Once upon a time, everyone always told the truth. The Invention of Lying follows the adventures of a man responsible for changing all that.  It’s a fantasy, of course, and Ricky Gervais does his best to sell this one-joke comedy. But the concept wears thin, and the funny parts are few and far between here.  

Still, we can’t help feeling sorry for Mark Bellison (Gervais) during the first part of the film. He’s fired from his job as a script writer, and his beautiful date Anna (Jennifer Garner) tells him he’s not in her league. She wants someone with a more promising genetic code. Everyone criticizes him. But that’s not surprising, for people say exactly how they feel about everything. They simply don’t know how to lie.

When Mark comes up with a way to get more money from the bank than his account shows, he realizes something strange has happened. People will believe whatever he says, because they have no reason to think anyone would say things that aren’t true. So when Mark tries to make his dying mother (Fionnula Flanagan) feel better by describing the wonderful afterlife waiting for her, the doctors and nurses who hear him can’t wait to spread the word, and he becomes a reluctant -- but sought-after -- prophet. Mark soon begins making up stories about “The Man in the Sky” as well as rules about how people should behave. Voila! Lying and religion are born.

The Invention of Lying plays a dangerous game. Like  Life of Brian, it pokes fun at religious beliefs. Too bad it fails to emphasize the fun. As a Ricky Gervais fan, I feel the need to watch last year’s Ghost Town again as a reminder of his considerable comic talent. (Capsule review)

(Released by Warner Bros. Pictures and rated “PG-13” for language including some sexual material and a drug reference.)

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