Look, there's no bigger fan of Don Cheadle than me. I've never seen the guy be less than spectacular, the problems with the show do not include Don Cheadle's performance. I love Kristin Bell, besides being stunning, she's an outstanding television actress, she has good comedic chops, she's got real talent that in the right project can shine. The problem is that this isn't the right project. I found myself watching the thrid episode last night, and wishing that both Cheadle and Bell were in a different show.
So what the hell is the matter with house of lies? Well, number one, it's way too stylized. It's trying very hard to come off as some sort of music video style show, jump cuts, slow motion walking, and music that NEVER seems to shut up. I always think that's a bad sign, as demonstrated here: House of Lies tries to use the music to prop up the plot. I try to imagine some of these scenes without the overly dramatic electro music, and shit, they're BORING as hell without it. That's not what I think music's job is.
Number two are the characters, Cheadle and Bell no exception. The problem is that they aren't characters. They're charicatures. The two sidekick guys (no idea what their names are three episodes in) exist only to what, act like Cheadle and Bell's children on these corporate misadventures. Neither has demonstrated any sort of value to this operation at all. Marty Kahn (subtle, house of lies!) has stuff in his life, like his gender confused son or his too-cool-for-school father or his looney ex wife. None of this stuff DEVELOPS. They put it out there and it just lays there, because that's what the plot feels like it needs.
Number three is that no one involved with this show has ever been in an actual corporate environment. It couldn't have been more evident last episode, either. There's no way that a group of professionals considered the best in the business, I guess because that's what the show is telling us they are, would behave anywhere near the way they did in either their own office, or at their client's office. I mean seriously, can you get someone to at least LOOK at the scripts before you bless them? What sort of cosnultancy firm wouldn't have to sign and NDA???
Anyone else watching? At this point I'm hanging around on the off chance they show Kristin Bell's ass, I'm not embarassed to admit.
