House, M.D.: Season One
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Movie Reviews of House, M.D.: Season One
Movie Review: Fantastic dialogue, acting, very rewatchable
Summary: 5 Stars
There are plenty of hospital shows out there - I'm sure we could name 10 of them off the tops of our heads without even trying. Some are soap operas, some are gritty medical issues. With House, it's more like a detective show. They try to figure out from the clues what the obscure disease is. They even go digging through the homes for clues.
In some medical shows you have the "stupid doctors" going up against the "wise doctors", and some slutty nurses thrown in for excitement. House does a wonderful job of appealing to a much more alert audience. Pretty much every character is smart, wise and caring. They all just have different ways of showing it, and different personalities. House and his three minions are all very intelligent, and want to help their patients. They have human emotions too, and those sometimes poke into their world.
First seasons are almost always about "character setting" - giving all the background information on each character so you understand their dimensions, learn how they relate to each other. House is no exception. You get an episode a person, pretty much - each of the main characters "brings in" a patient and that episode helps you learn more about the person.
The show definitely goes for "shock value" at times. There's been talk about how "throwing up" is the new shock visual, and they certainly know that in this show. They also like seizures - there seem to be quite a lot of them. They look for medical situations that will make the audience react, like sticking needles into peoples' eyeballs.
I don't want to get into episode specifics, since that ruins the enjoyment of watching the solving of the mystery. They try to touch on "important issues" like teen sexuality, newborn babies, the right of the pregnant mom vs the right of the unborn child. There's a lot of sex-related issues, but you sort of expect that in a mature-aimed show.
One of the episodes that stood out for me as a valiant attempt was about obese people - several threads on the show talked about how people automatically treat heavy people as being "wrong" or "ugly" and how they should just be accepted. It was a great idea - but then how they resolved the issues were a bit questionable. I think they could have done better here.
A key plot element of this show is that "House is Grumpy". He's not just a nasty person - he is in intense pain because of a leg problem and this eats away at him. He tends to be rude to people, and they tend not to appreciate it. Still, his friends stick by him. One, his female employee, wants to date him. This also makes me very uncomfortable. Most workplaces have rules against employees dating the person who gives them reviews, for very obvious reasons. They should never have allowed an intelligent female doctor to pretty much immediately want to date her boss.
Still, I love the series in general, and these are relatively minor quibbles. Well worth renting if not buying and watching repeatedly.
Now, as far as the DVD goes, they did an AWFUL job - because each episode page gives the full details of that episode, giving away the secrets! You have to pretty much hide your eyes while you click on an episode so you don't have it ruined for you. Whoever did that should be scolded and forced to watch bad movies for 2 months in payment. Completely silly. The other extras - the behind the scenes looks, the talks with the actors, are short but fun.
Movie Review: "Hello, sick people and their loved ones!"
Summary: 5 Stars
With the amount of medical shows that have popped up over the years, one would think that they've run out of ideas already. HOUSE, M.D. is proof that that's not so. It's an addictive, intriguing, and well-made, albeit formulaic series about a rude, sarcastic man who happens to be the greatest doctor alive. His name is Gregory House, and thanks to Hugh Laurie's performance, he is one of the most fun and interesting characters in TV history.
The problem with the show is that each episode follows the same formula. Random person becomes sick and is taken to the hospital. House and his team struggle to find out what's wrong with the person. The team comes up with an answer and gives the person what they believe is the cure. But the cure's not the cure - the person gets worse. Running out of time, House must find the answer - and quick. This formula makes the episodes somewhat predictable, but the oddity of the uncommon diseases will keep the viewer coming back for more.
Of course, everyone knows the real reason that people watch this show: Hugh Laurie. The fact that Laurie has yet to win an Emmy is undeniable proof that the Emmy Awards are as ridiculous as the Academy Awards. Laurie is utterly fantastic as House. His rudeness is actually quite amusing, and his sarcastic remarks are often hilarious, while his direct approach to things and apparent lack of humanity is frequently appalling. What makes House such a great character is that beneath his foul manners and cruelty, there's a lot of humanity; some of the show's finest moments are when this humanity emerges. I would say that Hugh Laurie's performance as House is undoubtedly the greatest performance on television today. The supporting cast is great as well, particularly Lisa Edelstein as Dr. Lisa Cuddy, the head of Princeton-Plainsborough Teaching Hospital who is forced to put up with House's antisocial antics but who secretly has a lot of respect and support for him. Robert Sean Leonard plays Dr. James Wilson, House's one true friend, a real nice guy who has some wonderful interactions with House. House's team of interns, including Omar Epps, Jesse Spencer, and Jennifer Morrison, are also great, especially Morrison as a rather naiive young woman with a kind heart.
