Lie To Me

http://www.pittnews.com/arts-entertainment/fox-s-new-crime-show-cannot-tell-a-lie-1.1305034

Fox's new crime show cannot tell a lie



Now that lying has met its match in the fields of scientific study, it seems only natural that a TV show would follow.

Based off of a real set of scientific investigations, Fox’s newest show, “Lie To Me,” sets a high standard in the first 90 seconds of the show.

The opening scene is in an interrogation room with three people inside a blinding white square. The prisoner’s lawyer advises silence, but Dr. Cal Lightman (Tim Roth) merely responds, “That’s OK. I don’t have much faith in words myself. Statistically speaking, the average person tells three lies in 10 minutes of conversation.” There is a hint of scorn in the fact that a prisoner is hardly average at all.

And within the opening 90 seconds, Roth’s character invades the prisoner’s head with ease. Rather, he reads body language so precisely that silence is no longer a safeguard to any prisoner’s secrets.

The show maintains a continuous dramatic flair, with coffee mugs being thrown during lectures as Lightman proves his point to anyone willing to hear it. Yes, there are objects breaking against the walls.

The series premiere features murder investigation and prosecutors attempting to keep a minor from being charged as an adult.

If the murder isn’t enough to draw attention and simply rings “Law and Order” remake, guess again: The religion of the suspect’s family goes against the teachings of the murdered teacher.

And boy, as the show runs through, those beliefs come back to haunt. After all, according to partner Dr. Gillian Foster (Kelli Williams), “The question is never simply if someone is lying. It’s why.”

Religious shame is always a dramatic twist. And what show is complete without the political subplots? Be prepared to see that not all stereotypes are as accurate as we like to believe. The personal reasons to lie will surely make some hearts thump harder than normal.

Close-ups on the face and eyes give the keys to understanding to viewers. The emotion is up front, blunt and raw all around, and over time it is bound to develop and thrive on any TV screen.

“The truth is written on all of our faces,” says Lightman during the show, but it will be at the viewers’ discretion who’s lying and who is telling the truth.