Tim Roth

TV Review: Improved ‘Lie to Me’ Returns With Promising Season Premiere

BrianTT — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 13:20:24 -0600

CHICAGO – When “Lie to Me” premiered earlier this year, the show simply didn’t work. But a lot has happened since then.

The very talented Shawn Ryan (creator of “The Shield”) has come on board as executive producer and Tim Roth has expressed interest in developing his character as more than a cog in a mystery-of-the-week machine. Both the new emphasis on character and stronger writing makes for a season-two premiere that hints at a show with much more potential than when the series began.

Television Rating: 3.5/5.0

Back in January, I wrote, “Cluttered TV scripts reek of desperation and “Lie To Me” is just not well-written. Roth is good and Williams isn’t bad, but TV has always been and will always be about the writing and the pilot for “Lie To Me” is a mess. The cases, the dialogue, the supporting characters - none of it works.”

LIE TO ME: The Lightman Group returns to expose the truth behind the lies in the Season Two premiere of LIE TO ME airing Monday, Sept. 28 (9:00-10:00 PM ET/PT) on FOX. Pictured L-R: Brendan Hines, Tim Roth, Monica Raymund, Mekhi Phifer and Kelli Williams.
Photo credit: Sam Jones/FOX

From just the first few minutes of the second season premiere of “Lie To Me,” that crucial element of television - the writing - has clearly improved with a script by “Shield” and “Angel” alums Elizabeth Craft and Sarah Fain. Immediately, Dr. Cal Lightman (Tim Roth) feels like more than just another variation on Dr. House - the quirky, eccentric man with all the answers. And both mysteries in week one are interesting and entertaining. There’s still a bit of work to do, but the new-and-improved version of “Lie to Me” is far more promising than when the show began.

LIE TO ME: Erika Christensen (L) guest-stars as a witness to a murder in the LIE TO ME Season Two premiere episode “The Core of It” airing Monday, Sept. 28 (9:00-10:00 PM ET/PT) on FOX. Also pictured: Tim Roth (R) and Hayley McFarland (C)
Photo credit: Isabella Vosmikova/FOX

Based on the real scientific work of Dr. Paul Ekman, “Lie To Me” is about The Lightman Group, a small collection of truth experts who assist government agencies, police detectives, federal law enforcement, and more in the world of deception. Dr. Lightman’s right-hand woman is Dr. Gillian Foster (Kelli Williams). The clever chemistry between Roth and Williams is one of the few things that worked from minute one of “Lie To Me” and remains one of the strongest elements of the show.

Lightman and Foster are assisted by a lead researcher named Eli Loker (Brendan Hines) and a new-hire named Ria Torres (Monica Raymund). The former gets to play comic relief with his practice of “radical honesty” and the latter is the “natural,” the rare person who can pick up on all the physical tics and verbal cues without much training at all. Mekhi Phifer and Hayley McFarland co-star.

The lead guest star in the season opener is Erika Christensen, doing excellent work as a woman who comes to Dr. Lightman claiming to have seen a vision of a murder. No one believes her but Cal instantly knows that she’s telling the truth. That’s his gift. But it seems physically impossible for her to be truthful about what she’s seen. Is she honestly psychic? The intriguing case takes Lightman’s attention away from a Supreme Court nominee being vetted by the Group to make sure he has no skeletons in his closet.

Both cases crackle with wit and energy in a way that was missing from the series premiere eight months ago. And both cases play with the overall theme of the show in that Cal and his team can tell when someone is lying but they can’t tell why. It’s the secret behind the lie that fascinates Lightman and Roth seems reinvigorated in the season premiere, as if he’s finally figured out a way to distinguish this character from his TV brethren on shows like “House” and “The Mentalist”.

The press release that accompanied the season premiere of “Lie To Me” featured a letter from Ryan in which he himself admits, “Some shows find their feet right away. Others grow into their skin.” Much to my surprise, “Lie To Me” has evolved into something interesting. It’s not yet must-see TV, but it could be on the way. And that’s no lie.

‘Lie To Me,’ which airs on FOX, stars Tim Roth, Kelli Williams, Brendan Hines, Monica Raymund, Hayley McFarland, Mekhi Phifer, Jennifer Beals, and guest stars Erika Christensen. The show was created by Samuel Baum. The season two premiere airs on Monday, September 28th, 2009 at 8PM CST.

