REVIEW: Some Girl(s) [2013]

“Guys always mean well right before they screw someone over” Often labeled a misogynist misanthrope, Neil LaBute has made a career of writing self-absorbed characters completely ruining the lives of those around them for the fleeting second of giddy happiness resulting from knowing they’re in absolute control. Whether its two men actively seeking to destroy a handicapped coworker or a woman obsessed with proving she has the ability to manufacture the perfect man, his plays shed light on the shadowy corners of human nature in a heightened, darkly comic way.…

Read More

REVIEW: In the Company of Men [1997]

“Let’s hurt somebody” The intrigue and controversy surrounding filmmaker Neil LaBute has always fascinated me. His penchant for biting social commentary with an unwavering slant to the maliciousness of people is what came across in my light research of the man. Not until I visited his superb The Shape of Things, a couple years after its release, did I finally enter his world—and I wanted to stay. The things he was saying were harsh and cruel, but at the same time so steeped in truth and reality. So many want…

Read More

REVIEW: Lakeview Terrace [2008]

“Honey, I’m home—owner” If you wanted to see a face of shock, you should have seen me when I found out the new Samuel L. Jackson vehicle Lakeview Terrace was directed by Neil LaBute. When I think of the man I can only conjure images of the fantastic Shape of Things and In the Company of Men, and I haven’t even seen that one yet. To watch the trailer for this seemingly generic, racially motivated clash between neighbors just made me shake my head in shame. If it weren’t for…

Read More