Film Reviews by PV

I wasn't expecting to like this movie much - I am no big fan of the massively over-rated Office or Ricky Gervais - but I ended up really enjoying it: the film is funny, intelligent, poignant, with some great one-liners, and a good script, and a great soundtrack! Some nice satire about religion and the gullibility of people (esp Americans) too! Perhaps for anyone non-British, the humour and ironies will not be fully understoood; and fans of The Office of Gervais stand-up won't like it; and younger people may find it up to the usual banal cliche-ridden glossy grossness of their fave Hollywood 'comedies'. But I ended up loving it - and would recommend it highly to the more educated audience who can 'get' its arch satirical bite - I loved the Python-esque 'Man in the Sky' scene with Gervais character explaining everything and all the people grilling him about this 'religion' thing! So true to life like the best satire. I think people who dislike this movie miss most of it - perhaps they should stick to American Pie? This Invention of Lying is a rare beast: it can make you both laugh and cry - I was genuinely touched by the scenes between the Gervais character and his mother, but perhaps you need to be 'of age' to get that. Great! But not for the gross out Hollywood movies lovers out there.

The film is watchable, but for a UK audience there is one major flaw: this band is unknown in the UK and is a really minor band, made significant only by Joan Jett's hit I Love Rock n Roll, and the fact it's an early girl rock group. That worthiness of a ferminist story does tend to spoil things. Films like Control (about Joy Division) or Sex n Drugs n Rock n Roll about Ian Dury mean much much more to a British audience.

However, it's still entertaining and I was happy to discover more about Joan Jett's origins. Never heard of Cherie Currie before, and only heard the name of the band not the music (but now know where the Go-gos and the Breeders got their influence from) Mike Shannon as the mad manager Kim is suitably bonkers and pervy, and the scenes in Japan are hilarious. I wonder if Japanese schoolgirls really are like that!