Rating of
1.5/4
Samuel L. Jackson couldn't carry this film.
mdtinney - wrote on 11/27/09
Can we be focused for once? Can we avoid so many multiple subjects that go in so many different directions that the core explodes by the end of a movie? 'Lakeview Terrace' follows a disturbing pattern of recent movies that include probably a dozen topics into two hours and then asks the viewer to sort them and then forget most of them by the closing. My bad for not taking notes, but let's see if we can name a few: racism, interracial couples, new neighbor, bad cop(s), bad neighbors, lying, single parenthood, unwanted pregnancies, disapproving parents – which leads back to racism, affairs, revenge, adults acting like children, children being rebellious, and on and on. I love Samuel L. Jackson. He is one of the best. And this isn't a first time he's played a racist. To my recognition, my favorite racist character he's played was in 'Die Hard with a Vengeance.' Here, he's annoying, psycho and an absolute role model of how not to act when adult and share different views from others. Usually he steals scenes; usually he's such a presence, that you forget the role he's playing as well as all around him. Here, he looks tired, worn out on playing the same bad-ass he's always played, except with less heart. Very little tension is played out. We have a new interracial couple moving into a new neighborhood. Jackson immediately disapproves of the black/white couple. So, he gets to them, they get to him, the couple fight amongst each other, then they're cool, kids act out, out goes the kids, then the couple fights him, fight each other again, then they're cool. What the bleep? In this movie's case, where there's smoke…well, aside from plot #133 – the great LA blaze…there is no fire. Still, you'll definitely get burned.
