Puzzlement
The weekend's near-certain winner, according to Fantasy Moguls' Steve Mason, will be Neil LaBute's Lakeview Terrace (Sony). Given the obviously sour and malignant vibe coming off this film, interest levels can probably be attributed to the drawing power of Samuel L. Jackson's attitude schtick.
What else could it be? What could this movie seem to bring to the table that anyone would want to savor?
In the view of N.Y. Press critic Armond White, Lakeview Terrace "is tiresome largely because Jackson's Belligerent Black Man antics are so predictable. He's dug a lowdown niche; and movie after movie he keeps shoveling crap over himself. It also raises the leprous itch of director Neil LaBute, whose own predictable shtick is to scratch at society's sore spots. LaBute is not the credited screenwriter of Lakeview Terrace; yet it carries his stench.
"LaBute isn't skilled enough to direct an action-thriller that evokes real-world politics. Unable to create tension, he just exacerbates our uneasy social pacts -- a stunt that could only be tolerated in a nihilistic age. It's important to clearly state that Jackson and LaBute's cynical routines in Lakeview Terrace offend human decency, but I'm brushing their dirt off my shoulder."
Posted by Jeffrey Wells on September 18, 2008 at 1:18 AM
comment #1
bachelorcool
says ...
Sounds rather similar to that 1992 thriller Unlawful Entry, though with LaBute at the helm, I'd imagine we're in for something a bit more pompous.
Posted by bachelorcool
at September 18, 2008 2:01 AM
comment #2
Spacelamb
says ...
Jackson needs to start knocking back some of these lucrative-but-awful roles. Doesn't he have a home to go to?
Posted by Spacelamb
at September 18, 2008 3:42 AM
comment #3
NDH
says ...
No director has a more prolific repertoire of cynical films than Neil LaBute. Were he somewhat more talented, they might amount to a more interesting body of work. The sour note that ends every one of his films leaves me so depressed about the state of humanity that I feel I need to watch a sappy, uplifting Spielberg film just to balance out the emotions in my mind. Having said that, I'll probably still end up seeing Lakeview Terrace this weekend.
Posted by NDH
at September 18, 2008 4:20 AM
comment #4
EDouglas
says ...
It's kind of interesting that police brutality is the theme of this weekend's movies.... Lakeview Terrace, the Brazilian Elite Squad, Stuart Townsend's Battle in Seattle and even Appaloosa if you really think about it... no, the police are not painted in a very good light this weekend.
Posted by EDouglas
at September 18, 2008 5:16 AM
comment #5
hcat
says ...
Isn't this a 180 degree turnaround from Jackson's early nineties role in 'Amos and Andrew', which was also a 'oh my god there is a black man next door' movie. Only that one it played the subject matter for satire, while this one seems to use it as a actual threat to your safety.
Now Amos and Andrew was not a success by any measurement, though I thought there were some really good ideas that simply got dumbed down in the process of making the movie. But Andrew was actually a decent role for Jackson before he broke through, while this seems like another assembly line role.
Posted by hcat
at September 18, 2008 7:04 AM
comment #6
DavidF
says ...
This is LABUTE's film? Oh, man....I saw the trailer and thought it was basically a remake of Pacific Heights, with a bit of Internal Affairs thrown in.
"He has colour on his side....and in this case that colour is (dramatic pause) blue..."
I don't begrudge Sam Jackson the paycehque but This is what one of the more talented writers of the past 20 years is doing?
Posted by DavidF
at September 18, 2008 7:05 AM
comment #7
Krazy Eyes
says ...
I'll be disappointed if the finale doesn't involve Patrick Wilson putting on a bear suit and kicking Jackson's ass.
Posted by Krazy Eyes
at September 18, 2008 7:12 AM
comment #8
Richardson
says ...
You know, Jackson did an interview at AICN that made this movie seem a whole lot more interesting than any ads for it that I've seen.
For the record, ever since I saw the trailer in front of 'The Happening', this was a bad movie the same crowd of us were looking forward to in the same way.
Posted by Richardson
at September 18, 2008 8:34 AM
comment #9
scooterzz
says ...
it shares a vibe with 'unlawful entry' but manages to be a complete and total letdown.... not a believable moment in the whole thing....best parts of the movie were the cameos by ron glass and robert pine.....
Posted by scooterzz
at September 18, 2008 9:21 AM
comment #10
George Prager
says ...
Neil LaBute. Is there a more talentless dumbass making movies today (besides Kevin Smith and Edward Burns)?
Posted by George Prager
at September 18, 2008 9:34 AM
comment #11
JeffK
says ...
"near certain winner"?!
Am I the only one out there who laughs every time that trailer is played? Sam Jackson's yelling was a novelty in Pulp Fiction. Its 2008 now, let the dead horse be.
Posted by JeffK
at September 18, 2008 9:45 AM
comment #12
Richardson
says ...
Jeff - I saw that trailer right after a trailer for 'Mirrors' and right before watching 'The Happening'. You better believe I was laughing.
Posted by Richardson
at September 18, 2008 10:06 AM
comment #13
actionman
says ...
