Having gotten quite a kick out of Ricky Gervais in Ghost Town, I looked forward to Lying. Plus, there's a long list of celebrity cameos from Ed Norton to Jonah Hill. Unfortunately, the star power does not save this rather messy effort. Ricky himself is endearing and even entertaining, but this not-so-near-miss parable has a focus problem.

Perhaps even a larger shortcoming, the surreal world experiment idea gets hijacked by a standard love story that has zero oomph. The film gives us no reason to believe that Ricky is interested in the Jennifer Garner character save for her great looks. The one moment in the picture where Garner shows any redeeming inner character (empathy for others) feels completely out of place, and certainly out of character. Yet, somehow, Lying struggles to opine that inner beauty is of greater value than outer. It just doesn't make sense.

Further, while the premise places us in a town where no one can lie, Garner tosses false smiles and apologies left and right. If she really weren't allowed to lie, she wouldn't say "Sorry" when her phone rings. Am I being to literal?

Lastly, the film isn't really all that funny. Honestly, I still enjoyed the ever-amusing Ricky Gervais, and there is an oddly emotional moving mom/son scene, but the film, sadly, isn't so amusing.

-- Books by Author/Illustrator Ross Anthony --