The Invention of Lying ***

Like the one-eyed man in the land of the blind, in a world where everyone tells the truth all the time, a prevaricator can be, if not king, at least a prince. That is what happens to Mark Bellison, who in a moment of extreme duress, finds the ability to lie, a talent that takes him far in a world that is truth-telling to a fault. It's a world where lying is so unknown, there's no word for it, and anything he says is believed.

It's a brilliant premise, and star/writer/director/producer Ricky Gervais ("Ghost Town" and co-creator of the original "Office" in Britain) runs with it, and creates many truly funny moments. He explores what it means to court a beautiful woman (a credulous Jennifer Garner) with this awesome power. And he takes a broad swipe at the unthinking acceptance of the most preposterous claims that characterize religion in our poor believing world.

But the whole thing is a bit underdone development-wise, and has a bit of a slapdash look about it. "The Invention of Lying" is an interesting exercise, and has a subversive message I can only applaud, but falls short of brilliant film making. Nevertheless, it does have the distinction of having an idea behind it (and when did you last hear that?), and may spark a spirited discussion.

Rated PG-13. 100 minutes. Ricky Gervais - Director / Writer / Producer, Matthew Robinson - Director / Writer, Dan Lin - Producer, Lynda Obst - Producer, Oly Obst - Producer, Tim Suhrstedt - Cinematographer, Tim Atack - Composer, Alec Hammond - Production Designer, Chris Gill - Editor. Produced by Lin Pictures. Distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures.

Principal actors: Ricky Gervais, Jennifer Garner, Jonah Hill, Louis C.K., Jeffrey Tambor, Fionnula Flanagan, Rob Lowe, and Tina Fey (plus several uncredited appearances by well-known actors and comedians).