20 May 2012

Clever and funny. Extremely enjoyable.

I just read a review in which someone complained about the amount of"slurs" and basically equated the show to pornography. They couldn't bemore wrong.Yes, the show has some swears. And yes, there is nudity. But how isthat worth a 1-star review? Are you 10 years old? This is a programcreated by and for Showcase, a network that shamelessly brands itselfas "television without borders," so there should be an expectation ofsome level of debauchery. How many other top shows out there containthe same material? Look at True Blood, Game of Thrones,Californication, and the list goes on. House of Lies is an adult showwith adult themes. Get the hell over it! This show is clearly not foryou. Everyone's welcome to their own opinion but I doubt anyone willfind yours to be useful here. Don't give it a 1-star review justbecause you don't approve of its content. Go watch "The Wind at MyBack" or something like that instead.That being said, Don Cheadle is fantastic as the lead part in thiscomedy. He pulls it off so well that it's unexpected and refreshing.Cheadle's "psycho" ex-wife is also a great character, flipping betweenpill-popping party girl and smart, driven career woman that we love tolaugh with even though we hate her for being such a b*tch. I can't waitto see more of this show and I applaud everyone involved for a job welldone. The acting is convincing and the writing is sharp. There is agreat dynamic between all the characters, especially that of Cheadleand his father. The only acting that's less-than stellar comes fromCheadle's son's character, but it's difficult to find a convincingchild actor anywhere. He'll probably improve as the show goes on. I was laughing throughout the episode. Don't let the review of someprude turn you away from this great comedy.

Mary Brown

20 May 2012

Don Cheadle is great, the rest stinks

I'm no prude, but I'm sick of gross-out crude sex passing for comedy.Californication was fun for a while until the sex stuff got so stupid Iturned it off in Season 1. I gave House of Lies about 4 episodes thenquit. Don Cheadle is great. When he is the centerpiece, the show rocks.I like his dad and kid, too but the rest of the cast is either weak orterrible. The over-the-top sexcapades are just unrealistic andridiculous. They lost me. If you want to see more Don Cheadle, Irecommend "the Guard". It is a offbeat Irish movie. I'll bet you didn'tknow that Cheadle was Irish, did you? I don't know why I have to add atleast ten lines to this review because there simply isn't much else tosay. Cheadle great, otherwise acting poor, writing terrible.

LTSmash14

19 May 2012

Like Watching an auto tuned song

I think that the concept behind this show was to give them the oldRazzle Dazzle. Every moment raises your heat rate, rushes your blood,And holds your eyes wide open. The up looking angles, the slow motionwalking timed to high bass tracks, boobs, the cross marital andsexuality banging, fast cars and D list stars... The cast Is even anaveragely funny, pseudo attractive bunch, including an Internet starand an Oscar winner. That said, I have absolutely no idea what thisshow is about. I think we are just being beaded and feathered. I thinkthe only target audience must be the consultants of the world who wantto be motivated back into feelings of bad-assery, but we know that noneof them have time for TV, and would be as insulted as I was by theexplanation of the word "Deck." I just hope that Kristen Bell's strongfemale character isn't immediately written into a delicate romanticlooking for a way to juggle work and motherhood. Oh wait...10 points for accidentally referencing Pulp Fiction by noting theappropriateness of foot massages amongst married people. And 10 pointsto anyone who noticed that the owner of the huskies was Jerry'sbuilding repair man in Seinfeld. I wonder if the show has a Consultant consultant... ? Sha wing. My opinion? NEXT!

blkpearl22

18 May 2012

Great ADULT show

Whom ever suggested that porn is better must not watch porn at all. Asan adult I am tired of having television shows watered down to pleasethose who are afraid of adult content. I love the savvy businesstalk,the fact that the consultants do what they have to do to get whatthey want. We all know that that's not the real world but it's a TVshow. The banter is brilliant and the humor is memorable. Don Cheadel'scharacter is so unapologetically ruthless that you can't help but likehim. A welcome break from mindless reality shows. This now my favoriteShowtime Series. The only reason I gave it a 9 and not a 10 is becauseI wish it were an hour long.

SirBurgh

09 May 2012

Love it - I can't wait for Sunday night!

