Customer Reviews

Lie To Me: Season One [Blu-ray]

5 star:		(66)
4 star:		(12)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

When I saw the dismal review with one star rating about which was about Fox network and not the tv show Lie To Me, I had to write one. Lie to Me is loosely based on the real life work of psychologist Paul Ekman. I studied some of Ekman's work and read one of his books. I believe this show is very interesting and as true as it can be to deception expert training. I loved the real life footage they show from time to time to mirror the actor's micro-expression. Fascinating work. This show is a mix of fiction and non-fiction and it's quite a nice break from "reality" TV.

This TV series is excellent, the best thing on at present. Tim Roth brings superb acting skills to the complex character of Dr. Cal Lightman, an expert in lie detection, based on the research conducted by Paul Ekman, a renowned expert in the field of facial expressions and emotions. The Lightman Group is employed by various agencies to detect deception, whether it is in a life or death scenario finding trapped builders in a collapsing building, searching for kidnapped children or the nuances in romantic relationships. The series explains the science behind the concepts in an easy to understand manner in the first few episodes but doesn't molly-coddle the audience, expecting them to keep up as the series picks up speed and dropping the details explanations. Excellent characterisation, good plot lines, great acting. This show is very good. I await the release of the DVD with a great deal of impatience and hope the following series lives up to the impact the first one made.

If you like your shows with a strong flavouring of intelligence this is definitely one for you.

This is one of the most unique shows to hit TV in a long time. "Lie to Me" defies so many trends and presents a fascinating show with no guns, no explosions, car chases or tiring cops/robbers drama, and delves into captivating psychology and stories loaded with twists and turns. You can't look away from actor Tim Roth who dominates every scene. One of the best shows overall to hit TV. I was so happy to hear that it's been renewed for a second season and can't wait for the DVD release.

Tim Roth stars as Dr. Cal Lightman, a no-nonsense expert in lie detection who heads The Lightman Group, a Washington D.C.-based team of likeminded professionals who help solve crimes and mysteries by analyzing the facial expressions and behavior of the various individuals involved.

Lightman and his partner, Dr. Gillian Foster (Kelli Williams) are primarily assisted by their young protegees, researcher Eli Loker (Brendan Hines) and Ria Torres (Monica Raymund), a newcomer who was specially chosen for her innate ability to spot lies without any prior training.

Of course, a negative aspect of being so finely tuned to the nuances of human behavior means seeing things in family and friends, even when you might not always want to -- as Lightman has learned the hard way with his ex-wife Zoe (Jennifer Beals). He and Foster have an often-repeated agreement not to "cross the line" when dealing with one another. Yet when you genuinely care about someone, and interact regularly, it's often difficult to keep your eyes closed and mouth shut.

Particularly memorable episodes include "Depraved Heart," where Cal investigates the back-to-back suicides of two Indian sisters -- and reveals something startling about the reason he first got into lie detection -- and "Blinded," where the group tries to find out who's copycatting a serial rapist's brutal assaults before the next woman is assault -- and one of their own is threatened.

This drama provides a great blend of workplace mysteries and personal issues, as well as a number of red herrings (Lightman himself being the master). If you haven't given this show a try, please do -- you'll soon be hooked!

I have been hooked on this show since episode one. This role suits Tim Roth perfectly; the character is smart, but flawed. the episodes are fast paced and have many twists and turns.

This is the best new crime procedural series to come along in years! Tim Roth is great as a specialist in body language, helping to solve crimes simply by watching how people react and talk. The crimes themselves are interesting too, with some clever plot twists included. The main characters are engaging and interact well. My one tiny complaint is that at times I have trouble understanding Tim Roth because of his accent, but that is very minor. I can't wait for the DVD, and I hope it will include some interesting background on the science of body language.

Finally, a fresh, creative and original concept for a show! If you haven't seen Lie To Me, I highly recommend you do. Tim Roth is excellent, as is the rest of the cast.

To those who are wrongly under the impression that the set is going to be one DVD that's 60 minutes long - have some common sense. There's not a release date set yet (as of 5/17), so therefore Amazon uses generic specs until official ones are provided. I don't think one person's confusion warranted a 1 star rating for the series itself, bringing it down to 4.5 total stars. I guess Amazon should just post "N/A" for unknown specs to avoid that happening.

Can network TV produce a show as good as found on HBO or Showtime? Fox's Lie to Me is a well crafted show which comes close to cable quality on several levels.

It is an intelligent drama with intriguing stories and a great set of characters. Cal Lightman is a walking human lie detector. His character is complex, and his personal relationships are like Gott's cosmic strings with twists and turns forward and backward.

Gillian Foster is Lightman's partner and in many instances his conscience. During this first season she has to deal with her demanding job as well as a crumbing marriage to a government bureaucrat with a secret.

Rita Torres is the new kid on the block. She and Lightman are like two mirrored images with plenty of ignition fodder to keep them on the fiery edge. Torres is pulled into a Catch 22 situation with Eli Loker

Eli Loker is the senior research associate. However, he has a conflict of conscience with a case which adds a subplot to the season. The interpersonal interactions with Rita Torres are well acted.

Emily Lightman is the teen daughter of Cal and Zoe Lightman. Being a child of divorce parents she shuttles between her parents. She is an intelligent, intuitive teenager who loves both parents, even though, she finds her dad somewhat difficult on the father-daughter exchange. Of course, her dad attempts to use his observation skills in reading Emily, but the cardinal rule of parenting is that a teenager is an enigma.

Zoe Landau is the ex-wife and a US Attorney. Her relationship with her ex is complicated. In many ways she is very much like Gillian Foster in personality traits and style.

FBI Agent Ben Reynolds was added late in the season. He is as patient as a bull in a cow pasture, but he adds a definite element to the chemistry of the show.

In my opinion these are the best episodes of Season One: A Perfect Score, Love Always, The Best Policy, Better Half, Blinded, and Sacrifice.

Please keep in mind this is an entertainment series- a very good one. It is not a scientific treatise on body language, lie detection methods, etc.

LIE TO ME is a BONUS for all us DEXTER fans! Tim Roth is great as the lead investigator who uses facial and body twitches to tell if the "bad" guys are "lieing" and thus the "BAD" guys. Roth gives the same intensity and "what will he do next" qualities Michael C. Hall gives to DEXTER -- could they be twins ?? For those of you non-Dexter fans, it may take a few episodes to get the nuanaces and character relationships -- as it did in the Dexter series) but once you watch. . .it leaves you wanting more. I CAN'T WAIT for it to come out on DVD as a complete series as right now the FOX Network keeps changing show dates, overiding it with either episodes of "American Idol" or "24" reruns. GET WITH IT FOX -- not EVERYONE in the world LOVES American Idol (espcially if they have a brain!) and 24 with its rediculous plot lines. This is the first new show that actually caught and kept my attention since DEXTER! I only hope FOX Network doesn't cancel it after one season like the show PROFIT was in the mid-90s. The supporting cast is good too and the writers have strong plots and excellent inter-relationship development between the characters. KUDOS!

A great intellectual and exceptional series about microexpressions, manipulators, the reason why people lie and more. It keeps my interest through the complete 43 -45 minutes, and it is one of few Fox shows to be perfect.