intern-doll

18 June 2013

two.one.five Magazine writer, Sam Benesby reviews Lakeview Terrace

"Filmmaker Neil Lebute has been known to explore some of the more darkand sinister aspects of the human consciousness in previous works likeIn the Company of Men and The Shape of Things. In his new film, Lebuteattempts to display the dark underbelly of modern American racism asconventionally as possible.The film begins when clearly conflictedsingle father Abel Turner (Samuel L. Jackson) spots a young interracialcouple moving into the house next door in his upper class SouthernCalifornia neighborhood."Benesby gave this movie a 5.8 out of 10. Check out the rest of the review athttp://www.215mag.com/reviews_detail.cfm/review/850/page/2/rcat/3

Werewolf_Reaper

18 June 2013

Lots of potential but sadly ruined at the end

I really got into this movie and watched, totally engrossed in themovie the movie hits its peak and then the ending is implausible andwell plain stupid. The movie could have gone where few movies wentbefore and explored further down the genre but it turns and the endingreally hurts the film. Samuel Jackson is on his game in this film and Ifound myself on his side the time through the film. the neighbors canreally get annoying and you probably won't feel any sympathy for thembut when they start getting to one another its really good. Had theending been better I would have given it a 7.5 or even an 8 but likevery cheap electronic it knocks itself out of commission.

10 June 2013

Simplistic, poorly written plot with agnozing frustration.

Samuel L. Jackson's movies are hit or miss. This movie didn't even attempt to shoot at the target. I swear that the writers from Jackson's other piss-poor movie "Changing Lanes" were running out of ideas, and so to keep under budget re-tweaked the script to make this abomination. Instead of Jackson and Affleck going at it in rush hour traffic, you have the same tension, swapped out for a neighborhood dual. It's not there aren't redeeming qualities found within the plot line or character development, but it's just that the movie comes together so poorly in its plot, providing one that barely is a poor excuse for a movie.