First off, I have to say I don't watch a lot of "TV". But by TV I meanregular shows or sitcom type material (if they still call it that). Iwatch movies or sports, news, etc...But I saw the trailer for this and thought it looked great so I watchedit. Now I just love it. It's raunchy and something you're embarrassedto watch with your adult kids, but it's still utterly hysterical.Cheadle makes the whole thing go - but Kristen Bell is excellent as sheshows some business savvy with the comedy as well. The othertwo...well, they are kind of straight men so that's okay. I can watchthe same episode three or four times and still laugh and enjoy it.Personally I think Cheadle is one of the best and most underratedactors around. He should be more of a feature star than doing a cableshow, but I'm thrilled he's doing this.Having said all that, I'm in business. Not Management Consulting, buton the other side, and heaven knows I have encountered their types andtypically loathe them. Maybe that's why I find this so funny. If youhave no business background, I still think it'll be funny for you, butbeing in the corporate world makes you laugh that much harder.Excellent...just excellent.

gary89436

09 May 2012

Cutting-edge comedy, not for the faint of heart

I almost never write movie reviews, but feel I need to weigh in on thisshow after seeing it panned by the 1-star prude. I watched the firstepisode of 'House of Lies' twice after it was highly recommended by atrusted friend. I loved the show, and agree with hanna uzelac onvirtually every point.I found the way this show breaks the fourth wall was brilliant. Sorry,I haven't watched much cable television the last couple of years, so Idon't know how innovative this was, I just love the way the show usedit to underline the action and reach out to the viewer.Yes, there was a lot of swearing and sex, at least in the pilotepisode, but that didn't bother me. I'm no prude by any means, but atage 56 I've just come to a point where gratuitous sex doesn't grab me,and I'll often find myself fast-forwarding much of it, but not here.What sex there was was brief, not gratuitous, and served to punctuate acomedic scene to follow, like... ***spoiler alert******spoiler alert*** ***spoiler alert*** ***spoiler alert*** . . .the quick look grandpa gives his son (Don Cheadle) after he comesinside to the end of the his grandchild's play after Don was outbanging his son's rival wife in her minivan. It's just brilliant, and Ithought it plays very well. Other times, it was used to set up afourth-wall comedic break, such as Don telling us from the very startto ... never...f&@k...your...ex...wife." Good advice or not? Youdecide.I also found the interactions of both grandpa and father with hisgender-curious son hilarious, with dad trying valiantly to at leastfake positive support despite his own conflicts on that subject. Thistoo was used as a set up for a steamy scene in the restaurant bathroom,enough said.I also loved how, after layering on its thick frosting of brutalcynicism throughout the entire episode,the last scene has Don almost,but not quite, breaking through to a more human level. It's set up asanother fourth-wall break as we see him alone in the bathroom mirrorshaving, but instead we see him reaching out to one of his colleagues.but it was the only real moment we see the humane core character breakthrough.I usually consider it an error to judge a series based only on afirst/pilot episode, but reading the 1-star sexually-repressed review,felt I had to chime in. This is an adult show for adult viewers on andadult channel, so if you can't handle it, go watch 'Malcolm in theMiddle' or an LDS movie for god's sake, and leave this alone. It was agreat show, and I can't wait for more.

amy_m77

06 May 2012

Big miss

For the most part I love Showtime series but House of Lies completelymisses the mark on entertainment. I work at a Management ConsultingCompany and although I am not a consultant I have never heard or seenanyone talk or act the way the characters do on the show. If one of ourconsultants walked into a client meeting and started talking aboutcupping things by the balls, it wouldn't go over very well. I have noproblems with vulgar language or nudity but it seems like the writersand creators just wanted a story line to intentionally be crass with noentertainment value. The show is way too predictable. I might try onemore episode but I think this will be quickly be exiting my DVR list...

