Confusion, rather than terror, seems to dominate in Neil LaBute's "Lakeview Terrace," which fails to live up to the suspense prominent in its preview.
Samuel L. Jackson stars as Abel Turner, a dedicated Los Angeles Police Department cop and single father who dislikes the interracial relationship of his new next-door neighbors, Lisa and Chris Mattison (Kerry Washington and Patrick Wilson). Turner begins to physically and psychologically harass his neighbors in an attempt to drive them out of the neighborhood. As the Mattisons become more unwilling to give up the fight and choose to stay, things begin to spiral out of control. While the premise shows promise, gaping holes in the plot detract from the potential success of the movie as a whole.
The film falls far short of the mark with little development of the main characters. Even though Turner's reasons for not liking the Mattisons become clear, the audience is left wondering how Turner's resentment toward interracial couples escalated to such intensity, or what his specific reasons for targeting the Mattisons were. Viewers almost feel pity for Lisa, between her constant submissiveness to her husband and the unexplained victimization she is subjected to from the beginning. Chris, on the other hand, is too domineering of his wife, yet fails to show enough backbone to Turner. His retaliations against Turner are small and pitiful, and fail more often than they succeed. "Terrace" also gives the impression of two stories in one movie: one is the ongoing war waged on the Mattisons by Turner, the other the increasingly unharmonious relationship between Chris and Lisa. The latter subtracts from the impact of the former, as it leaves the viewer confused as to why this second storyline is present, and how it relates to the struggle between the two neighbors. The writers would have been much better off leaving the story as it is interpreted through its previews, a psychological thriller that keeps the audience on the edge of their seats, wondering what move Turner will make next. Despite the flaws in characters and plot, there are some elements that manage to keep the film from utter failure. Jackson does a credible turn as Turner, although this will never be known as one of his most successful movies. Shaky camera work, combined with darkly colored settings, aid visually in conveying the themes of suspense and mystery better than the dialogue and events. "Terrace" takes a unique approach to interracial relationships, as the situation is somewhat reversed from the norm; it follows a more modern trend of analyzing the black reaction to black-white relationships. Certain aspects of the film were quite enjoyable and well done. Unfortunately, the film's failures will overshadow those elements. "Lakeview Terrace" has the foundations to be a seat-gripping, pulse-racing thriller that could keep audiences hooked for hours. Sadly, this film's poorly contrived elements achieve the opposite effect: a bewildering sense of something missed, which is more than likely the time spent seeing the film.
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