Chris Knipp

09 June 2013

LaBute directs, but does not control, this new movie

In this movie starring Samuel L. Jackson, Patrick Wilson, and KerryWashington, a mixed race newlywed couple (Wilson and Washington) movesin next door to a widowed LA cop (Jackson) raising two children in theSan Fernando Valley. He doesn't like or approve of these new neighborsand does everything he can to make their lives miserable. Scott Foundassays this enterprise will initially puzzle LaBute fanciers given thatits "yuppies-in-peril thriller" format seems "about two decades pastits freshness date." But he asserts that this is actually "vintageLaBute" because if its "taut" exploration of the gap "between whatpeople say and what they really think." The trouble is, as Foundasadmits, this is LaBute working as a hired gun; he didn't write thematerial, and it hasn't any of his keen ear for the way men and womenmess with each other. Foundas admits the movie ramps things up too muchand ends with an "over-the-top finale" and a crudely symbolic fire.When you're corrected for all that, there's really not much left that'spositive, other than the fact that Jackson is genuinely despicable andyet still convincing, and Wilson is especially good, his responsesalways nicely modulated despite all the hysteria at the edge of scenes.Washington does a very decent job too. Though they're patently movieactors, all three might have done excellent work in a LaBute stage playdealing with similar material. Only this is not that, alas, and theLaBute potential gets lost in the relatively crude dialogue, the rampedup plot developments, and the cop-out, feel-good finale. Supposing LaBute had done the writing--how would this have been different, andbetter? It's hard to say with any certainty, because he has never dealtwith the issue or race before. Maybe Foundas was imagining LaBute lineswhere they really aren't. It's hard to see how people are sayinganything other than what they think as he says. Abel Turner (Jackkson)seems to come very close to what he actually thinks every time he openshis snarling mouth. It's pretty certain LaBute would have ramped up thecomplexity greatly, and cut down on the overt, non-verbal violence.Turner's security spotlight flashes directly in Chris and LisaMattson's bedroom window; their air conditioning power wires getsevered; and the garage gets broken into and Chris' Prius' tires areslashed. As Chirs (Wilson) puts it, Abel says "in so many words" thathe doesn't want them living there. Where's the irony or the hypocrisy?Not in these actions or Abel's words. Turner's mean to his two kids, and on the job he's also a brute whobreaks a black suspect's ribs and tries to get him to shoot himself.He's just as racist and a lot cruder toward a drug dealer in the 'hoodwho he uses and abuses. It's hard to see any complexity in Turner,other than the fact that Jackson tones down his viciousness just enoughto keep it from becoming utterly shrill in every scene. Not that it's un-LaBute-like, but Turner doesn't hate Chris Mattsonjust for racial reasons, because he doesn't like a white man married toa black woman, though there is certainly that. He pulls out theclichés, like "are you man enough?" He also hates Chris because he's aPrius-driving, secretly cigarette-smoking, tree-huggingenvironmentalist. Turner doesn't believe in global warming. He hatesChris because he went to Berkeley, and because he listens to hip hop."You can listen to that noise all night long," he says, "but when youwake up in the morning, you'll still be white." He hates the music, andeven more he hates Chris for listening to it. True, there are momentswhen he invites Chris in to a party, or buys him a drink at a bar, butthese are only lures to trap and humiliate him. Where is he pretendingto be anything other than a man full of hate? Not to himself, surely;and there's no evidence that he ever fools his new neighbors. The stress they're under causes things to become tense between Chrisand Lisa, and this is focused upon her desire to have a baby rightaway; he wants to wait. They've just moved south for him to lead a newbranch of a grocery company. This--surprisingly since it is a glamorouslooking three-bedroom house with a generous sized pool--is just astarter home--the first time they've owned property. So he wants towait. She doesn't. This is another issue the real LaBute, the one whowrites brilliant plays, might have brought to a head. The screenplay iswimpy about all this, making Chris raise his voice and express doubts("I don't know who you are any more") to Lisa in one scene when herealizes she deliberately stopped taking her birth control pills andpretends just to have missed a few days, but the movie goes for afeel-good ending for the couple, so it can't do the nasty twists andturns any couple in a LaBute play would perform, which don't lead tofeel-good endings. The relationship between a white man and a blackwoman who love each other, but must confront their own prejudices whenthey encounter the stresses of being an interracial couple--that wouldbe a whole new kind of challenge that it would be fascinating to seeLaBute deal with in one of his plays. It doesn't really happen here.This movie is about Turner, and the terror he wrecks. It's aboutactions, not the words that would show forth how this kind of coupleconfronts its hidden secrets. No, this isn't "vintage LaBute" at all. It's rather a tantalizing hintof a LaBute subject, which (as Foundas notes) has no subtlety in thedirection--though Mamet isn't as limited a film director as Foundassays--and also lacks the vernacular richness and moral complexity of areal LaBute play.

Kristine

28 May 2013

Remind me never to let Samuel L. Jackson borrow a cup of sugar from my place

Lakeview Terrace, what could have been a great thriller turned into acomplete and total mess. I'm honestly surprised that this movie has therating that it does, I'm trying not to insult anyone, just honestly,how could you take this seriously? It was so horribly written and I wasactually looking forward to this film. My major problem was that thecharacter development, there wasn't any, you go on this roller coasterride where you think you might understand why Samuel L. Jackson'scharacter is the way he is, but instead they go back into making youjust brutally hate this guy. This is how beyond insane this movie is...Samuel L. Jackson goes from this stern, uptight guy to a bully, to achainsaw maniac killer, to just plain psychotic, and honestly this guyis never given a solid reason why he turns this way, you're just leftwith five million questions and on of the worst endings I've ever seen.Chris and Lisa, an inter-racial couple, the nicest couple you will evermeet, the couple you would love to be friends with finally got a homeof their own in what seems like a very nice neighborhood... well, thatis until they meet Able, their black widowed neighbor who also happensto be a police officer... who also happens to not approve of theirrelationship. From the get go Able is pretty much a rabid dog whothreatens Chris off the bat saying to leave the neighborhood and thathe doesn't like them. He just cannot be reasoned with, when Chris andLisa have an unexpected surprise they were not ready for that givestheir marriage a shake, Able isn't helping when he goes as far as tothreatened their lives.Honestly this is one of the worst films I have seen this fall season,it was beyond unrealistic and you have no compassion for some of thecharacters. Not to mention there is a constant rubbing in your face ofthe race issues, it's not just Samuel L. Jackson that doesn't approveof this relationship, all of the family and friends make some kind ofdisrespectful comment on it, I personally know 3 inter-racial couplesand they don't receive that much hate or disapproval, it was hurtful onthat level. I recommend you stay away from this movie, it's slow pacedand the thrills are a let down. The story doesn't make much sense and Ijust found it to be pointless.2/10

