LAKEVIEW TERRACE
US, 2008, 110 minutes, Colour.
Samuel L. Jackson, Patrick Wilson, Kerry Washington, Jay Hernandez.
Directed by Neil La Bute.
Neil La Bute is best known as a playwright who is concerned by human relationships, especially those which are exploitative and dangerous. This has been true of several of his films, especially In The Company of Men and Your Friends and Neighbours. These two films showed men behaving not only badly but cruelly. This theme is present in Lakeview Terrace, emphasis on neighbours, even though he did not write the screenplay.
Malevolence.
We speak of ill-will towards others but that sounds slight compared with malevolence. Iago's constant and gnawing jealousy and hatred of Othello was malevolence, a deep-seated animosity that led to malicious behaviour. What is such malevolence like in suburbia? This is one of the key questions in Lakeview Terrace, an urban psychodrama (where some would put an emphasis on the psycho).
We are quickly introduced to Abel Turner, played with his customary commitment by Samuel L. Jackson. He is a single father, with two children, and a house that he controls with regulations, manners and good grammar. We then learn he is an LA police officer.
His curiosity is roused as he waters his garden and watches a young couple moving into the house next door. Chris (Patrick Wilson) is white. Lisa (Kerry Washington) is black. His immediate facial expressions indicate that Abel does not approve. As the days go on, not only does he disapprove, he starts to relish criticising them and disturbing them. He forbids his daughter to go to their pool. He humiliates Chris, smilingly, at a welcoming party. He is full of insinuations.
Needless to say, this puts pressure on Chris and Lisa as well as on their marriage as they struggle with fixing the house, then job issues and, finally, pregnancy. Chris tries macho confrontation with Abel but he is not good at it and Abel is able to turn the tables and humiliate Chris with a DVD of sexual provocation of Chris at a police stag party Abel has hosted.
In the meantime we find out more and more about Abel and his mode of police work that leads to official inquiries.
Constantly in the background, on television news and in the scenes of smoke and haze, are the frequent LA fires that threaten the hills and the houses in the outer suburbs. Their proximity provides an image for the final confrontation and the culmination of Abel's malevolence.
The fact that Abel shows animosity towards a couple in a mixed race relationship highlights the nature of prejudice that leads to violent bigotry using righteousness as an excuse.
The usual name given to this kind of psychological thriller is a story of 'the neighbour from hell'. Hell is malevolence.
1.Psychological thriller? Racist drama? Violent drama? Police? Combination of these genres?
2.The LA settings, the suburbs, homes and the environment, affluent, the valley and crime scenes? The bars? Atmosphere of reality? The score and the moods?
3.The Los Angeles fires, their threat, the menace, the television reportage, the clouds of smoke, getting closer to the homes, the climax?
4.A sense of menace, the threats, malevolence, exercise of malice, bigotry and anger?
5.Abel waking up, his kids, the discipline, the rules, changing the shirt, the antagonism of the children, the daughter and her iPod? At home, the picture of his wife? Hosing the garden, observing the neighbours? His work in the police? Relationships with his partner? The episode with the informer, the criminals running, his getting information, giving him the okay for drugs? Using him? The episode with the gunman threatening his wife, the chase, his violent treatment, trying to teach him a lesson? His answers to the internal affairs inquiry? The reaction of the men, inviting them over for his noisy party? His sanity, the story about his wife, his suspicions? His motivation for antagonism towards Chris and Lisa? His marriage, his attitude towards sexuality, his children, mixed-race unions?
6.The move, Chris and Lisa, Lisa’s father and his wealth, his attitudes, excluding Chris from conversations, his inquiries about children? His visits and his living at a distance from them?
7.The move, having their own home, settling in, Abel’s lights, the pool and the sexual encounter, the children watching? The rebuke note on the car? Abel and his rules? Chris and Lisa as characters, their love, the tensions in the marriage, his working with the grocery chain, her work at home? The racial issues, his feeling he was on the front line, defending himself? His interactions with Abel, trying to be macho? His reaction to Lisa’s news of the pregnancy?
8.Abel, the lights, security? The hints of his disapproval, his tour of the streets with Chris after his run, the party and his denouncing the cigarettes in front of Lisa? His children, the daughter going for a swim, listening to Lisa, his rebuke of her? The security lights? The policeman’s stag party, the DVD and his delivering it to Lisa? In the bar, telling his story to Chris?
9.Lisa, her love for Chris, the mixed marriage, her attitudes towards Abel, the party, Celia and her swimming, the issue of permissions? Her pregnancy, the dispute with Chris? Her father? Going home from the party, the attack, going to hospital?
10.Abel’s children, going to stay with his sister-in-law? Her puzzle about his behaviour?
11.The police, Abel’s partner, his happy marriage, doing the test? The background of corruption in the LA police force?
12.The final party, the thug going into the house, destroying the goods, Abel and his phone call, the alarm, Abel pursuing the thug and shooting him? His being seen as the hero? His search for his phone? The fires, hosing his house, Chris and Lisa coming back, the discovery of the phone, Lisa driving away and the crash, the confrontation with the guns, the shooting?
13.The use of genre styles by playwright Neil LaBute? to explore themes of racism, malevolence, tension?
