Don Cheadle's New TV Series HOUSE OF LIES Premieres → On Demand Weekly

Don Cheadle’s New TV Series HOUSE OF LIES PremieresJanuary 13, 2012

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Demand Weekly provides new movie reviews of hot movies and shows on demand from the POV of watching from the comfort of your home. Today’s review: HOUSE OF LIES (Showtime).

HOUSE OF LIES
Slick, Slicker, Slickest

By Jean Tait

The world of management consulting is a high-spin zone with hucksters and con artists who use rules and language all their own.

Don Cheadle, Kristen Bell, Ben Schwartz and Josh Lawson in House of Lies - Photo: Jordin Althaus/SHOWTIME

Their dance is a fascinating one to watch

and with Don Cheadle and Kristen Bell doing the dance,

it’s even more watchable!

The series starts right at 90 miles an hour as Don Cheadle’s Marty Kaan wakes up to discover his comatose ex-wife in bed with him, which means they had drunken, angry sex, and their son, Roscoe (more about him later) is about to discover them. The frantic dressing of the ex is slapstick worthy of a Buster Keaton (only Buster was never filmed slipping and slapping his face with his ex-wife’s naked butt!). Who knew award-winning, serious actor Don Cheadle could be so funny?!

Don Cheadle in House of Lies - Photo: Jordin Althaus/SHOWTIME

The speeding continues, with occasional breaks in pace and the fourth wall as Marty directly addresses the audience. This bit proves particularly hysterical when he gives the audience a primer on how to work a meeting only to have all of his techniques fail spectacularly. Marty’s mishandling of the meeting continues as he attends dinner with the client (Greg Germann with his usual deadpan style) the client’s wife, and his own “wife” (really a hooker from the night before). As the alcohol flows, the client’s wife (Anna Camp, proving once again that she is brilliant at playing an uptight woman set free by her sexuality, as she did on “True Blood”), ends up having sex with the hooker in the ladies room, then loudly telling off her husband for his lack of sexual prowess.

But just when you think all is lost for Marty and his team, he throws a hail mary pass that lands beautifully, scoring a win for his whole team (which, along with Kristen Bell, includes Ben Schwartz and Josh Lawson as the bromance-y buddies). And then it’s right back into the fray as they get ready for their next pitch.

Josh Lawson, Ben Schwartz in House of Lies - Photo: Jordin Althaus/SHOWTIME

And did I mention that Marty’s ex-wife is also his fiercest competitor? And that he lives with his dad and his son, Roscoe? And that said son (the absolutely delightful Donis Leonard, Jr.) is completely comfortable with dressing as a girl, much to the discomfort of his schoolmates and their parents which leads to wonderful interaction between Marty and Roscoe’s school principal, the always wonderful Moe Gaffney.

Pretty, clever, well-dressed characters making quicky deals and quicker hookups: if you’re looking for realism, this show is not for you. If you enjoy high-camp and witty dialog, with lots of sex thrown in: DEMAND IT! You won’t be sorry.

- Jean Tait

Jean
Jean Tait is a contributing writer to On Demand Weekly. Currently the Director of Programming for the Connecticut Film Festival, Jean has programmed for the Jacksonville Film Festival and Sundance Channel.