28 May 2013

Not that good

I'd pass on watching Lakeview Terrace. It isn't one of Jackson's better films. It is way to predictable and the actors just don't deliver. I'm glad I just rented instead of buying.

Michael O'Keefe

27 May 2013

The cop next door.

Tense and emotional drama with a couple of laughs and a whole lot ofanger. Chris and Lisa(Patrick Wilson and Kerry Washington)move intotheir Los Angeles hills dream house...and immediately become the targetof their next-door neighbor. Abel Turner(Samuel L. Jackson)is a harshand tightly wound LAPD officer, who goes by-the-book with his childrenand his own rules on the job. Abel is not very fond of his newneighbor's interracial relationship and is determined to wreck theirmarriage or force them to move out of the neighborhood...whichevercomes first. Turner's harassment of the newlyweds turns deeply personaland violent leaving Chris no choice but to put up a good fight. Theruthless and menacing Jackson is excellent. Director Neil LaBute leaveslittle time to breathe. Also in the cast: Jay Hernandez, JustinChambers, Regine Nehy and Robert Pine.

Jan Strydom

27 May 2013

The story gets you thinking

LAKEVIEW TERRACE tell the story of an interracial couple moving intotheir first newly bought home, while next door there lives Abel Turner(Samuel L. Jackson) who immediately takes a dislike of seeing a whiteman (Patrick Wilson) and black woman (Kerry Washington) livingtogether.The film has a great subject matter that tackles black on white racismwithout getting to preachy or philosophical, and yes black on whiteracism does occur in our everyday lives like it or not, Samuel L.Jackson plays his character Abel Turner very straight foreword as youcan immediately tell a lot of things about him, the man has principles,he raises his the way best he knows how, and he takes his job extremelyseriously, and dislikes the idea of a black woman and white man livingtogether for some reason, the performances by Patrick Wilson and KerryWashington as the married couple moving into their dream home are alsovery good, frankly I think this film hits more of a mark with thesubject matter than a lot of other films, it gives it to you as it iswithout philosophical BS, and this is the second film I've seen fromdirector Neil Labute, and he certainly redeems himself considering theWICKER MAN remake, Obviously flawed by its ending, the subject mattergets you thinking and the film owes its success to its main cast andsolid direction.

BrianaNicole

23 May 2013

One of the best movies this year!

Lakeview Terrace has a great story-line. Eveything Samuel L Jackson does throughout the course of the movie has a reason behind it (which makes it even better!). The movie is full of great visuals and lots of symbolism! It is by far one of the best movies I've seen this year.

brainsmasher

22 May 2013

Something you havent seen before.

Well....I haven't. And if you have, it wasn't this good. There are three oscar worthy performances. This is Sam Jackson's best role to date. He's creepy and funny at the same time. You can feel for the guy even though he is the bad guy and you know he will get it in the end.

kieran wilton

21 May 2013

Outstanding thriller, 810.