By BRIAN TALLERICO
Content Director
HollywoodChicago.com
brian@hollywoodchicago.com

TV on Blu-Ray Round Up: ‘Lie to Me,’ ‘Sons of Anarchy,’ ‘Life After People’

BrianTT — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 08:44:58 -0600

CHICAGO – There have been some very cool TV on Blu-Ray releases lately that we wanted to make sure you, our loyal readers, knew about, including “Life After People,” “Lie to Me,” and “Sons of Anarchy”.

One of the best home entertainment developments of 2009 has been the emergence of more television on Blu-Ray. Take for example this edition of the Blu-Ray Round-Up, which features a History Channel program, a FOX drama, and an action-driven FX series about to start its second season.

All three releases are part of a new wave of TV on Blu-Ray and whatever may be said about the quality of the actual programs, it’s encouraging to see more studios taking chances on HD releases. Let’s hope they all do soon.

Synopsis, cast information, technical details, and special features information follows. Pick up one. Support the movement.

“Sons of Anarchy: Season One” was released on August 18th, 2009.

“Lie to Me: Season One” was released on August 25th, 2009.

“Life After People” will be released on September 1st, 2009.

“Sons of Anarchy: Season One”

Photo credit: Fox

Synopsis: “From an executive producer of “The Shield” comes a gripping drama that takes you into the ruthless underworld of outlaw bikers. The Sons of Anarchy live, ride and die for brotherhood. But as the club’s leader (Ron Perlman) and his wife (Katey Sagal) steer them in an increasingly lawless direction, her son Jax (Charlie Hunnam) is torn between loyalty and the legacy in this adrenaline-charged first season.”

“Sons of Anarchy: Season One” stars Charlie Hunnam, Ron Perlman, Katey Sagal, Theo Rossi, Maggie Siff, Johnny Lewis, Tommy Flanagan, and Kim Coates. It was created by Kurt Sutter. It is presented in High Definition 1080p with a 1.78:1 aspect ratio and includes an English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio track. The 13-episode season runs 594 minutes.

Special features include audio commentary on selected episodes, “The Making of Sons of Anarchy: Season 1,” “Casting Sons of Anarchy,” “The Ink,” “The Bikes,” deleted scenes, and “Anarchy on the Set”.

“Lie to Me: Season One”

Photo credit: Fox

Synopsis: “In this powerful and engaging new drama from Imagine Television, the producers of 24, Tim Roth stars as Dr. Cal Lightman, a deception expert whose uncanny ability to read facial expressions and body language makes him a virtual human polygraph. Joined by psychologist Dr. Gillian Foster, Lightman tackles compelling cases of sabotage, scandal and murder, always uncovering the one thing that matters most - the truth.”

“Lie to Me: Season One” stars Tim Roth, Kelli Williams, Brendan Hines, and Monica Raymund. It was created by Samuel Baum. It is presented in High Definition 1080p with a 1.78:1 aspect ratio and includes an English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio track. The 13-episode season runs 572 minutes.

Special features include deleted scenes and an exclusive featurette called “The Truth About Lies”.

“Life After People”

Photo credit: BBC/WB

Synopsis: “If humans were to suddenly disappear, what would happen to our planet - the structures we’ve built, the everyday items we take for granted, domesticated and wild animals, plants, trees? What would become of the things that define our species and leave our mark on this Earth?

Visit the ghostly villages surrounding Chernobyl (abandoned by humans after the 1986 nuclear disaster), travel to remote islands off the coast of Maine to search for abandoned towns that have vanished from view in only a few decades, then head beneath the streets of New York to see how subway tunnels may become watery canals.

HISTORY takes you on an amazing visual journey in Life After People, a thought-provoking adventure that combines movie-quality visual effects with insights from experts in the fields of engineering, botany, ecology, biology, geology, climatology, and archaeology to demonstrate how the very landscape of our plant will change in our absence.”

“Life After People” is presented in High Definition with its original 1.33:1 aspect ratio and includes only an English 2.0 Stereo track. It runs 94 minutes

Special features include additional scenes.

By BRIAN TALLERICO
Content Director
HollywoodChicago.com
brian@hollywoodchicago.com

‘Lie to Me’ With Tim Roth Mistakes Concept For Content

BrianTT — Mon, 19 Jan 2009 09:23:08 -0700

Television Rating: 1.5/5.0

CHICAGO – “The Mentalist” is the only significant new hit for the 2008-2009 season and the number one rule in TV is that if something works once, try and replicate it. Viewers can expect to see dozens of clones of the Simon Baker series in the next few years. It is into this atmosphere that Fox hopes their newest crime series, “Lie To Me,” can find a loyal audience.

