Reviews

The pilot of "House of Lies" showcased a funny, stylish, and fast-paced dramedy focused on the world of big business. Don Cheadle plays Marty Kaan, a fast-talking, self-loathing, consultant trying to balance his broken home life with his high-powered job. His father is a liberal psychologist and his ex-wife is his mirror image(who works for a rival consulting firm.) The pilot reveals a lot of reasons for his self- loathing nature and sets him up a lot of character development later on. Kristen Bell plays Jeannie Van Der Hooven, the smart, tough, and somewhat mysterious second-in-command to Cheadle. She doesn't have a ton of screen time in the pilot, which is obviously a mistake when you're talking about Kristen Bell. Really hoping that more is revealed about her later. The rest of the cast is passable but not memorable.

The plot of the pilot is centered on the consulting team trying to retain a big client. The competing firm is lead by Marty's ex-wife. The forth wall is frequently broken for Cheadle to explain some consulting jargon to the audience. It works pretty well and flows with the overall fastness of the show. There are also some showy quick cuts for travel and non-essential scenes which add a bit of style. There is also sex and nudity peppered throughout the entire half hour. Id say 7 minutes don't go by without some sort of sex. The sex lends to the overall feel of the show, but may be overdone.

Overall, House of Lies shows a lot of promise, or at least enough to keep me watching