Lakeview Terrace Review

Samuel L. Jackson loves to make movies, and he makes a lot of them. Jackson sometimes lucks out and and takes a good movie like "Lakeview Terrace," his most recent onscreen venture.
In "Terrace," Jackson plays Abel Turner, a single father who is trying to raise his children to be good people while serving the city of Los Angeles as a police officer. However, Turner's world and conservative views are turned upside-down when an interracial couple moves in next door.
Chris Mattson [Patrick Wilson] and his wife Lisa [Kerry Washington] purchase the home next to Jackson and he is none to pleased about what he sees. The couple quickly find themselves to be the victims of what starts as harmless pranks and snide comments from Jackson informing them they are not wanted in his neighborhood. The couple and Jackson find their worlds colliding and soon find it quite literally burning around them.
A symbolic background plot of the film is a raging fires reminiscent of the fires of San Diego in late 2007. As the film begins, the fires are far away, but are still noticeable. However, as tensions rise between the neighbors the fires draw nearer to their homes ending in a fiery climax both literally and figuratively.
The film takes an interesting turn which has not presented itself in many films leading to this point. It is a touchy subject, but the filmmakers charge right into it and shove it in the audiences face. The idea of an interracial couple is not an uncommon idea in today's world, but Jackson's character makes it clear his world is not the same. Throughout the film, Jackson makes racist remarks to Wilson's character and does everything in his power to make his life a living hell. The film tests the audience's ideas about race and challenges moviegoers to take a long, hard look at themselves in the process.
Despite having a heavy-handed political undertone, the film is actually a decent thriller to boot. When the couple realize Jackson's "pranks" are becoming more dangerous and intrusive, they also realize there is nothing that can be done. Lisa's father in the film [Ron Glass] tells the couple there is nothing to be done because "There is the issue of color, and that color happens to be blue."
Because Jackson is a police officer, he comes across as even more terrifying. Not only are the filmmakers showing the audience the one group they can trust can be untrustworthy, they can also make sure you are never safe. At one point Washington threatens to call the police to which Jackson hands her his phone and says, "Go ahead, I will tell you who is on duty."
I have always known Jackson had great "crazy eyes" and he uses them to perfection in this film. His chilling performance is even more scary when he isn't using the "crazy eyes," but a sly smile informing everyone he has nothing to fear.
Wilson and Washington are both great actors, but they don't hold a candle to Jackson in this film. He knows being a tough guy can be intimidating, but being a tough guy who is slick and has nothing to lose is terrifying and he plays the part to perfection. The idea of living next door to his character is enough to make me want to move now, even though I don't even live in the same state.
On the down side, there are moments where his acting is somewhat over-the-top, but this is expected from Jackson. This would have been fine if it hadn't changed some of the more poignant moments in the movie into a scene which is almost comedic.
I knew this film was either going to be great or terrible with little to no in-between area. But, I was wrong. In the end, the film is good, but had the potential to be great. There are a few obvious tweaks the filmmakers could have made to ensure a great film, but as it is, the film just lands in the arena of a good time instead of as a great movie.
Lakeview Terrace
Rated PG-13 for language, violence some sexual content and intense thematic material
Starring: Samuel L. Jackson, Patrick Wilson and Kerry Washington
Rating: Three stars