laura haa

06 May 2012

Great show

House of Lies (stylized as Hou$e of Lie$) is a great new Showtimecomedy television series created by Matthew Carnahan. The show is basedon the book, House of Lies: How Management Consultants Steal Your Watchand Then Tell You the Time, written by Martin Kihn, a former consultantat Booz Allen Hamilton. It's about a group of management consultants(Cheadle, Bell, Schwartz, Lawson) who stop at nothing to get businessdeals done, even if it calls for extremes. It's an interesting mixabout work and the racy private lives and shenanigans of thecharacters. The non-PG pilot looks at Cheadle's complicated love life(sex with the ex and, incidentally, also the mother of hisgender-neutral son and his professional competition) and self-loathingbehaviour (sex with strippers, hurray! and sex with the mother of hisson's 'friend' in the school play), while he tries to close a deal withMetroCapital, a bank looking for a plan to unscrupulously justify theiryear-end bonuses as the financial world around them burns.

0gmios

02 May 2012

The Entourage of the business world

The pilot of "House of Lies" showcased a funny, stylish, and fast-paceddramedy focused on the world of big business. Don Cheadle plays MartyKaan, a fast-talking, self-loathing, consultant trying to balance hisbroken home life with his high-powered job. His father is a liberalpsychologist and his ex-wife is his mirror image(who works for a rivalconsulting firm.) The pilot reveals a lot of reasons for his self-loathing nature and sets him up a lot of character development lateron. Kristen Bell plays Jeannie Van Der Hooven, the smart, tough, andsomewhat mysterious second-in-command to Cheadle. She doesn't have aton of screen time in the pilot, which is obviously a mistake whenyou're talking about Kristen Bell. Really hoping that more is revealedabout her later. The rest of the cast is passable but not memorable. The plot of the pilot is centered on the consulting team trying toretain a big client. The competing firm is lead by Marty's ex-wife. Theforth wall is frequently broken for Cheadle to explain some consultingjargon to the audience. It works pretty well and flows with the overallfastness of the show. There are also some showy quick cuts for traveland non-essential scenes which add a bit of style. There is also sexand nudity peppered throughout the entire half hour. Id say 7 minutesdon't go by without some sort of sex. The sex lends to the overall feelof the show, but may be overdone.Overall, House of Lies shows a lot of promise, or at least enough tokeep me watching

Paul Papadopoulos

02 May 2012

House of Banal Truth About a Load of Bovine

House of Lies? Well I have given up after watching one and a halfepisodes. Funny? In what way. The only funny thing is to wonder why theproducers came up with this bovine load! Don't misunderstand me I havenothing per se against sex, nudity and foul language on screen whenit's put together in a clever way but this show just hangs on thosethree features while adding nothing extra. The only thing that mighthave been worse is that the studio refrained from adding cannedlaughter, though that is a small mercy. Thanks but no thanks. I think Ishall stick with Mad Men and the Good Wife, shows that at least presentsome intelligent material and plot development. I am not one whoinsists on empathy with the characters; after all I enjoyed watchingthe Untergang movie with zero empathy for Adolf Hitler. That is not thepoint; what is on offer in this show for half an hour a week? We allknow that business consultants are full of it in real life and mostoften they are hired at great expense either to substantiate plans thata firm has already made or to destroy a plan if there is an executivelevel rivalry going on. In the 1 1/2 episodes I have seen nothing ofthat cut and thrust action one would expect, As a comedy it sucks, onewould do better for laughs with Frazier or even 2 ½ Men. Are wesupposed to laugh at the scene of an ex-wife being goosed by herex-husband in a washroom or at loutish behaviour in a restaurant?Fawlty Towers where art thou? Where are the witty exchanges? Okay someof the reviewers love the show. So be it, live and let live, each totheir own taste. For me this is off the list.

sagei

02 May 2012

Juvenile.

Bad language and nudity is not my idea of being an adult. It was for awhile.Then turned twelve.Nowadays takes a lot more to get my attention let alone keep it.The odd obscenity and bared breast does not automatically make a showmore "mature". This looked like a third rate californication ripoff. That show worksoccasionally. This one didn't. At all.In the Wire even the foulest language sounded authentic. Hereeverything is jarringly fake.Good cast could have been used to better effect. Instead you getstripper and closet lesbian and other nonsense.Could not crack a smile let alone laugh at this "comedy".Only joke here is the writing.Realize they need to distinguish themselves from the bigger networksbut can't they show a little class while doing it.Could get better but wouldn't hold my breath.Wish them well.Thank you.

