Have you seen the trailer for the new Ricky Gervais movie “The Invention of Lying?” It’s a raucous comedy set in a world where no one lies … except Gervais’ character.
With apologies to the late Paul Harvey, and now … the rest of the story.
Turns out the film is a satirical smackdown of organized religion – actually one religion in particular.
And if you guessed Islam … go to the end of the line.
Compare that misdirecting trailer – lying might be a tad too harsh – to the clip for “Law Abiding Citizen.”
That film stars Gerard Butler as the father of a slain girl who will stop at nothing to bring the people who killed her to justice. And, according to the gritty trailer, we mean nothing.
Audiences will likely devour “Citizen,” if the massive success of “Taken” is any guide. Those same audiences might not take kindly to a film that mocks their spiritual side with alacrity.
So why the dishonesty? Simple. The studio behind “Lying” greenlit the film but hoped the trailer would deceive enough people to give it a try.
Another studio, recognizing audiences crave tales of righteous vengeance, packed the trailer for its new film, “Citizen,” with the elements they know will connect with crowds.
It’s the way Show Business operates in 2009. Clear as mud.
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{ 5 comments… read them below or add one }
The blogoshpere and social networking sites like twitter and facebook are helping to undermine this dishonest tactic from studios. It no longer takes as long for word-of-mouth to sink a bad film. If enough people voice their displeasure you can kill a film before opening weekend is over.
Kyle let us know already, but thanks just the same because some people may not have gotten the message. I saw the trailer and it was hardly obvious that it was anti-religious.
I can only surmise that whomever green lighted the movie and trailer either hated the religiously observant enough to bait and switch them into a slap in the face, or perhaps they were fanatical fundy atheists perpetrating what amounts to a cinematic act of terror to bring all us ignorant God botherers to our senses.
Hollywood is picking on Zoroastrianism again?
The main question I got from that trailer is does the world in which Ricky Gervais’ character live also lack insanity or even simple confusion? Surely the bank teller would assume that he’s mistaken about his account balance, and the guy in the bar would think that his claims mean he’s crazy?
K – I saw Kyle’s piece, but I thought it was instructive to compare these two trailers and show how one is aimed at the type of material audiences today want, and the other knows it doesn’t have that kind of material so it tries to hide it.
JIC … you really have to take the gimmick of “Lying” at face value. It doesn’t stand up to scrutiny, which is why when the religious angle hits the plot really takes a shot to the solar plexus.
Do you really believe “Lying” was a “smackdown” of organized religion? I think it pointed out some inherently hilarious things about religion (and one could argue, not just about Christianity), but I didn’t feel it was a “smackdown.”
I agree the trailer made the movie seem much more like a Jim Carrey comedic romp, but if people were at all familiar with Gervais and his previous work they can’t be completely shocked. To most Americans, it’s probably not as funny as they expected, but I think Gervais’ dry wit is spot on.