"Neil LaBute. Is there a more talentless dumbass making movies today (besides Kevin Smith and Edward Burns)?"
Um...yeah...I could name a few:
Uwe Boll
Brett Ratner
Paul Anderson
Shawn Levy
Adam Shankman
Jason Firedberh and Aaorn Seltzer
Renny Harlin
McG
Those names immediately jump to mind.
You may not enjoy LaBute's work (I have loved almost everything his name's on) but to call him a "talentless dumbass" says more about your taste than it does his abilities. LaBute, in my mind, is more or less a genius; a cynical, dark, depraved genius, but a genius nonetheless.
Posted by actionman
at September 18, 2008 10:23 AM
comment #14
Richardson
says ...
well, that's a stretch. He's a very interesting writer, but he is a shit director of films (the best he ever does is make it look and feel like a filmed play).
Posted by Richardson
at September 18, 2008 10:26 AM
comment #15
Richardson
says ...
on the other hand, you somehow left off your list:
Dennis Dugan, Peter Segal, David Dobkin, Tim Story, Les Mayfield, George Lucas, David Zucker...
And I guess we'll give Tyler Perry a pass because his movies obviously strike a chord with some audiences.
Posted by Richardson
at September 18, 2008 10:31 AM
comment #16
actionman
says ...
Don't know how much of a stretch it is, Richardson. His scripts for In the Company of Men, Your Friends and Neighbors, and The Shape of Things have been nothing short of brilliant. And his directing of those films have been just about perfect in my estimation.
But you're absolutely right about Dugan, Segal, and Story. They are ginormous hacks. At least with LaBute your typically getting something of substance and intelligence. Aside from The Wicker Man, I haven't hated any of his work, though I never saw Posession, which I heard was pretty weak. Nurse Betty is also an underrated little flick.
As for Lakeview, I will wait till DVD; it looks a'ight but nothing that couldn't wait.
On a personal note, I approached him at a screening of Jesse James last year at the Arclight, and he couldn't have been more friendly or receptive to a fan. He's a cool dude.
Posted by actionman
at September 18, 2008 11:17 AM
comment #17
George Prager
says ...
Only someone who is not a genius would call talentless dumbass Neil "Nurse Betty" LaBute a genius.
Posted by George Prager
at September 18, 2008 11:56 AM
comment #18
George Prager
says ...
In the Company of Men, Your Friends and Neighbors and The Shape of Things are three of phoniest films ever made.
Posted by George Prager
at September 18, 2008 11:57 AM
comment #19
Richardson
says ...
"His scripts for In the Company of Men, Your Friends and Neighbors, and The Shape of Things have been nothing short of brilliant. And his directing of those films have been just about perfect in my estimation."
I have to assume you saw them on TV, because I honestly can't imagine somebody could see those movies in an actual movie theater and describe the direction as anything more than "adequate". His scripts show no understanding of how to write for the screen (but are, when they work, great plays, like two of the three** you cite above), and his direction shows no understanding of how to create even a single memorable cinematic image.
Now, you could say that maybe it's not fair to judge such things purely on his three low budget movies. Fortunately, he also made three high budget movies, 'Nurse Betty', 'Possession', and 'Wicker Man'. And, again, not a single one of them managed to create even one image which was cinematically interesting, let alone memorable.
'Nurse Betty' is only watchable on the assumption that it must be building to *something* interesting... until you realize that's it, it's over, and it was never interesting. [And any credit he gets for working well with actors, discovering Eckhart, etc., must certainly be mitigated by the bad-even-by-Chris-Rock-standards performance that Rock gives in that movie.] 'Wicker Man' isn't even a fun bad movie, other than the Youtube clipreel.
As a director, Neil LaBute makes David Mamet look like David Lean.
** = sorry to break it to you, but 'Your Friends and Neighbors' is not in any way a good movie.
Posted by Richardson
at September 18, 2008 12:16 PM
comment #20
BurmaShave
says ...
Watch NURSE BETTY again, I think you'll find you've been unfair to it. Zellweger and Freeman do some of their best work ever in it.
Posted by BurmaShave
at September 18, 2008 1:57 PM
comment #21
George Prager
says ...
BurmaShave; The NURSE BETTY concern troll.
Posted by George Prager
at September 18, 2008 2:29 PM
comment #22
actionman
says ...
all of you haters are way off base with this discussion. waaaaay off base
Posted by actionman
at September 18, 2008 4:26 PM
comment #23
scooterzz
says ...
believe me, after 'lakeview terrace', 'nurse betty' will actually look good.....
Posted by scooterzz
at September 18, 2008 5:12 PM
comment #24
/3rtfu11
says ...
Neil LaBute hates women, gays, and other people the Democrats welcome with open arms.
Posted by /3rtfu11
at September 18, 2008 5:54 PM
comment #25
BurmaShave
says ...
GeorgePrager, Kevin Smith's rejected smegma.
Posted by BurmaShave
at September 18, 2008 7:06 PM
comment #26
George Prager
says ...
actionman should change his name to boringandsophmoricman
BurmaShave: Kevin Smith's rejected smegma concern troll.
Posted by George Prager
at September 19, 2008 5:36 AM
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