The Lie

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The Lie

R,

2011,

1h 22m,

Comedy/

Drama

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Watchlist

Watchlist

74%

19 Reviews

Tomatometer

48%

500+ Ratings

Popcornmeter

74%

Tomatometer

19 Reviews

48%

Popcornmeter

500+ Ratings

Deciding he needs some time away from his soul-killing job, a man tells a shocking lie to explain his absence.

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Lou Lumenick

New York Post

Nov 18, 2011

2.5/4

The acting in The Lie -- including a nice bit by Mark Webber as a stoner pal who lectures Leonard on responsibility -- is good enough to almost overlook a so-so ending.

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Jeannette Catsoulis

New York Times

Nov 17, 2011

4/5

Comprising small, near-perfect scenes played out largely at dinner tables and on couches, "The Lie" wonders if it's possible to rewrite lives and remake choices.

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Joe Neumaier

New York Daily News

Nov 17, 2011

3/5

It doesn't try too hard, but what "The Lie" is working at, in its unassuming, amusing way, is a mini-portrait of growing pains in a time of extended adolescence.

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Shawn Levy

Oregonian

Dec 1, 2011

B

Leonard plays Lonnie with unflattering commitment: you've gotta credit a fellow who plays feckless, selfish and dim so fully.

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Brent Simon

Shockya.com

Nov 29, 2011

B

A well acted and uncommonly assured and engaging portrait of post-millennial and particularly male uncertainty.

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Michelle Orange

Movieline

Nov 17, 2011

6.5/10

Embedded in The Lie is a sharp look at the moral limbo of a complacent life, the self-defeat of committing by halves, the self-interest of false equivalencies - but only the shallowest attempts are made to chip its themes out.

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Kylo S

Sep 14, 2018

A good - not great - mumblecore drama with an impressive directorial debut by Joshua Leonard, who also stars.

Hagrid L

Nov 28, 2017

A movie about nothing. The lie could have led to some interesting, funny shenanigans, despite how terrible a lie it would be to tell somebody (a man lies to his boss and says his 6-month old daughter passed away just so he could stay home from work). His wife appears pissed, but then they drive off into the sunset together, happy-go-lucky hippies. Huh?

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Synopsis

Deciding he needs some time away from his soul-killing job, a man tells a shocking lie to explain his absence.

Director: Joshua Leonard
Producer: Mary Pat Bentel
Screenwriter: Jeff Feuerzeig, Joshua Leonard, Mark Webber, Jess Weixler
Distributor: Screen Media Films
Production Co: Das Films, Perception Media
Rating: R (Language|Some Drug Use)
Genre: Comedy, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Nov 18, 2011, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Jul 23, 2012
Runtime: 1h 22m

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