The Show
From the "House, M.D. School of Cranky, Eccentric Geniuses (Played by Brits)," Tim Roth anchors every episode of Lie to Me as Dr. Cal Lightman, the world's foremost student (and teacher) of body language, the "micro-reactions" and "gestural emblems" that most people miss, or misinterpret.. He and his team (two gorgeous female assistants and a guy who always tells the truth, no matter how embarrassing) are well-paid freelance consultants, hired to cut through the whitewashes, stonewalls and smokescreens surrounding suspected criminals, and others. But of course The Truth is seldom simple, so expect about 45 minutes a pop to work it all out.
Lie to Me exposes audiences to a fascinating topic in a tried-and-true procedural fashion--The Lightman Institute is based in Washington, D.C., so there's no shortage of fibbers handy--with a bit of melodrama surrounding the regular characters, too. Playing off of current events as it does; especially politics, international affairs and the military; the series has ample juicy stories to explore.
The Picture
The show is shot digitally and aired in HD, at 1.78:1. These episodes display varying levels of video noise, particularly in the shadows or in soft backgrounds. Beneath the buzziness, the texture and detail--freckles, the weave of clothing--within the image can be quite impressive however. The noise situation improves significantly as the season progresses (Disc Three carries only three episodes and the extras, and looks the best of the bunch), although the blacks are too often gooey and unnatural, not up to the highest standards.
The Sound
This is a drama, so the sound is typically, shall we say, uncomplicated. Even so, with the high-resolution benefits of DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 at its disposal, the all-important dialogue is almost always crystal-clear. Rear-channel activity is limited as you might expect, although the music is often mixed across the full spread of channels, with moody bass beats for emphasis. When there is some directionality, as when a speeding car is stopped by a couple of army trucks on a road in Yemen, the mix of the sound cues is better than average, frankly. Hang on for at least one beefy explosion, too.
The Extras
The featurette "The Truth About Lies" takes us behind the scenes of the show, comprised of interviews with creator Samuel Baum and the crew, experts and stars (26 minutes, in high-definition). The highlight has to be the directors' challenge to get a specific performance from an actor's chin or an eyebrow or a lip. Also included are deleted scenes from nine of the 13 episodes, 19 minutes total, also in HD.
Final Thoughts
Kudos to Fox for giving us another such intelligent weekly drama. Fans of this recent hit might want to pick it up on Blu-ray, although a few audio or video commentaries might have made it more enticing. Just don't be surprised if, after a few episodes, you catch yourself paying closer attention to the twitches and facial tics of friends and co-workers.
Product Details
- Actors: Tim Roth, Kelli Williams, Brendan Hines, Monica Raymund, Kristen Ariza, Hayley McFarland, Tim Guinee, Mekhi Phifer, Sean Patrick Thomas, Chris Krauser, Jennifer Beals
- Directors: Robert Schwentke, Adam Davidson, Eric Laneuville, Tim Hunter, John Behring, Arvin Brown, Clark Johnson, Karen Gaviola, Seith Mann, Milan Cheylov
- Audio Format/Languages: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (English)
- Subtitles: English SDH, Spanish, French
- Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
- Number of discs: 3
- Rating: NR
- Studio: Fox
- Release Date: August 25, 2009
- Run Time: 572 minutes
- List Price: $59.99
- Extras:
- "The Truth About Lies"
- Deleted Scenes
