SYNOPSIS:
Written and directed by Ricky Gervais and Matthew
Robinson, this hilarious comedy takes place in an alternative
reality in which lying does not exist. Everyone, even politicians
and advertisers speaks the truth (and nothing but the truth).
But when a loser named Mark discovers lying, he finds that
dishonesty has its rewards. In a world where every word is
assumed to be the absolute truth, Mark succeeds in lying his
way to fame and fortune. But things soon get out of control
as people start to treat his lies as gospel.
He has the entire world hanging on his every word - but can
he win the heart of the woman he loves?
MOVIE REVIEW:
Seriously, someone needs to spread the word about how good this Richard Gervais guy is. If you are not a fan of The Office (not the American version starring Carell, mind you), you wouldn’t have probably realised how witty this guy is. The English actor may not be the most good looking dude you have seen, but trust us, his wry sense of humour is what every society needs. Especially in a society like ours, where we have conveniently forgotten what a good comedy can do to our souls. Credit goes to Gervais for this movie, because from his witty mind comes a world where no lies are told. And we are given a glimpse into what may happen if this reality manifests itself any time soon.
In a world unfamiliar to us, everyone tells the truth, whether they are nice or not. Gervais plays a screenwriter who is about to be fired from his job. And being the guy who isn’t your Prince Charming, he doesn’t get to be with the woman he loves. But all these are going to change when he realises the power of lying, or to put it in another way, not telling the truth.
The first thing which catches your attention is the setup Gervais has created. If we were to live in a society where only truths are told, it would create mayhem (strange isn’t it, that we have been always been taught to tell the truth, fully knowing well that it may not be the best thing to do all the time?) The screenplay sets up several hilarious but reflective scenarios which would set you chuckling and thinking at the same time. Sigh, given the conflict and tension this scenario portrays, we only go to realise life sure isn’t an easy thing for us.
The movie goes into moralistic mode once Gervais’ loser character realises the benefits of creating lies, which includes selfish opportunities and also chances to make people feel better about themselves. It could have continued with its gleefully wicked setup, but something has to be done to tell an upright tale by the time the 99 minute movie ends. Amidst the laughs, you’d ponder upon the role lies play in our everyday lives.
The cast plays along with the clever script too. Jennifer Garner plays Gervais’ love interest, a caricature of women who are concerned about how good looking their partners are. Rob Lowe plays an irritating colleague who is, of course, better looking than Gervais, and you know what that can do to someone’s social life. Also, look out for a whole load of amusing appearances by familiar faces like Jonah Hill, Jason Bateman, Tina Fey and Edward Norton. Looks like everyone had fun being part of this production.
And we believe Gervais, despite not being your typical Hollywood heartthrob, has managed to pull together a group of people to produce this sharply executed production which reminds us what truths and lies really mean in our lives.
SPECIAL FEATURES :
There is a platter of bonus features which are 'free things to make you buy this DVD' (so says the back cover of the disc). Prequel: The Dawn of Lying is a very funny seven minute clip which stars Gervais as a caveman in the prehistoric era who passes the lying gene to future generations. Meet Karl Pilkington is an 18 minute featurette about Gervais’ close friend from The Office fame. Here, you see how he managed to get a non speaking role in The Dawn of Lying - funny.
A Truly 'Honest' Making-of Featurette with Ricky Gervais shows you what went on behind the scenes of the movie. The cast and crew really looked like they had a lot of fun on set – no political corrected speeches here. There are five Additional Scenes (7 minutes) for you to enjoy if you like Gervais’ sense of humour. There are four Ricky and Matt’s Video Podcasts (10 minutes) which show you how much crazy fun these dudes have, and in More Laughter: Corpsing and Outtakes (6 minutes), the NG takes will have you realising that laughter is indeed the best medicine.
AUDIO/VISUAL:
There is nothing to complain about the movie's visual transfer. You can choose to watch it in English, Japanese or Thai Dolby Digital 5.1 audio tracks.
MOVIE RATING :
DVD
RATING :
Review
by John Li
Posted
on 22 August 2010 |
