Lakeview Terrace is too brash to be considered a film of good value, or in discussing the issue of race. It is a steady genre film if rather unsuspenseful and superficial.
Patrick Wilson is miscast as Chris Mattson, firstly he likes hip-hop music, and for all his acting it just doesn't rub. I could never really accept his inadequacy in compromising with Abel Turner, played by Samuel L. Jackson, you look at Patrick Wilson's physicality and are slightly miffed. Samuel L. Jackson doesn't really do anything new to his art he continues with his tensive and passionate display without setting the film alight. The relationship between Chris and Lisa Mattson (played by Kerry Washington) is performed well enough to suggest they are closely knit.
The script is far too quick in unleashing the confrontation between the two neighbours. There is not enough build-up to really accept the catalyst which begins the bitter fighting. Events used to up-the-ante are rather brash and superficial, Lisa being pregnant just seemed like an unnecessary disruption. The race issue in the film is too overt and incorrectly judged throughout the film to suggest the film had any particular message. Furthermore, the way the forest fire is used as a narrative tool throughout the film confirms the lack of finesse and subtlety of this production.
Lakeview Terrace doesn't create the tension at the beginning, and for this failure you fail to emotively comprehend the escalation of events. The events are too superficially crafted to produce an impact,and a much more subtle display would have been a much needed anointment.
Patrick Wilson is miscast as Chris Mattson, firstly he likes hip-hop music, and for all his acting it just doesn't rub. I could never really accept his inadequacy in compromising with Abel Turner, played by Samuel L. Jackson, you look at Patrick Wilson's physicality and are slightly miffed. Samuel L. Jackson doesn't really do anything new to his art he continues with his tensive and passionate display without setting the film alight. The relationship between Chris and Lisa Mattson (played by Kerry Washington) is performed well enough to suggest they are closely knit.
The script is far too quick in unleashing the confrontation between the two neighbours. There is not enough build-up to really accept the catalyst which begins the bitter fighting. Events used to up-the-ante are rather brash and superficial, Lisa being pregnant just seemed like an unnecessary disruption. The race issue in the film is too overt and incorrectly judged throughout the film to suggest the film had any particular message. Furthermore, the way the forest fire is used as a narrative tool throughout the film confirms the lack of finesse and subtlety of this production.
Lakeview Terrace doesn't create the tension at the beginning, and for this failure you fail to emotively comprehend the escalation of events. The events are too superficially crafted to produce an impact,and a much more subtle display would have been a much needed anointment.