Lakeview Terrace

I have been intrigued with this movie ever since my buddy over at Worth The Popcorn did a write up of it in April. He has since abandoned that blog, in effort of an alternative one, which he seems to have abandoned as well (I wonder where ol' Jimmy boy went??) I must say I miss Worth The Popcorn, though. It was a great blog with very unique ideas.

I was pumped to see Lakeview Terrace finally released in theaters. I had started to think it was going to target a limited market since I had learned of this movie so long ago and had seen nor heard anything more of it. Needless to say I had to rush right out to see it at the first available afternoon.

That afternoon was today.

Lakeview Terrace

Samuel Jackson is not someone I would want to piss off. He does not play a woos in movies for a reason, and that reason is because he usually kicks serious ass. I definitely do not want that ass to be mine. Too bad Chris Mattson (Patrick Wilson) wasn't as smart as me. If he were, he might be in a little better shape than he was by the time the credits rolled.

Chris and Lisa Mattson (Kerry Washington) couldn't be happier when they move into their new home in sunny LA. Newly married and first time homeowners, both are thrilled to begin their new life together. It's just too bad that their neighbor, Abel Turner (Samuel L Jackson) appears to "disagree" with their interracial marriage.

Abel doesn't let on right away however, and initially it seems as though he simply has a weird sense of humor that takes a little getting used to. Plus we learn he is a single father, having lost his wife just three years earlier, and perhaps he is simply protecting his children the best way he knows how. Even still, Chris doesn't care for him though tries to provide Abel the benefit of the doubt.

But time after time things begin to go wrong for Chris and Lisa - the glaring night lights Abel refuses to turn off; a sabotaged A/C unit; and finally slashed tires on a vehicle INSIDE Chris and Lisa's closed garage. The police offer no help, just words of encouragement since their wonderful new neighbor just happens to be a cop.

The thing about Abel, this cop, is that he's not quite "right" or ethical, yet for some reason his fellow officers are loyal to him, even when he is faced with the possibility of a forced early retirement. This doesn't offer him comfort however, and kinda pisses him off. For all the good he has done for his town of LA, this is the thanks he gets? Probably not a good move for someone who is already showing signs of instability. Couple this with his apparent racism for almost all persons not of his ethnicity, we find things do not get better, but rather worse. If only we could learn the reason for his hate....

There is a lot of foreshadowing in this movie - specifically the CGI smoke effects and the illusion of nearby wildfires tearing through California. Lakeview Terrace is shown as a beautifully kept, quiet subdivision with multicultural neighbors all living in apparent peace. The threat of of the nearby fires, and the smoke that continually creeps closer and closer to the Mattson's wonderful home, offer promises of an iniquitous end that no one could predict happening.

Although this movie entertained me, and I found the underlying messages well developed, I expected much more and was disappointed not to have gotten it. The characters were, for the most part, also well developed, but many of the story parts had holes, i.e. Lisa's father, Chris' UNdesire to have a child, Lisa's apparent trickery to HAVE a child.... all aspects of the story which were spoken of but never directly addressed. Admittedly they are small parts to a bigger story therefore hold little to no consequence, however I felt cheated out of a fully developed story line.

As tensions rise and pleasantries deteriorate between the two homes, coupled with the already existing unspoken conflicts between Lisa and Chris, the climatic end is inevitable although somewhat stunted. I felt cheated.

True not all movies can tie up their loose ends into a neat little bow, but to do so with this one would have helped me like it better. I expected so much more based on the trailers and reviews, and was left with wishing I had saved this one for a weekend rental. Needless to say, I was disappointed.

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