Network TV ratings may be sliding across the board, but there is one genre that seems more resilient to the erosion than others - the crime drama. From network staples like “CSI” to cable shows like “The Closer,” every network head is looking for the next procedural with a twist, the show that they can keep on the air for years, preferably with a revolving door cast and very little effort on their part.

The Lightman Group is a private agency hired to expose the truth behind the lies in the new series Lie To Me premiering Wednesday, Jan. 21 (9:03-10:06 PM ET/PT) on FOX. Pictured L-R: Kelli Williams, Tim Roth, Brendan Hines and Monica Raymund.
Photo credit: ©2008 Fox Broadcasting Co. Cr: Frank Ockenfels/FOX

Fox’s “Lie To Me” is not a straight-up clone of “The Mentalist” (and, of course, it was in production before that show took off) but it certainly shares some character traits with CBS’ massively entertaining program in that it’s about a man who sees things in human behavior that the average crime fighter does not. Dr. Cal Lightman (Tim Roth) can not only tell if a suspect is lying, but can often take it a step further and tell you why someone is being deceptive. “Lie To Me” is based on the true discoveries of Dr. Paul Ekman, an expert in reading clues in the human face, body, and voice, often brought in to investigate criminal investigations.

As the foremost deception expert in the country, Dr. Cal Lightman (Tim Roth, R) knows when someone is lying. He oversees The Lightman Group, a private agency hired to expose the truth behind the lies in the new series Lie To Me premiering Wednesday, Jan. 21 (9:03-10:06 PM ET/PT) on FOX.
Photo credit: ©2008 Fox Broadcasting Co. Cr: Mike Yarish/FOX

The Lightman Group, headed by Tim Roth’s character, assists government agencies, police detectives, and federal law enforcement with issues of deception. Dr. Lightman’s right-hand woman is Dr. Gillian Foster (Kelli Williams of “The Practice”), a psychologist more interested in the general picture than her partner’s detail-oriented approach. Their chemistry is the highlight of the premiere and what the writers will need to focus on if “Lie To Me” is going to improve.

Drs. Lightman and Foster are assisted by a lead researcher named Eli Loker (Brendan Hines) and a new-hire named Ria Torres (Monica Raymund). The former gets to play comic relief with his practice of “radical honesty” and the latter is the “natural,” the rare person who can pick up on all the physical tics and verbal cues without much training.

The team behind “Lie To Me,” including writer Samuel Baum (“The Evidence”) and the executive producers of “24” and “Arrested Development,” clutter their first episode with two cases, character introductions, and even jabs at real-life personalities to the point that the whole thing sinks under the weight of its concept. It feels forced.

Religiously overprotected kids, a dead teacher, a philandering politician, hookers, and references to every famous liar from Kato Kaelin to George Bush is too much for one episode of any program. Cluttered TV scripts reek of desperation and “Lie To Me” is just not well-written. Roth is good and Williams isn’t bad, but TV has always been and will always be about the writing and the pilot for “Lie To Me” is a mess. The cases, the dialogue, the supporting characters - none of it works

I could look Dr. Ekman and his fictional counterpart in the face and they would know I was not lying when I told them that their show is going to be a hit this year but it needs to get better quickly if it wants to survive after Simon, Paula, Randy, and the new girl leave the air. “Lie To Me” has the safest time slot on TV - post “American Idol”.

But I think even the people making the series would need to practice self-deception to convince themselves that the series is anything but mediocre at best and borders on downright bad. It’s very difficult to judge a procedural show after one episode. Next week’s case(s) might be more interesting. But it feels like the problems with “Lie To Me” are deeper than a couple of cases with stupid twists. And that’s no lie.

‘Lie To Me,’ which airs on FOX, stars Tim Roth, Kelli Williams, Brendan Hines, and Monica Raymund. The premiere airs on January 21st, 2009 at 8:03PM CST.

By BRIAN TALLERICO
Content Director
HollywoodChicago.com
brian@hollywoodchicago.com

‘The Incredible Hulk’ Jacked Up on CGI Roids, But Medusa’s in His Face

HollywoodChicago.com — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 23:01:00 -0600

CHICAGO – Technology has done double-edged service and disservice to the legendary Hulk superhero character from Stan Lee’s Marvel Comics.

