Religion in film is such a heavy, daunting, disastrous subject unless handled by sensitive, insightful, gifted artists. Ricky at times is expert at pointing up the inherent absurdities of faith, particularly in the scene where he's struggling to explain to a dumbfounded crowd just who and where "The Man In The Sky" actually is. It's such a juvenile conception - the idea of a God in the heavens looking down upon us all - that Ricky has little choice but to depict the townsfolk as imbecilic buffoons. It's fun to witness their childish reactions to his decrees, both gleeful wonder and bewildered outrage. But this farcical contrivance also undermines the gravity of this grand ancient delusion's disastrous impact on the world's populations throughout recorded history; the horrible atrocities that have been committed in its defense. Ricky, who is well known to be a strident atheist, is here diluting the intensity of his contempt and rage for the ignorant, superstitious, hypocritical masses. It's this type of compromise with truth that too often has sabotaged so many well intentioned Hollywood projects, and that's exactly what's nearly happening here.
There are some genuinely funny moments all through this fanciful bit of Tinsel Town nonsense, but the story is too divided between the twin purposes of exposing the idiocy of religion and commenting on the absurd nature of male/female attraction. I suppose there's a Theological Delusional Mythological Fantasy vs. Darwinian Genetic Natural Law kind of duality at work here, but it's never made clear. There's no meeting of the two opposing forces. These conflicting ideologies are kept apart, never colliding in a dramatic climactic showdown, thus failing to once and for all finally resolve this age old controversy. Rather, the whole sticky question of the folly of faith vs. the folly of romance is avoided when the protagonist, Mark Bellison, played by Ricky Gervais, refuses to fully commit himself to his true beliefs. He finds this compromise with his own ideals to be only a bit distasteful and not prohibitively repellent. He's OK with his deal with the Devil. We are then meant to understand that there has to be a limit to our honesty with our fellow citizens if we are to have a functioning society. The moral is that deception is necessary to finding any happiness, even if that means deceiving the people you most love.
Strange kind of morality to be preaching to an audience that likely came to this film because of Gervais' well known and appreciated fondness for exposing the lunacy of our cultural deceptions. Ricky has achieved phenomenal success as an uninhibited purveyor of shockingly frank honesty. His two BBC series, The Office and Extras, are superlative expressions of truth and honesty, albeit delivered via a ridiculously flawed and tragic clown. That is the only concession he needed to make to continually win us over to his side. He only had to repeatedly denigrate and humiliate himself for us to accept his philosophy. But in this film it isn't enough that he again presents himself as the eternal pathetic loser we've come to love, but he now must also compromise himself - deny his own truth in order to be the victor. His reward is the girl of his dreams, the occasionally sweet and lovely Anna McDoogles, played by Jennifer Garner, who comes to love him for who he is. But who is he? Well, he's a self absorbed, tedious, deceptive, scheming, LYING phony. But somehow - miraculously! - even after she learns this truth she still finds him irresistible. Really?! This is sort of truth that we've come to expect from Ricky? No, it's exactly the opposite. The tenets of Truth and Honesty that Ricky has so fanatically, heroically championed his whole career could only have her rejecting him, and he ultimately realizing and glumly accepting the justice of this bitter fate. But no, in Hollywood, apparently, the boy must get the girl. Even if it completely contradicts the film's whole premise, silly as it is. The truth, I believe, is that Ricky would hope that people who routinely practice deception for their own gain would find themselves forever tormented in the everlasting fires of hell. But here he is, lying his way into her pants, and then being rewarded with a happily-ever-after life. I don't know if Ricky is personally to blame for this transgression or if the Studio imposed its will, but either way it's just too stupid...
But there are some fantastic performances all through this fractured fairytale. Ricky, of course, is wonderfully engaging as a reluctant messiah impostor. His subtle changes of facial expression and deft timing are like comedy jazz, so oddly rhythmic and uniquely accented. Tina Fey has a couple of fantastic scenes as his disdainful disgusted secretary. She, too, is able to suggest so much with a minimum of effort, sometimes with just a single word. Rob Lowe plays a very cartoon-y stereotype that could easily have come off flat and dull, but he somehow imbues his vain, shallow, evil antagonist with considerable edge and charm (Much like his slick, slimy characters in Tommy Boy and Austin Powers). Louis C.K. as Mark's slovenly slacker friend is a suitably unattractive presence. And Jonah Hill is likewise repulsive and tragic as Mark's pathologically lonely neighbor. There's also a few surprise cameo appearances by somewhat disguised A-list celebrities. Pay attention, they're on and gone very fast. And they're very funny.
The "message", if any, I was then left with is that Hollywood survives only on deception, and we, the paying patrons, are responsible for sustaining the morass of absurd, unrealistic, worthless crap that passes for entertainment. Luckily, in this film's defense, the bulk of the dialog and the whole of the cast are good and funny. Honestly... 6.5/10
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