By Sam Watermeier
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Based on the preview, “Lakeview Terrace” looks like a typical, hackneyed, suspense thriller. The trailer shows Samuel L. Jackson as corrupt cop Abel Turner stalking and taunting his next-door neighbors, Chris Mattson (Patrick Wilson) and his African American wife Lisa (Kerry Washington). Turner finds interracial coupling so close to his home unacceptable. With Jackson seeming like a classic movie monster, the preview suggests that the film is dreadfully predictable. Thankfully, this could not be further from the truth.

Directed by Neil LaBute, probably better known as the author of such controversial plays as “Fat Pig” and “The Shape of Things,” “Lakeview Terrace” is a complex and haunting study of prejudice and intolerance. Although LaBute did not write the film (that credit goes to David Loughery and Howard Korder), his signature touch is evident in the exploration of these themes. The film transcends the genre with a brave, unapologetic structure and three-dimensional characters. Yes, Jackson sometimes eats the scenery. His supporting actors also have trouble keeping up, but this film is engrossing and entertaining nonetheless.

LaBute defies the thriller genre with his pacing and naturalism. Contrary to what the preview suggests, this film is a slow, creeping thriller and there is nothing wrong with that. The fact that the conflicts take generous time to emerge builds tension and makes for a refreshing change of direction from recent thrillers like the “Bourne” films. Those films often exhaust their audiences halfway through the action with their hectic, relentless pace. “Lakeview Terrace” is also not as stylized as the “Bourne” films or other films of the thriller genre. The ending, which one would assume to be a ridiculously elaborate chase or fight scene of some sort is, in fact, short, a bit clumsy and therefore more credible to the film.

Jackson’s portrayal shows realism in its complexity. Similar characters in this genre usually come off as one-dimensional monsters. Although a bit simple-minded and blindly aggressive toward this interracial couple for the sole reason that their marriage is unconventional to him, Turner appears regretful about his behavior during certain moments. In one scene, for example, after a violent situation he has created, he sighs and stands frustrated and panicked. These moments of regret make us suspicious. Is he genuinely regretful or planning for his next diabolical scheme? This ambiguity is the core of Jackson’s excellent performance and LaBute’s direction. Both keep the audience guessing. Jackson’s performance is hardly his best. He sometimes goes over the top resulting in unintentional comedy like in a scene where he mocks his daughter by yelling and dancing inappropriately. But his constant judgment of the other characters’ behavior makes for several tense and uncomfortable moments. Through these moments, LaBute forces the audience to re-examine intolerance in our society.

Wilson and Washington’s characters pale by comparison. They are both satisfactory as foils to Jackson’s compelling, sometimes over-sized Abel Turner. They admirably carry the responsibility of being the audience’s eyes and ears. However, the screenwriters might have given them more depth.

This film shows that previews and early reviews are not always reliable. With its depth and complexity, “Lakeview Terrace” is one of the biggest surprises of the year. So, don’t be so quick to judge like Turner. This is a film well worth seeing.

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Starring: Samuel L. Jackson, Patrick Wilson
Director: Neil Labute
Run time: 1 hr. 50 min.
Rating: PG-13
Overall: B+