A terrific movie! I love this movie for so many reasons; for one, itwas just an all out great suspense thriller that keeps your eyes gluedto the screen for the entire 106 minutes of the film. The 2nd reason ilove it is because of the premise of the film; it explores the side ofracism that is seldom acknowledged by the media or the majority ofpeople in general. Samuel. L . Jackson without a doubt makes this movieand in my opinion no other actor could of played the part better, itwas perfect for him. I am a huge Jackson fan and have seen him in manygreat films like Die hard with a vengeance, both of the 'Xxx' films,Snakes on a plane and 1408 and i have to say that this film is up therewith his greats. Also, this is the first Patrick Wilson film that ihave seen and i have to say he was extremely good and i will definitelybe checking out some more of his films. I think as well as the overallpremise of the film, the chemistry between Jackson and Wilson wasincredible and you could feel the hatred that they had for each otherand you got lost in the spiral of "is he scared or is he going to killhim" because the narrative flows so perfectly, i really struggle tofind a fault in the film. i do not want to ruin anything as this is agreat film to watch which will keep you on the edge of your seat and isbest to go into it with absolutely no foreknowledge of what is to come.I cannot believe the rating for this film is not an 8 or even a 9.please watch it.

Jackson Booth-Millard

21 May 2013

Lakeview Terrace

I saw the trailer for this thriller, and it looked like an interesting"neighbour from Hell" film, which it was, from director Neil LaBute(Nurse Betty). Basically Caucasian Chris Mattson (Patrick Wilson) andAfro-American wife Lisa Mattson (The Last King of Scotland's KerryWashington) move into a new house in California in a safe compound. Theonly problem is their neighbour, racist and dysfunctional LAPD officerand father Abel Turner (Samuel L. Jackson) is uncomfortable living nextdoor to them, and you can tell from their first meeting that he doesn'tlike them. As time goes by, it becomes obvious that the security lightsare not the only thing that Abel has in mind to make their livesdifficult with. Chris and Lisa try to bear with everything going on,and even try a couple of tricks to get their own back, but Abel will goall the way to make their lives miserable. In the end, Abel goes toofar hiring a guy to break into and trash their house, and of courseChris finds this out, and with a final showdown, Abel gets shot. Alsostarring Ron Glass as Harold Perreau, Justin Chambers as Donnie Eaton,Hostel's Jay Hernandez as Javier Villareal, Regine Nehy as CeliaTurner, Jaishon Fisher as Marcus Turner, Robert Pine as CaptainWentworth, Keith Loneker as Clarence Darlington, Robert Dahey as JungLee Pak, Ho-Jung as Sang Hee Pak and Caleeb Pinkett, Jada's brother asDamon Richards. Even though it adds to some tension concerning law, Ithink it was a mistake to make Jackson a police officer, to give himkids, and to have a part about a dead wife, it would have been to haveabsolutely no sympathy for him, concerning everything nasty he does.The "neighbour from Hell" is what grips you most, all extra stuff, e.g.Lisa trying to get to know the kids, are very unnecessary, and distractyou from you actually want to see, never-the-less, a good film if youignore these moments. Worth watching!

13 May 2013

How Much Abuse Will You Take Before You Fight Back?

