In Neil LaBute's Lakeview Terrace, Patrick Wilson and Kerry Washington star as Chris and Lisa Matson, a racially mixed married couple who move into a suburban Los Angeles neighborhood. A steamy lovemaking session in their new swimming pool earns the Matsons the displeasure of their autocratic neighbor Abel Turner (Samuel L. Jackson), a strict single father whose kids witnessed the whole thing. As Abel, who happens to be a cop, begins waging a campaign of intimidation against the newlyweds, the pair find themselves facing increasingly limited options, especially after the garden-variety feud turns ugly. Unfortunately, the jury-rigged climax forces Jackson's character to behave in a manner totally at odds with the one he's presented over the course of the film, a shortcoming that knocks Lakeview Terrace down a notch. But an even bigger drawback is LaBute's failure to fully explore the widowed cop's distaste for the couple. Wilson is solid in the more difficult role of a self-satisfied “progressive” whose inner racist threatens to surface when Abel's relentless bullying finally gets under his skin. A by-the-numbers thriller that squanders an opportunity with its under-developed racial-frustration subplot, this is an optional purchase. [Note: DVD/Blu-ray extras include audio commentary with director Neil LaBute and costar Kerry Washington, three behind-the-scenes featurettes on the story, casting, and production (20 min. total), eight deleted scenes with optional commentary (14 min.), and trailers. Bottom line: a solid extras package for an uneven thriller.] (E. Hulse)
Lakeview Terrace
Sony, 110 min., PG-13, DVD: $28.99, Blu-ray: $39.95, Jan. 27 Volume 24, Issue 1
Lakeview Terrace
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