jeppy3456

01 May 2012

Smart show with a lot going for it

This is a great show for young adults and in particular young men. Tome it is Californication with a little more whit. Cheadle is perfectfor the role; making the viewer really believe he can make any dealhappen with his quick tongue and confident demeanor(he plays aconsultant for the number two ranked company if you didn't alreadyknow).Each show consists of him and his team trying to make one dealhappen and then generally shows Cheadle returning to his family life inthe end. Not sure why it isn't more highly rated, but I give it an 8.If you enjoy the playboy type role that Duchovny plays inCalifornication you will love Cheadle in House of Lies!

ladlaw121

01 May 2012

Check It Out

I'd say the show deserves to stay on air and in the lineup with all ofthe other Showtime shows. Upon reading other reviews, I realizedcertain ridiculous things that were being said about the show. What'sthe name of the show? Oh yeah, "House of Lies", so of course it isn't"Californication". There are several things that are labeled as acomedy that we actually would not agree with. Comedy, in it's originaldefinition, means a story in which the main character(s) end up betteroff, ultimately. It didn't always mean a show or movie that will makeyou laugh. Regardless, I do end up laughing especially when DonCheadle's character starts describing things to the audience while timefreezes, the ridiculous banter between Schwartz and Lawson'scharacters, as well as Kristen Bell's sarcasm. Going along again withthe debate of the term "Comedy" and the comparison of this show withother shows that exist, on HBO the show "Entourage" was considered aComedy. That show made me laugh even less, yet I still enjoyed it. Itwasn't busting-at-the-seams funny. So, let's stop being so ridiculousand just ENJOY a show for what it is instead of having expectations ofwhat other show it should be like.

ajbruno14

01 May 2012

Lack of script content relating to business objective.

First, I'm over 60...so this might be construed as I am a prude aboutthe sexual content, but this is not reason for my disappointment anddecision to stop watching after the first two episodes.Second, what this shows have done...it defer the hard work of qualitycontent, good scripts to other shows, such as "Justified","Mad Men","Damages", and several others, which incidentally can be watchedwithout paying a premium.This is something which has occurred in recent years...offer visuals,in the form of violence, explosions and sex, rather than content.The late Don Hewitt, when asked about the success of "60 Minutes",answered with four words, "Tell me a story".Third, this show would be much better if more time was spent on theinter workings of the team to please the client. The businessrelationship offers much more than what we have seen in the first twoepisodes.The cast and the audience deserve better...

Slug-3

29 April 2012

I really want to like this show

The previews for House of Lies had me excited. It seemed like aninteresting topic and it had two actors I enjoy in it (Cheadle andBell). Unfortunately, it just comes across as a jumbled/jangled mess ofunlikable egos, attitudes and greed.I think the writers probably had a good idea, but just missed theirmark. I honestly don't know how they could have failed any more intheir attempt to make the characters hip and exciting, because they'reanything but that. What they are is grotesque in a very uninterestingmanner; largely because they're petty and unbelievable. Being a big fanof Don Cheadle's work, I'm actually disappointed that he accepted hisrole in this wreck.And yet, I am still watching it, while hoping that it will soonimprove. Although I've considered removing it from my list of scheduledrecordings on my DVR, I'll probably watch the rest of the first season(at which time I'll surely cancel the series, unless it drasticallyimproves before then.) Ironically, the thing that keeps me watching themost, at this point, is curiosity for whether the show is really as badas it seems or if there will eventually be some sort of breakthrough,where it all suddenly makes sense. I'm betting on the former, buthoping for the latter.

request2004

29 April 2012

Just another Showtime production about sociopaths/abusive people

Yet another show about selfish (therefore abusive) people. This istiring and repetitive. Weeds is funny, Nurse Jackie has some greatcharacters, the Borgias and Tudors are historical (pretty much). Butwith each new season, Californication has become the story of ugly,escalating "sociopathy" (had to put this word in quotation marksbecause the IMDb spell checker does not recognize this word andtherefore will not let me use it without quotation marks), andShameless is about unrelenting child abuse, plain and simple, and itseffects on the next generation. So now Showtime has added a mediocreshow about sociopaths in (drum roll) management consulting (or"consluting"). Ho hum. Boring. Tiring. Dear IMDb: Get a new dictionary:"sociopathic" and "sociopathy" are real words.

bignaco-1

27 April 2012

Suspected it might be like this...