How far would you allow someone to push you before you begin to return in kind? That is the basic plot of "Lakeview Terrace" starring Samuel L. Jackson and Patrick Wilson. It's a story of two men who find themselves locked in what seems like an unending battle of one-ups upon each other. For those of you that love movies and have seen your fair share of them, you may be thinking, "Didn't Sam Jackson already do a film just like this several years ago with Ben Affleck?" The answer is yes, and the film was "Changing Lanes". So, what could possibly make an actor of Samuel L. Jackson's caliber want to do a virtual retread of a film he already did, especially when said film was quite good, albeit depressing. The only reason I can think of is that "Lakeview Terrace" could be viewed as a movie with more of a commercial appeal than the former, but if that is the primary reason (aside from the considerable payday Sam undoubtedly walked away with), was this endeavor a worthy one?"Lakeview Terrace" focuses on a young couple (Patrick Wilson and Kerry Washington) as they begin to settle into what appears to be their dream home in the most ideal of neighborhoods. Everyone in the neighborhood seems pleasant, and as an added bonus they discover they have an officer of the LAPD (Samuel L. Jackson) living just next door. But, as the newlyweds quickly discover things may appear too good to be true, as their man of the law neighbor soon begins interfering in their daily lives in some very intrusive and increasingly creepy ways. The only question is how far will this couple allow themselves to be pushed before they choose to fight back?If I were in charge of creating a film, and had even the slightest glimmer of hope that said film could become a hit, there would be a few aspects of the film that I would want to make sure were in perfect working order before I would even begin production. For starters, the script must be top-notch. Without a solid backbone to base the movie off of, what hope does one have of crafting a movie that will entertain audiences and keep them talking about the experience for days to come? Second, the casting must be ideal. If the cast doesn't work well, it doesn't matter if the script is Shakespeare or a modern classic, it will fall flat if not handled with the proper care from those speaking the dialogue. Lastly, I would try as hard as I could to keep my movie as original as possible (a feat that is harder and harder to accomplish these days), or at least avoid using tired, old clichés and predictability so that the audience will stay interested in what I'm putting on the screen. In the case of "Lakeview Terrace" some of these items were utilized to a degree of success, while others either failed miserably or seemed to be completely ignored.As far as the story goes, "Lakeview Terrace" was well-paced, with a good story that features plenty of suspenseful moments to keep the thrill-factor up for a majority of the film. Writers David Loughery (the upcoming film "Obsessed") and Howard Korder ("Stealing Sinatra") have managed to take a decent premise (albeit one that has been used quite often in films), and imbue it with a hefty dose of tension to keep the audience paying attention; however, the characters are either far too clichéd or just plain unlikable to really invest ourselves in. Despite a fairly well-paced story, the movie fails in the end because I just didn't care about the main characters at all; and for a movie like this to succeed I believe you have to be able to choose a side in the conflict or else what's the point.In regards to the cast, each member did well with their respective roles, even if some were overtly unoriginal and tired. For Samuel L. Jackson the part probably seemed good in conversation, but I have to think that after reading the script he should have been able to figure out that his character and the one-ups in the movie have already been done before with much greater success in previous films. Truthfully, I'm surprised he even signed on due to the fact that the basic plot for the movie is nothing more than an updated and sleeker version of his previous work on "Changing Lanes". Whatever his reasons, at least Sam did a good job in the role, as he usually does; and surprisingly he actually delivers a more restrained performance than most, a slight change of pace for one of his many characters.Alongside Sam Jackson we have Patrick Wilson as the new husband next door. Prior to this film I had seen Patrick in the movie "Little Children" opposite Kate Winslet ("Titanic") and I have to say that not only did I hate that film, but I also couldn't stand Patrick's character either. Something about him is irritating to me, I don't know if it's his demeanor or presence or what, but I have a hard time actually liking any character he plays. So for this movie I did my best to suspend my loathing of Patrick, in hopes of becoming invested in his character in order for the story to work better. It turns out this was a wasted effort because the script only devotes a small amount of time early on in the film to making him seem like a likeable person, before he begins to retaliate against Sam's character, while at the same time becoming insensitive and mean to his wife.Speaking of Patrick's onscreen wife, Kerry Washington does a nice job in the role, and is really the one likeable person out of the main characters. Surprisingly, her part seems very limited despite being onscreen for a decent amount of time throughout the movie; it's just that the writers don't seem to give her all that much to do except be mistreated by the other two characters in the film. What's strange about her character, is that she is established at numerous times throughout the movie as a fairly strong-willed, opinionated woman, lending to the school of thought that she wouldn't put up with too much crap from anyone. However, over the course of the film she never once stays truly angry about anything going on around her. While her character may be the most likeable in the story, she is also the most unbelievable in terms of what she puts up with from not only her neighbor, but also from her husband. A man who supposedly loves her, yet never seems to show any kind of remorse regarding things he has said and done. So for her to put up with all that without fighting back on her own, seems like a bit of a stretch given her character's basic make-up."Lakeview Terrace" should have been a great thriller, and many of the necessary components were in place to make it so; however, the unlikable characters, somewhat unoriginal story, and characters for that matter, diminished any chances of me truly enjoying the movie. As for the film's director, Neil Labute, this was a better effort than his previous work, the dismal "The Wicker Man" remake, but still not a great movie, so better luck next time."Lakeview Terrace" is rated PG-13 for violence, language, and sexuality.

