Lakeview Terrace Review

He's a mushroom cloud layin' motherfucker, motherfucker. He couldn't get Jurassic Park back online. He declared the party was over for the Clones and he doesn't take kindly to slithery bastards on aircrafts. He is Samuel L. Jackson and he's a great big bloody film legend. He stars in about 50 movies a day, including some real todge, (SWAT anyone?) but one thing is guaranteed - whatever cash you put down to see a Sam movie you always get your moneys worth from the man. Lakeview Terrace is no exception.

Here he plays Abel Turner, a P in the LAPD, so fantastically racist against honkie the mere thought of an interracial couple turns him into whatever the equivalent of a Klan member for non-Texans is. When the lovely and black Kerry Washington moves in next door with her whiter than snow husband Patrick Wilson, Abel gets angry. Slight intimidation and bullying soon turns into something much worse as the Neighbour from Hell declares all out war. Race War!

To call this film a slow burner or a pressure cooker of a film would be using two of the worst cliches in the book but I'm going to anyway. Its a pressure cooker of a film that takes a long, long time to boil the meat at the heart of the film. The meat being Chicken Versus Beef. Yet if this was a restaurant you'd be complaining after an hour that you want your food now because the appetisers aren't filling enough. In other words this film needed to be shorter or at least have gotten to the good bits earlier. (I never use enough food analogies in my reviews, now I know why).

It seems an odd choice for a Neil LaBute film yet after the disastrous remake of the Wicker Man this seems a fairly safe bet and this is a solid piece of filmmaking. But as said earlier the reason you've put your money down is for Mr. L and whether he's lecturing his kids on Shaq Vs Corby or making Patrick Wilson shite himself with an award winning stare the film belongs to him. I just wish there was a bit more shouty Sam and a bit less build up because as a thriller there aren't nearly enough thrills.