remarkably touching scene with his mother.

Unfortunately, the talented supporting cast, which includes Jennifer Garner, Rob Lowe and Tina Fey, is wasted as little more than one-dimensional caricatures, no doubt hampered by the fact that their characters cannot lie. Also, don't be surprised if the laugh-out-loud moments are few and far between, as "Lying" is by no means a relentless rib-tickler. Instead, it is a warm and interesting comedy that will keep audiences entertained, even if it doesn't scale the heights of the lies Gervais's character tells in the film.