We’d be lying if we said it was inventive

Though “The Invention of Lying” claims to be a comedy, the laughs come to an abrupt halt within about 10 minutes of the film, when blunt truths about appearance and sexuality quickly lose their comic edge and the scenario becomes much darker.

Mark Bellison (Ricky Gervais) lives in a world where everything spoken is the truth, and the lie has yet to be invented.

Recently fired and evicted, Mark is forced to tell the very first lie and, in doing so, brings both hope and despair to his fellow man.

The cast of Gervais, Tina Fey and Louis C.K. might move one to assume that the film would live up to the comedic standards of those individuals, but this film appears to be more interested in examining philosophical quandaries concerning the existence of God instead of being funny.

With few jokes and heavy subject matter, this “comedy” too often leaves the audience wondering, “Is it all right to laugh?”