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brings something new to cable viewers. It's a show starring Don Cheadle as a Management Consultant named Marty Kaan, who's at the top of his game. He has a team of consultants he leads and he teaches us the ins and outs of being a Management consultant. The feel and the flow of the show is slick and contemporary. There is humor with crudeness and a lot of "in your face" moments and comments delivered at different times by the entire cast, especially Marty.
Marty has a gender confused son, a retired shrink father played by Glynn Turman, and an unstable self focused (yet can be professional at times) ex wife. Who knew Management consultants used such a large amount of jargon and humor? As we get to know Marty and enjoy the adult escapades and situations he experiences, he explains to us the nuances and culture of the Management consultant field. Marty is good at what he does, which requires a lot of slick talking and coercion. He's a master salesman with a truly "grown man" life. Nothing is held back when he shares his experiences with women. Cheadle as Marty will be feast or famine. I suspect that some will love his character Marty, and some will hate him. Nevertheless, you won't be indifferent to him.
Marty's team consists of two men and a woman, played by Ben Schwartz, Josh Lawson, and Kristen Bell. The team are all very comfortable with Marty's brass in your face style, as they engage in it with him and appear to enjoy it too. They are pretty decent compliments to Marty, as none of them outshine him, or provide a more interesting experience. They've only given us a small glimpse of the lives of the team members so far. It's very clear that this show is about Marty Kaan's professional and very personal life as a successful, clever, slick, intelligent, yet still emotionally vulnerable Management Consultant.
The writing doesn't blow you away. The characters won't blow you away. But, it's all good enough to entertain. There is enough eye candy, and the writing is mature enough and complex enough. There is definitely a foundation for a very good show, as well as plenty of room for improvement. House of Lies may not "do it" for everyone, but is definitely worth checking out, and will provide sensory treats and some laughs.
Princeguy reviews:
"No pretentiousness.
No pompous re-interpretations.
Sometimes, a movie is just a movie. You work hard for your money.
The decision is yours.
See and enjoy what YOU like."
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