Upcoming Movie: The Invention of Lying

If you were lucky enough to catch any of HBO’s stateside import from the UK, Extras, then you’ll be excited to learn September 25, 2009’s The Invention of Lying is both directed by and starred in by Ricky Gervais. If you’ve never seen Extras, then get excited anyway to meet a fresh, unique sort of comedy. The Brit is more of a real, honest person than the lewd, crude comedians that have become the norm over here. And he has a real talent for making good TV and good film.

The film is a cute enough idea, albeit one that will probably shot to pieces by reviews. It’s the story of an alternative earth where the lie does not exist, no one even knows to lie - until a performer, Gervais, discovers its meaning and its power. He finds out the profits able to be gained from telling lies. See, he works in the film industry, and before the lie is born, “actors” just re-tell history. So, when we meet him, he is trying to get through the Black Death with his actors. But the birth of the lie introduces the birth of the story and of fiction, so now he can really run with his film plots. However, he knows this phenomenon would just bewilder people and cause a scandal, so he pretends these are all just lost stories he’s found - ah, a lie about a lie.

Perhaps most exciting, though, is the cast - an assembly of great comedic actors. Well, first there’s Jennifer Garner - great, but we wouldn’t call her comedic. Then we start with Jonah Hill, Christopher Guest, Louis C.K., Jeffrey Tambor, Tina Fey, Rob Lowe, and Stephen Merchant, plus Patrick Stewart and Jason Bateman. Maybe the critics can pan the plot but this cast has got to amount to something great.

Again, the movie’s out in September so not too long before you can pick up movie tickets. Check out the preview online, a bunch of websites like IMDB have it.

July 29th, 2009 by Courtney Iseman | Posted in Movie News | (0)