Movie: The Invention of Lying

You know normally I highlight these movies before they come out, and I didn't do that for this one because I thought it looked kind of cheesy and a one joke premise. I'm sorry to say I once again grossly underestimated Ricky Gervais.

This movie is excellant. Not only is it funny it also takes alot deep look at the ethicacy of twisting the truth. It is not only that the hypothetical society doesn't lie; they must also tell the absolute truth. That means everything. Reality is forced upon everyone in its full force with no filtering. It is shockingly blunt. And it's not like you can call a guy an asshole or dick for what he said because he's just telling the truth which is just what everyone does. It is not malicious or anything.

Which kind of comes to the driving question of the film: is the factual reality really the best. Now of course the truth is often held a moral supreme. I am outraged and deeply hurt when I am lyed to. A lie often leaves people confused, unsure of what to rely upon, and ultimately deeply cynical. Realty is considered dependable and comprehensive.

Then there are also so many aspects of life that almost require, well I won't say lying, but a twisting of the truth. So much of the beauty of life is based on perception and pursuit of possibility. I mean, if accept the world at its surface reality, there is just so much we lose. We lose any kind of tactful conversation. We lose imagination and creative vision. We lose hope. This is one of main themes. Should man accept the circumstance of his life as given to him, or should he make ever effort in striving for a greater existence. If we accept the world as it is in its truth we lose sight of all of its fantastic potential.

I'm not trying to just to lying as a whole nor is the film. Certainly those lies told with full comprehension that are false and have no hope of becoming true are cruel and deeply immoral. But there are those times that reality is to some degree pushed aside to allow of realization of possibility and potential. It is this hope that supercede any injury caused from straying from the truth.

One final thought on the movie and this is just a stupid film nerd thing, but, if anyone is familiar with Laura Mulvey's feminist theory of male gaze, this is a prime example. The roles (not necessarially their characters) of the leading male and female roles are textbook. Ricky Gervais is the one who take action and control of the world while Jennifer Garner is the object of contest and is predominately concerned with preserving and maintaining her beauty. I mean if the genders were reversed with a short, stub-nosed woman after a beautiful man the movie would have never been made. Again just dumb film theory.