The Invention of Lying

In a world of shallow observation where too much information is routinely disclosed, one man discovered the ability to say something that wasn't. It seemed like an ordinary world. However, everyone told the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. There was no discretion. People simply spoke their minds.

But is it that simple? Since there were no lies, anyone's word was taken as fact. Therefore, when Mark told a woman, "The world will end if we don't have sex right now," she responded, "Do we have time to get to a motel, or do we have to do it here?" To me, everyone was incredibly gullible. But the humor came because of this naivety. Everyone sincerely believed every word Mark spoke. For example, when Mark was testing his ability to say that which wasn't--the word "lie" did not exist--he told his friend that he invented the bicycle. Later in the movie, the friend said, "I still can't believe you invented the bicycle."

In this world, the greatest screenplays were written by LectureFilms about documentary topics and read by famous people (e.g. "Napoleon: 1812-1813"). There was no imagination. As a result, advertisements were quite humorous and produced the most laughs in the theater. In a television spot for Coke, the spokesman said, "There's nothing new to talk about. They changed the can a little. You'll see a polar bear. Kids will like that. Basically, Coke is brown sugar water. Drinking it will lead to childhood obesity." The slogan was "Coke. It's very famous." Meanwhile, a sign on a bus read, "Pepsi. When they don't have Coke."

Finally, from a review of the movie on Salon.com:

While "The Invention of Lying" never comes out and asserts that lying is good, it does poke a thoughtful, pointy stick at the idea that little white lies are part of what makes society work -- and part of what keeps the less-perfect among us (that is to say, everyone) from falling into a slough of despair over our shortcomings. And it's Gervais' guiding sensibility, combined with his assertive nonstar presence, that makes the picture work.

What did I think? It had pockets of humor and moments of feeling, but generally had an odd flow. That, though, is common to British film-style. I would give it an average rating.