Death at a Funeral
Dir: Neil LaBute
2010
*
Neil LaBute is fast becoming a name to avoid. This isn't just a case of being a bad film compared to the original, it's just a bad film. The script is cringe-worthy, the jokes aren't very funny and the comedy timing is off by hours and the biggest reason why the film fails. The women come off quite badly in this version too with each character having a fairly insulting trait. Bad performances, bad directing and bad ideas, I'm not sure what were they thinking, as the original is so much better. The only redeeming quality was James Marsden's performance which raised a few and the only laughs of the picture.

Possession
Dir: Neil LaBute
2002
*
They say possession is nine-tenths of the law, so let's hope the kids see The original Wicker Man before they see Neil LaBute's horrible version because unfortunately the later one is first in most search engine results. In fact, read the books and watch the originals before approaching any of LaBrute's offerings and then maybe you'll not feel the need to and will end up saving yourself valuable time. In short, Possession is tiresome. It's a film of two halves, half is alright, half is bloody awful. The alright half is set in the 1850s, the casting of Jennifer Ehle and Jeremy Northam (period drama veterans) is a bit lazy in that respect but they both survive the film reasonably unscathed, but to be honest it's only the fact that the modern day part of the film is so awful that it seems better than it really is. I like Aaron Eckhart and I'm willing to forgive him, I'm not a huge Gwyneth Paltrow fan but I'll forgive her too, I hold Neil LaBute accountable for the deluge of insulting stereotyping and the pathetic script, this film would be completely forgettable if it weren't for the fact it was so horrible. Avoid.

Nurse Betty
Dir: Neil LaBute 
2000
**
Pop psychology is never a good place to start a film but as stupid as it is, I still quite liked the idea of nurse Betty's post-traumatic TV soap obsession. Renée Zellweger plays endearing quite well, so her character it is safe to say was good enough to carry the film. It is all the other characters that ruin it. The great Crispin Glover is given a terrible role that was beneath him, Aaron Eckhart was miscast and Chris Rock and Morgan Freeman's characters had major continuity issues. The conclusion to what started as quite a fun and original story was such an anticlimax it felt like the writers just ran out of time. What was the reason for Charlie's obsession with Betty? How did Ballard find Betty? Why did Roy Ostery come with Ballard? How did Betty rent a flat and get a job with no ID? So much of the story made no sense at all, the fact it won Best Screenplay at the 2000 Cannes Film Festival is a complete mystery to me.

Lakeview Terrace
Dir: Neil LaBute
2008
*
Lakeview Terrace tries to show a different side to racism than most are used to by having a black man persecute a white neighbour. It fails spectacularly. Not only does the film show our black man (Samuel L Jackson) as having white friends, but it somehow suggests that the only way to prove a white man ( Patrick Wilson in this case) isn't racist is by having him marry a black woman. What the film does suggest is that the LAPD is corrupt and full of very nasty individuals, and that people of all colours and creeds should unite against the Police force of the United States of America. There are some good cops however, they save the day right at the end. They're all white though. Doh! Made by the people that brought you the Wicker Man remake, need I say more?