Review: Terrible people say and do terrible things in unfunny comedy ‘The Truth About Lies’
On a single day, the protagonist of “The Truth About Lies” is fired from his job, his apartment burns down and his girlfriend dumps him. He has it easy compared to anyone who actually watches this thoroughly unpleasant, unfunny comedy.
After Gilby (Fran Kranz, doing his best) has experienced the worst life can throw at him in one day, things start to look up when he meets his best friend’s pretty — and pretty married — sister, Rachel (Odette Annable). He lies about, well, everything, to land a job at her husband’s company and help him get closer to her, but will the truth ultimately come out? (Yes.)
From its first moments, “The Truth About Lies” frames Gilby as lazy, whiny, petty and obnoxious — on top of being a liar. If there’s karma, he deserves all the ills that befall him. Were the comedy about character growth, there could be some satisfaction in watching him evolve. However, when the credits finally roll, Gilby is the same awful person he was in the opening scenes, unless you count his improved wardrobe.
Good comedies can be centered around bad people, but the characters have to be enjoyably terrible — and actually funny. The script from writer-director Phil Allocco is filled with terrible characters saying terrible lines that elicit groans or eye rolls instead of laughter.
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Not rated
Running time: 1 hour, 34 minutes
Playing: Laemmle Monica Film Center, Santa Monica
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