12 May 2013

Good Movie

This review is from: Lakeview Terrace (Amazon Instant Video) This is a good movie and gave my daughter and I something to do on a cold winter Sunday... Enjoyed

D

11 May 2013

Wow

This movie is wonderful but terrible at the same time. It shows that racism in alive in all races, not just the one that is most categorized with racism. I love Samual L. Jackson. He is a wonderful actor and it broke my heart to see him play a part like this, but it shows just how much of a great actor he is.

10 May 2013

Lake View Terrace

Great movie. It is a little stressful if you are having problems in a relationship.

mrcjoker

05 May 2013

Very...Very Different

Let me tell you...I would not want Samuel L Jackson for a neighbor. Heacted awesome from beginning to end. Right of the bat he makes you feeljust as uneasy as the neighbor...He almost made this a horror movie with the things he says and does.You would think you can predict this movie... and you probablycould...but not the flow of events. The way things occur and happen,are very different from other suspense type thrillers. I can't sayanymore because I will probably ruin the movie for you.Watch it because it's worth watching. You'll probably be saying "Ican't believe he just said that" a lot.

JoelF

04 May 2013

Stop Tramping this Movie

Sure... not Oscar worthy but me and my friend laugh our brains out at a serious movie and still loved it. Whose seen a movie like that in a while? I haven't. It's deserving, all flaws aside.

Moritz-11

02 May 2013

Your Average Madman Next Door...

.. doesn't really bother on what specific grounds he would turn hisneighbor's life into a living hell, just as long as he does it anyway.Picket fences as a rather disturbing realm of general psychopaths. Takea closer look around, and - to some extent - you'll be able to locate adiminished form of likewise fanaticism in your vicinity, too: Peoplechecking your trash bin, grumbling about stairs that had not been kept"tidy enough", filing legal complaints because you have allegedlystolen their stupid newspapers.. In short, annoying neighbors. To me,this movie bundles such experiences and takes it to another level bymeans of great psychological insight into all the characters involvedand a wonderful S. Jackson. Just WHAT a manic grin he puts on whilepeeping through the fence, over to the poolside! Most of the reception of this movie appears to center on racist issues.Although such issues are frequently referred to in the movie, startingfrom the title itself, I don't find this aspect really all thatimportant. The depiction of the protagonists is near perfect even w/oany such context, firstly because of their wonderful acting andsecondly because your average madman next door is just content withwhatever reasons he'll make up for his killing spree. Therefore, intimes of electing Mr. Obama for president, I'd suggest that some racistimplications in this movie be simply targeted at a US-based audience tosell more tickets.

abellcoastal

01 May 2013

The story line

It is about time there was a story line based on something so fresh andabout the here and now. Let's face it interracial couples have beenaround forever and bad police officers have been around forever. Atthis point and time someone was brave enough to touch on both charactertypes and make a real story out of it. There is a nice twist in thestory that does make you sit on the edge of your chair. Thank you to the writer for sticking his neck out there, adultentertainment, nothing dry, weak nor fulled with warm and fuzz-es. Youhave my vote. Poop happens! Most of us think it what would happen ifyou had a successful couple (whom could have been the color of green)the issue is "character" and this movie told it. I will stop there andlet the audience be the judge. Again Bravo!