The writing is excellent. The characters seem like real people; this works especially well in making us care for the patients. House's witticisms are delightful. The best writing comes from series creator David Shore. The season's penultimate episode, "Three Stories", is brilliant. In the episode - written by Shore - House is forced to give a lecture to a group of young medical students; the result is an episode that is at times very funny and, towards the end, extremely moving. It is one of the best things I've ever seen on TV. Shore deservedly won an Emmy for his work on that episode.
There are currently two major medical shows that are relatively new: GREY'S ANATOMY and HOUSE, M.D. At the light end of the medical show spectrum we have GREY'S ANATOMY, while HOUSE is at the dark end. Though the show is far darker than GREY'S ANATOMY - which is also an excellent show, by the way - HOUSE is very fun and frequently very funny. It is certainly one of the best shows on television. The first season of HOUSE, M.D. is outstanding, and you know what? Season two is even better. Don't hesitate to give this show a shot.
Movie Review: Fox gets it right!
Summary: 5 Stars
There's enough good stuff here to make House a truly brilliant television show- we've got stunning characters, an excellent balance of comedy and gritty realism, strikingly original plots, excellent dialogue, and first rate acting. The show works because it steers clear of the cliche and melodrama that threatens to plague most of its peers, keeping its focus on compelling, original storytelling and characterization. Indeed, this show has one of the greatest protagonists I've ever seen, on television or otherwise. Dr. Greg House, diagnostician extroirdenaire, is a complex, brilliant, utterly striking and mysteriously likable human being. Emotionally stunted, fiercely single-minded, and unquestionably bitter, he's a thousand miles away from the handsome, cookie-cutter caricatures that infest the average T.V. drama. A striking and mysterious persona, House occupies the realm of the hardboiled creations of Raymond Chandler and Dashiell Hammett. He's medicine's Sam Spade, a solitary and seemingly detached figure who hides behind his sarcasm and sneer, solving seemingly impossible puzzles and saving countless lives as a matter of compulsion rather than an apparent effort to help people. Despite his jokes and deflections, his actions are colored by bitterness, pain, and jealousy. Compelling stuff. The supporting characters are fantastic as well- there's House's best friend and confidante, the witty and compassionate Dr. James Wilson, whose unique ability to read and reason with the notoriously inscrutable doctor is just plain fun to watch. There's House's boss, Dr. Lisa Cuddy, who, along with Wilson, is just about the only person who can keep up with House's cutting wit and rapid-fire deductions. He's also got a team of three skilled young doctors ( Drs. Cameron, Chase, and Foreman) with their own complexities, strengths, and weaknesses.
The show's originality is rooted in its ability to turn cliches and expectations inside-out. For example, House himself is a seemingly paradoxical character study: his misanthropic and seemingly amoral tendencies (he has no qualms about lying to and manipulating his friends, employers, and patients in order to get his way), as well as his grim view of human nature and apparent lack of concern for those placed in his care belie the fact that he works tirelessly to save the lives of his patients. He operates based on an unusual, but uncompromising sense of morality and justice.
What makes it all come together is the acting and stories. Hugh Laurie leads the cast, portraying the title character with a seemingly effortless, utterly hypnotic sort of power. The stories themselves are varied and engrossing, deftly balancing medical mystery and dramatic action, introducing interesting characters and subplots (there's a fantastic five-episode arc in this season which sees House sparring with the megalomaniacal, charismatic billionaire Edward Vogler). In fact, this season's penultimate episode, "Three Stories," is simply one of the greatest things to ever take place on a television screen.
Anyone who's looking for a striking and original T.V. series that makes good on its premise should check this out.
Movie Review: Totally and utterly brilliant!
Summary: 5 Stars
"House, M.D." is one of the best shows on television right now. It has brilliant writing, great stories, and an amazing cast lead by the incredible Hugh Laurie.
What's it about?
"House, M.D." is about a brilliant doctor (named "House") who treats patients with ailments that other doctors have failed to cure. House is aided in his search for what is wrong with his patients by a skilled team of doctors. Among the more interesting cases are people suffering from hepatitus, rabies, and a tape worm.