In peering at the CGI-created ripped body of nothing remotely reminiscent of Edward Norton, the 2008 film iteration of “The Incredible Hulk” has a leg light years up on Lou Ferrigno’s character in the 1978 television series of the “The Incredible Hulk”.

Rating: 4.0/5.0

Then, Ferrigno only had the luxury of makeup. The rest was the real deal. On the other hand, Ferrigno – who treats 2008 audiences in a gasping reveal when he appears in a brief cameo in the new Louis Leterrier-directed feature film – is still the soul, spirit and most critically the face of the green-skinned behemoth.

Read Adam Fendelman’s full review of “The Incredible Hulk” in our reviews section.

View our huge, high-resolution “The Incredible Hulk” image gallery.

Aside from Ferrigno’s brief face time, he also lurks notably in the background as Norton’s voice when he gets royally pissed and transforms into the Hulk. When Norton fumes past his human limit, honing in on the Hulk character’s technologically enhanced face is awkwardly unrealistic and utterly painful.

It’s like gazing into the eyes of the sea nymph Medusa whose monstrous face could threateningly turn onlookers to stone.

While Hollywood’s big-budget technology department both strikes out and smashes a homerun with its revamped and roided-up Hulk character, Tim Roth’s altered ego gets the just-right royal treatment.

When Roth becomes the Abomination to rival the Hulk, the abominable baddie is so disgustingly repulsive and out of such reality whack that his CGI renovation plays perfectly.

The unbridled force of rage known as The Hulk on the streets of New York in an all-new, explosive and action-packed epic of one of the most popular superheroes of all time in “The Incredible Hulk”.
Photo credit: Rhythm & Hues

A monstrous new adversary known as The Abomination faces off with The Hulk in an all-new, explosive and action-packed epic of one of the most popular superheroes of all time in “The Incredible Hulk”.
Photo credit: Rhythm & Hues

Read Adam Fendelman’s full “The Incredible Hulk” review.

With Surreal Madness, Strange Boys Play ‘Funny Games’

HollywoodChicago.com — Sat, 15 Mar 2008 17:57:32 -0600

CHICAGO – Imagine a film with no redeeming or uplifting emotional qualities with evil that tortures the soul, squirm-inducing narrative elements and a relentless anxiety that practically has us – like the characters in the film – screaming for mercy. Imagine also that this film is excellent.

“Funny Games” is a shot-by-shot remake of writer and director Michael Haneke’s 1997 Austrian film of the same name, which now features American actors and their presumed sensibilities.

Naomi Watts from “The Ring” is Ann: the 30-something matriarch of an upper-middle class American family who’s heading for their vacation home. Her husband, George (Tim Roth), and son, Georgie (Devon Gearhart), are accompanying her. As the family approaches the heavily gated development, a murky apprehension is in the air as familiar friends offer tentative greetings.

Click here to read Patrick McDonald’s full review
of “Funny Games” in our reviews section!

Click here for our full “Funny Games” image gallery!

Naomi Watts in “Funny Games”.
Photo credit: IMDb

Naomi Watts, Michael Pitt (middle) and Brady Corbet in “Funny Games”.
Photo credit: IMDb

Universal Releases Two New High-Resolution Production Stills For ‘The Incredible Hulk’

HollywoodChicago.com — Thu, 27 Dec 2007 08:09:55 -0700

Universal Pictures on Thursday released two new high-resolution production stills for “The Incredible Hulk” as part of its 2008 preview.

The film, which is slated to open on June 13, 2008, stars Edward Norton, Liv Tyler, Tim Roth and William Hurt. The new photos are below. You can click on them for high-resolution versions.

Here’s the film’s official synopsis:

“The Incredible Hulk” kicks off an all-new, explosive and action-packed epic of one of the most popular superheroes of all time.

In this new beginning, scientist Bruce Banner (Edward Norton) desperately hunts for a cure to the gamma radiation that poisoned his cells and unleashes the unbridled force of rage within him: The Hulk.

Living in the shadows – cut off from a life he knew and the woman he loves (Liv Tyler) – he struggles to avoid the obsessive pursuit of his nemesis (William Hurt) and the military machinery that seeks to capture him and brutally exploit his power.

As all three grapple with the secrets that led to The Hulk’s creation, they are confronted with a monstrous new adversary known as The Abomination (Tim Roth) whose destructive strength exceeds even The Hulk’s own.

One scientist must make an agonizing final choice: accept a peaceful life as Bruce Banner or find heroism in the creature he holds inside.