LAKEVIEW TERRACE - REVIEW (ON DVD)
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Director: Neil LaBute
Cast: Patrick Wilson, Kerry Washington
Rating: 4/5
Samuel L Jackson is in everything it seems and for a time there with 1408 and Snakes On A Plane he was. This is because he subscribes by his own admission to the mantra that one day the phone will stop ringing and until that day he will work as hard and as often as he can. Some might say that over-exposure can lead to lack of appeal though Jackson is proving quite the opposite.
Lakeview Terrace is a good cop/bad cop caper the only difference is they are the same person. Abel is a single father with two children who has lived the best part of his life on the force. He has issues with anger and finds is difficult to harbor the weight of both parents on his shoulders.
His frustrations are vented at work, fighting the petty crooks and drug dealers whilst trying to instill some street level family values on his captives.
The other side to this story is colour. PatrickWilson (Chris Mattson)and Kerry Washington (Lisa Mattson)are a trendy young interracial couple that move in next door. Abel takes an instant dislike to the pair. A scene in the movie where Abel is chewing the fat with an Asian man and the fact that his cop partner is Hispanic allow the viewer to realise Abe is not a blanket racist.
It is just this particular combination that makes him uncomfortable, though he has his reasons.
Director Neil Labute and Samuel L Jackson
Director Neil LaBute does wonderful things with the tension in this movie. The cinematography is crisp and the colours are rich. I am not sure if it was intentional but I noticed a yellow hue throughout which perhaps provides a certain racial element which was not physically present in the movie.
The antagonistic dialogue between both male characters as well as the aggression Abel shows towards the young couple served well to engage the viewer and kept a nervous tone throughout as you wait to see which of the two men snaps first and just what happens when they do.
The action iswell paced and the viewer gets a sense of both sides of the story wether it be Abel struggling to cope with a growing daughter and trying to keep on top of his game at work. Or the young couple who are still finding things out about each other and the stress of buying their first home highlighting cracks in their relationship.
I could not imagine anyone other than Jackson in the role of Abel, out of all the actors that could be considered. He brings a certain grittiness to the part, and a dinstinct element of conviction (pardon the pun) to the role. One thing I did find pleasant was the choice of putting an African-American woman with a Caucasian man rather than the reverse as it is rare to see an Interracial couple on screen and when you do it is seldom cast this way.
This is not a date movie and certainly not for a young interracial couple who have bought their first home, is it could ward anyone (regardless of circumstance or colour) off befriending their next door neighbour.
The police code is to serve and protect, though Abel Turner was not told it referred to the community and not just your own backyard.
Critic rogerebert.com rated this 4/5 and rottentomatos.com rated this 47/100.
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