While the medical cases are facinating, the heart of the show is Hugh Laurie's performance as Dr. House. Dr. House is brilliant and damaged in soul and in body. He walks with a limp caused by muscle death in his leg. This ailment combined with his natural propensity for sarcasm make Dr. House a grumpy and blunt man who is not afraid to say what he thinks. Here are some of the most popular:
From..."Mob Rules"
MobsterLawyer: My brother's not gay!
House: No, but he's certainly delightful.
From..."Three Stories"
"I'm sure this goes against everything you've been taught, but right and wrong do exist. Just because you don't know what the right answer is - maybe there's even no way you could know what the right answer is - doesn't make your answer right or even okay. It's much simpler than that. It's just plain wrong."
From..."Pilot"
House: "Ah, yes, but as the philosopher Jagger once said, 'You can't always get what you want.'"
Cuddy (later in the episode): "I looked up that philosopher, Jagger, you mentioned, and you're right, you can't always get what you want. But as it turns out, if you try sometimes, you get what you need."
From..."Paternity"
Hello, sick people and their loved ones! In the interest of saving time and avoiding a lot of boring chitchat later, I'm Doctor Gregory House; you can call me "Greg." I'm one of three doctors staffing this clinic this morning. This ray of sunshine is Doctor Lisa Cuddy. Doctor Cuddy runs this whole hospital, so unfortunately she's much too busy to deal with you. I am a board certified diagnostician with a double specialty of infectious disease and nephrology. I am also the only doctor currently employed at this hospital who is forced to be here against his will. That is true, isn't it? But not to worry, because for most of you, this job could be done by a monkey with a bottle of Motrin. Speaking of which, if you're particularly annoying, you may see me reach for this: this is Vicodin. It's mine! You can't have any! And no, I do not have a pain management problem, I have a pain problem... but who knows? Maybe I'm wrong. Maybe I'm too stoned to tell. So, who wants me?
If you watch this show, you won't be disappointed.
Movie Review: The Doc Makes A House Call On DVD
Summary: 5 Stars
I've never really been a fan of hospital dramas (I don't think I've ever seen an entire episode of ER). I don't really know why; I've just never gotten into them (however, I love Scrubs, which is a hospital comedy). However, when I started seeing commercials for House, I thought that it looked interesting, but I never really checked it out until the end of its first season. After hearing a lot of praise about it, and learning that Bryan Singer was one of the executive producers, I finally sat down and watched it. I quickly realized that not only was this a compelling hospital drama, but it was absolutely hilarious!
Dr. Gregory House (Hugh Laurie) is a brilliant doctor who works at teaching hospital. He and his team of specialists can solve nearly every case that's brought before them. Sounds familiar and boring? The twist is that House is one of the most cynical and outspoken men on the face of the planet. He never passes up an opportunity to point out someone's stupidity, a lie, or just plain make someone uncomfortable. He even told one of his team members, Dr. Allison Cameron (Jennifer Morrison) that he hired her not because of her credentials, but because she was the best-looking applicant. He also constantly mouths off to the hospital's chief of medicine, Dr. Lisa Cuddy (Lisa Edelstein), who only puts up with House because he is such an asset to the hospital. House also requires the use of a cane due to a medical condition in his past that wasn't treated fast enough. He takes pills to subdue the constant pain that he is in. Other cast members include Robert Sean Leonard as Dr. James Wilson, House's (probably only) friend, and Omar Epps and Jesse Spencer as team members Drs. Eric Foreman and Robert Chase, respectively.
Most episodes involve a main plot about someone contracting some disease that baffles most doctors, and Hosue, Wilson, and the team try to figure out what it is. Also, there is usually a "B" story in which House has to put up with a patient with a non-lethal condition (my favorite involves an elderly couple and viagra). Finally, an arc develops when rich businessman Edward Vogler (Chi McBride) buys the hospital and tries to raise profits, cut departments, and lose House. Also, Sela Ward shows up towards the end of the year as House's ex-wife, who knows about how House got to be the way that he is now.
House came along at a pretty good time. The hospital drama has pretty much flatlined, and this is just the show to shock the genre back to life. All the actors are very good, but Laurie should receive special mention. He plays House so well, with perfect timing on everything. He is up for an Emmy for Best Actor in a Drama, and he deserves the nomination (I want Kiefer Sutherland to win, though). Hopefully, the show will just continue to get better.