Sometimes I see trailers for shows on cable and I think they'll suckand they end up being pretty good because the cast surprises me or thestory is richer than it looked. Cable tends to push the sex, violenceand profanity aspect of their shows and the trailers for House of Lieswas no exception. The one thing the trailer did prompt me to think wasthat the casting was off. Now that I've seen it I am almost surprisedto see how wrong I was. The casting's not off, it's WAAAAAAYYYYY off.It's absurd. None of these guys (plus a gal) suits their role evenslightly. Not even the little boy who plays the absurdly-acceptedcross-dressing kid, is even close to realistic in my book. I actuallyhate this show. It's that bad that it makes me hate it. Kristin Bell isway too angelic looking and seeming to play her underhanded character.She doesn't do slutty well either, I'm sorry to say...at least not inthe way this character should be, in my opinion. Cheadle, who isobviously a good actor, makes no sense for this role. In no way can Ibuy him as the reckless ladykiller type no matter how hard he tries. Itjust all comes off as ridiculous, I'm sorry to say. The other two guysjust seem too ordinary or goofy to be scummy business sharks. It's toobad because there's really not much worth watching on Showtimeanywmore. Maybe if you like Californication, which is not even slightlyrealistic (who constantly leaves their doors open as ALL the characterson this show do) while having sex in their kitchen or living room? Allthis stuff would be fine if it were presented more absurdly, but theseshows try to make all this seem like real life.

Dr. Ina Bliss AKA TheFig

27 April 2012

Hard to Endure

There's quality, and then there's sheer quantity trying to replace it,hailing at you and not letting up. From the first moment on, the vieweris being bombarded with slurs. For the shall we say 'actors' it must really be 'to die for', ratherparticipating in such a 'TV series' than nowhere at all, being "seen"and on camera, speaking non-dialog without a thought, having nothingelse to say but the f-word, and that not only sometimes, but as theonly constant, instead of, maybe, holding out for something thatactually benefits somebody.What do the makers of this expect the viewer to do? Mute it?I did not get through the first 3 minutes when trying to watch it thefirst time, and the second time, trying to endure and get it over withto get to 'the good part', I had to permanently switch. Watch it? Neveragain.I dare to say that any one actually liking this show is better off withporn, where no meaningful contents are expected.

Nba Espana NoOficial

27 April 2012

Showtime

People say this show has a lot of sex, slurs ... who cares? This showis pure Showtime, so, if you like Californication, you will like Houseof Lies. If you like Downtown Abbey, maybe you will not. Another reasonto watch this show is the cast. Don Cheadle is a great actor, andhaving the possibility of watching him in this kind of show is awesome.No more "Hotel for Dogs", Don. And Kristen Bell. Everyone loves KristenBell. Natural beauty and great actress. Can't wait to see if bothcharacters end up having some kind of relationship ( aka sex ) We'llsee how the plot resumes, but the groundwork is done. Showtime is back.The sex, the slurs are back. Who cares?

rds_1

26 April 2012

Bad people trying to look good bing dishonorable.

When I read Kristen Bell was in it I thought could be fun. I like herever since she appeared in Supernatural. I laughed my ass of when shewent "bullshit bullshit bullshit" with her little fists in ForgettingSarah Marshall. Maybe if she had the lead? But no this blackpimp/player kinda guy has the lead. Couldn't stand him from the firstseconds into the show. The freeze frame crap made it even worse. Whoreally wants to see such a character? From the first moment when hewakes up near the naked ass of his ex wife I was thinking what adouche.Almost no one can identify with a character like that, with goodreason. The world is full of bad guys especially these days withoverpopulation and capitalism gone wild bringing out the worst inpeople. The good and decent people getting screwed more than ever. Dowe really want to be entertained by this sort of dren? Are we supposedto think this sort of screwing people over is acceptable and funnyeven? It gets a few stars because the acting isn't bad but the story whatwere they thinking!?