The truth about "Lying"

You know how sometimes, you’re in the mood for a different kind of movie? You click through every one of the 576 channels on cable — nothing. You peruse Hulu and AT&T and other perfectly legal online movie sites — meh. So, you hop on your Harley and hustle over to Hollywood Video to peruse the shelves.

Within minutes, you see it.

Starring Chloë Sevigny;

Leelee Sobieski;

Jena Malone;

and that girl in the background who was Grace’s friend on The Book of Daniel — Halley Wegryn Gross. That was such a good show.

You turn the DVD over.

“When a long weekend brings four women together in the countryside, each of them in forced to navigate the depths of social interaction as virtual strangers.” Cool. And Henry Gummer is in it — that has to be Meryl Streep’s son. More cool.

Quick Google search on the iPhone brings up a goofy-but-endearing interview with Sevigny.

Sounds like Sevigny is proud of Lying. And it was a Cannes selection a couple of years ago. Must be a winner.

So you grab the box and take it to the counter and ask the girl if she’s seen it. “No, but we have some used ones over there for $5.” You grab one because hey,Chloë and Jena. It’s gotta be worth $5, right?

Um, wrong.

Lying is a mess. I think it’s supposed to be a satire about spoiled rich kids, but it just doesn’t work. It feels like a film school project from a student who thinks he’s the modern day Bergman but has no real future in film. Director M.Blash uses a lot of random elements that I’m sure are meant to symbolize something deep and meaningful. But nothing ever comes of them. Here’s the trailer:

BTW, the fuzziness and paleness of the trailer is not due to loss of resolution in video transfer. That’s the way the whole movie looks. It’s artsy, you know.

I have to tell you, I’m really not all that picky about movies. I can find something to like in almost anything, especially if the film stars women I admire — but I wish I’d skipped Lying.

If you want another opinion, check out the review at Newsblaze. Then use your $5 for candy and re-watch Boys Don’t Cry and Saved! to see Chloë and Jena in movies worthy of their talent.

Has anyone else seen Lying? What did you think? Do you ever watch bad movies just for the pretty faces?