Mediocre films you shouldn’t bother with – The Invention of Lying

Imagine a world where nobody knew how to lie. Where everyone told the truth regardless of how much it hurt or embarrassed someone. Also, for some unexplained reason, people seem to speak whatever’s on their mind including waiters, personal assistants and people on the street.

Yes Man, I Invented Lying - A Jim Carrey film without Jim Carrey

Now imagine that Ricky Gervais is the only person in this world who’s able to lie and everyone else has no reason not to believe him. He says he invented the bicycle and he’s a black eskimo, then he is.

Imagine him accidentally creating religion and whatever he says to people about the afterlife is the absolute truth. Imagine the hilarities that ensue when he ‘accidentally’ looks like Jesus.

Imagine that padded out to 100 minutes of laugh-free ‘entertainment’ where the joke’s worn thin after 20 minutes, the story runs out after 30 minutes and after an hour you’re waiting for the film to finish.

Imagine the entire film only just being saved with 2 great cameos by Philip Seymour Hoffman and Ed Norton. Plus the best 60 seconds of the entire film just starring Steven Merchant and Barry from Eastenders…

Finally imagine it being just another ‘gimmick’ film exactly the same as Bruce Almighty, Yes Man and Shallow Hal. Starts great, peaks early, downhill for the second half.