The Invention of Lying...a satire on catholicism.

I was privileged to see a screening of The Invention of Lying starring Ricky Gervais and Jennifer Garner. While standing in line, awaiting the opening of the theater, I never fathomed that I was going to be walking into a film satire on religion. Originally, I was under the impression that I was about to view a lighthearted comedy at the expense of Gervais' physical appearance and social awkwardness. Gervais was the butt of most jokes until he begins to lie, at which point the film takes a dark turn. Putting aside the dance around suicide and self loathing for those who are not attractive and rich, there is the uneasy, head on collision of immorality and death, or to quote Gervais' character's mother,"nothing, nothing, nothing." There are scenes in which Gervais' character writes down a list of rules very similar to the Ten Commandments on two pizza boxes. He makes references to a man in the sky and a place where everyone goes after they die where everyone gets a mansion. For observers who can see past the humor overtones they are able to clearly see the undertones of bitter satire on religion. Why do I say this? Number one, the idea of a place after death is never thought of until lying, thus giving the viewers the idea that death is ifinate and that heavan is a myth. Two, Gervais then proceeds to write down rules to go to this happy place after death which Gervais states, "I wish I had tablets to write these on", obviously referring to the Ten Commandments, and finally when Gervais' character goes into a depressive coma, he lets his hair and beard grow long and wraps himself in a white sheet and wears sandals, obviously resembling Jesus Christ. The Invention of Lying definatlly had it's humorous attributes; however, if I knew the true premisis and undertones of this film I would have passed on the free screening and read a book at home.