“It’s funny because it’s true” is a common phrase some use to explain why they find themselves laughing at the expense of others. As overused and simplistic as it is, comedian Ricky Gervais (“Ghost Town“) uses it to drive home some pretty astonishing truths about certain ideologies in his directorial debut “The Invention of Lying.”

The story world of this movie is the same as our own — except people are incapable of lying. It’s not because they don’t want to, but rather they completely lack the mental capacity to create or comprehend lies. Gervais uses this idea to create a smart, hypothetical satire of our own society.

In addition to directing, Gervais stars in the film as Mark Bellison, a sad sack of a man who comes from a long line of losers, which explains his loser apartment, loser job and all-around unimportant and meaningless existence. He hates his job — and everyone at his job hates him — and it doesn’t seem to be getting better for him any time soon. Such is the life of Mark.

That is, until he suddenly decides to “say something that isn’t” to benefit himself, which works because lying simply doesn’t exist. Anything said or heard in this world is the truth, something which gives Mark a rare talent. The movie is much more than a vehicle for Gervais; rather, he shows how dysfunctional a world without lies would truly be.

There are two major concepts satirized in “Lying.” The first and most prominent is ignorance, especially with regard to religion. In the movie, Mark is at his mother’s deathbed and in her dying moments he consoles her and describes the “better place” she’ll be in. Some nurses and doctors overhear and think Mark has knowledge of what life is like after death. When word gets out, he is forced to share this knowledge with the world, inadvertently leading to the creation of religion (specifically Christianity).

The people in this lie-less world are none the wiser to anything Mark says — making them look exceptionally ignorant. Gervais approaches this subject very carefully. He’s not making fun of religion nor those who practice it. He does, however, suggest followers of any religion could be blinded by the very ideals they adhere to. He questions why people believe what they believe and answers it simply with a “because somebody said so.”

The second concept is the evil of superficiality. In a world where nobody lies, rudeness and painful truths run rampant. When Bellison goes on a date with his crush, Anna (Jennifer Garner, “Ghosts of Girlfriends Past”), she greets him with a confession of pessimism about the night they are about to have. Of course the date doesn’t go well in the beginning because Mark is still bound by the truth. Post-invention of lying, she begins to show interest in his money (acquired by lying at a casino) and his false exploits. It’s really painful to watch Anna grow more attracted to Mark even though she admits nothing could ever happen between them because Mark “doesn’t contain the right genetic material.” Gervais asks if all relationships are superficial and whether people ever have an intention of solely loving what’s underneath. Ultimately not even lying can make up for lackluster looks.

Apart from the stark social truths Gervais presents, the movie on the most basic level is still pretty entertaining, and all the minor characters are likable. Garner makes confusion look cute while she tries to keep up with Mark as he bounces between truth and fiction. Additionally, there are many minor characters (and bizarre cameos) from some big name actors including Jonah Hill and Tina Fey. And they all brilliantly play their little role without asking for any more development.

The only issue is the pace of the film. When Mark isn’t lying to the world or trying to seduce Anna, the movie just kind of meanders along.

Overall the strength of “The Invention of Lying” is Gervais’ recognition of the necessity of lying to maintain order in society. Brutal honesty on a superficial level isn’t socially acceptable and daily routines would malfunction as a result. Also, what some people perceive as ignorance can be pivotal to other people who truly believe in something. Gervais has enough fun with these serious topics that you don’t have to recognize them to laugh, but the main point of “The Invention of Lying” is to provide a unique take on both of them.

3 and 1/2 stars out of 5.