Lakeview Terrace (2008)

An strict father by the name of Abel Turner (Samuel L. Jackson) does his best rising his two kids (Regine Nehy and Jaishon Fisher) in a somewhat respected neighborhood. But Abel's world turns upside down, when an interracial couple (Patrick Wilson and Kerry Washington) moved next door to him. Which Abel thinks that one race like a white or black couple should be together. Now Abel will do anything to ruined the couples lives even if it comes to murder.

Directed by Neil LaBute (In the Company of Men, Nurse Betty, The Wicker Man "2006") made an highly entertaining movie. Jackson, Wilson and Washington offers first-rate performances. This movie is really an twisted black comedy than an actual thriller. The film is often very funny and tense.

The DVD has an clean anamorphic Widescreen (2.35:1) transfer and an good Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound. DVD has an running commentary track by the director and actress Washington. DVD also includes featurettes and deleted scenes with optional commentary by the director. "Lakeview Terrace" managed to be an box office hit but it could have been more if Sony marketed this movie right. It received mixed reviews by the film critics but so... in a way, it is matter of personal taste. It's certainly worth an look and it is one of my favorite movies of 2008. Don't miss it. Will Smith is one of the producers of this feature. Super 35. (**** ½/*****).

Fmovies: Lakeview Terrace joins movies like Crash and American History X as it brings to light the sad reality that Americans still deal with unfounded racial biases and discrimination. If you thought it was boring or didn't make any sense, you didn't get the point. This isn't Death Race; it has a message and if you chose not to learn anything from it, it's a testament to your own ignorance. It should make you sit back and take a look at your own beliefs as well as, the everyday injustice of racism. It clearly illustrated that when we chose to identify ourselves and others by color, we all end up losing out. If you are not willing to be mature and open-minded about this film, skip it and go rent Die Hard or something else you don't have to think through.

Lakeview Terrace, what could have been a great thriller turned into a complete and total mess. I'm honestly surprised that this movie has the rating that it does, I'm trying not to insult anyone, just honestly, how could you take this seriously? It was so horribly written and I was actually looking forward to this film. My major problem was that the character development, there wasn't any, you go on this roller coaster ride where you think you might understand why Samuel L. Jackson's character is the way he is, but instead they go back into making you just brutally hate this guy. This is how beyond insane this movie is... Samuel L. Jackson goes from this stern, uptight guy to a bully, to a chainsaw maniac killer, to just plain psychotic, and honestly this guy is never given a solid reason why he turns this way, you're just left with five million questions and on of the worst endings I've ever seen.

Chris and Lisa, an inter-racial couple, the nicest couple you will ever meet, the couple you would love to be friends with finally got a home of their own in what seems like a very nice neighborhood... well, that is until they meet Able, their black widowed neighbor who also happens to be a police officer... who also happens to not approve of their relationship. From the get go Able is pretty much a rabid dog who threatens Chris off the bat saying to leave the neighborhood and that he doesn't like them. He just cannot be reasoned with, when Chris and Lisa have an unexpected surprise they were not ready for that gives their marriage a shake, Able isn't helping when he goes as far as to threatened their lives.

Honestly this is one of the worst films I have seen this fall season, it was beyond unrealistic and you have no compassion for some of the characters. Not to mention there is a constant rubbing in your face of the race issues, it's not just Samuel L. Jackson that doesn't approve of this relationship, all of the family and friends make some kind of disrespectful comment on it, I personally know 3 inter-racial couples and they don't receive that much hate or disapproval, it was hurtful on that level. I recommend you stay away from this movie, it's slow paced and the thrills are a let down. The story doesn't make much sense and I just found it to be pointless.

2/10

Lakeview Terrace fmovies. A young successful interracial couple move into a new home in an exclusive California neighborhood. Chris Mattson (Patrick Wilson) and Lisa Mattson (Kerry Washington) are greeted with hostility by their new neighbor, LAPD Sergeant Abel Turner (Samuel L. Jackson), a widower and single father with a son and daughter. Chris and Lisa attempt to be cordial with Abel, inviting him and his family to their home and attending a barbecue Abel throws for some of his fellow officers. Despite this, Abel keeps becoming more disruptive and aggressive to Chris and Lisa. This eventually leads to retaliation on Chris' part and a confrontation with tragic consequences.

This movie despite its racial overtones doesn't break any new ground as a thriller. Patrick Wilson and Kerry Washington are a yuppie couple pushed too far and Sam Jackson as Abel is their disturbed neighbor/antagonist who wishes them harm. Definitely nothing new. The acting and script are okay with Sam Jackson's performance easily being the best. The ending is something that can be seen coming a mile away. This film is something you would watch on a slow day if it came on cable.

So I have to be brutally honest here, I was mainly looking forward to see "Lakeview Terrace" because I really thought it was going to be awful. And it did look that way to me by the trailers. So I went to laugh at it, but when it started to keep getting better and better, I couldn't really laugh at it anymore. Now not saying that this movie does not have flaws, because IT DOES. But it surprised me with its thematic elements, and really suspenseful scenes. But the cons are that it is a really heavy PG-13 film, and I personally thought they could have made it 10 times better if they had crossed the line into 'R'(which wouldn't have taken much more) and really fleshed out some things that are just hinted at because of their content. And the main con to the film for me was that there was no message at the end of the movie. It just ended, no theme or statement about the story. Just ended without saying "Now the moral of the story is..." So overall I'd recommend this movie to you. The good out-weighs the bad and its really a lot of fun.

When i saw the trailer for this movie i immediately compared it to "pacific heights" which stars Michael Keaton and is a favorite movie of mine, i am not a fan of Samuel L Jackson i have never really enjoyed his work and the few movies he has been in lately including "the cleaner" did not help my view on his acting, so going into this movie i was determined i would not like it and i was wrong , the first thing i want to clear up is this isn't like the movie i compared it to, it deals with racism but from the other end which i have never seen before in a movie, And secondly Samule L Jackson does great in this role as a cop with a grudge, the story is more than what you would think and the trailers did not give anything away, it is not a complicated movie with twists but it is a movie that is different from previous films with this type of aim. the fact that i am not a fan of Samuel L Jackson yet i praise him for this role shows how much quality this movie has. Patrick Wilson also does a great job , he is a good actor and its a good warm up role for people to know his face in his next role in "watchmen".

The rest of the cast do a good job in there supporting roles. This by far is not a movie that will win any Oscars but it is a movie that will entertain, i recommend it for a Saturday night in with drinks. A very entertaining thriller with great acting from its two leading actors. I hope my review was help full and if you get the chance to see this take it, because it will not disappoint.