Changing Lanes

Rating:
Summary: Good...With a Few Flaws 3.5
Review: If the goal of the filmmakers behind Changing Lanes was to bring the audience to their boiling point, to bring us just shy of the edge of pure rage, mission accomplished.

But forget the weak advertising campaign, forgettable poster and dull theatrical trailer, Changing Lanes doesn't sell itself very well, but it does work as a movie. Successfully surpassing the elements of a standard thriller, the movie contains enough original and interesting content and evokes genuine compassion for, if not the characters, at least the situation. Easy to identify with, the themes of the film are ones to make you think, though the story is fairly simple. It all starts with a minor traffic accident. A Wall Street Lawyer, Gavin Banek (Ben Affeleck) on his way to the courtroom, and a recovering alcoholic father, Doyle Gibson (Samuel L. Jackson) on his way to a custody hearing meet briefly after a fender bender. In a rush to make it to the hearing, Banek refuses to exchange insurance information and instead cuts Gibson a check and leaves him insulted and without a ride. This single incident sparks a chain of events that begins with Gibson missing his custody hearing and losing his wife and kids; and Banek making a fool of himself in court without an important document and signature. Guess what happened to that document... That's right, Sam's got it.

The rest of the film takes place over the course of that same day as both men go to extraordinary lengths to try and salvage their individual situations. Banek must get that file, by any means necessary, or risk losing his job and possibly going to jail for fraud if he is unable to produce that signature. Gibson's close to rock bottom, and given how he was treated not quite so keen on giving back the file. Both men blame each other for the downward spiral the day their lives have entered, and push each other's buttons to the point of no return. Intense stuff, even if the action in the film is limited. The movie works because not only is the situation believable and on a smaller scale identifiable, but the writing reflects equally believable behavior and dialogue. Written by Chap Taylor, his first credit as a screenwriter, I believe, and rewritten by Michael Tolkin (The Player) the foundation of the film is strong. Almost everything really good about Changing Lanes is because of the script. I suspect, in fact, that the original screenplay was probably even better, with more substance than the final product. I suspect a bit of trimming and compromise may not have helped, but it certainly didn't hurt much either. As I mentioned, the movie does work.

Visually there were pros and cons. Sick of blatantly flashy and labored direction, I liked the simple, more traditional approach to the film. It was a bit flat, though, compared to some of the good stuff I've seen from the same director. It's not a movie to see if you're looking for pure eye candy, nor is it a movie I'd recommend if you're looking for a lot of action.

Changing Lanes is a fairly engaging movie. A solid movie, that was much better than I expected and with a lot more to offer than the promos promise. This one came in under the radar, maybe a little too low. Possibly too much promotion may have done it more harm, because it's not a big summer movie that will please an adrenaline hungry audience; but it does deserve to get some attention. Good casting and good performances, even if neither are a stretch for the two leads. The movie has great supporting performances by William Hurt as Doyle Gibson's AA sponsor and especially the incredible Toni Collette as Banek's assistant and love interest (not to be confused with his wife). Above all a solid script deserves the most credit.

Rating:
Summary: ...I can't buy it...I just can't...
Review: ...I eagerly awaited this movie, and when I finally saw it --- well, it just fell short of what I expected. Now maybe that's due to all the hype...you know how advertising hypes up a thing so much that your expectations of the thing soars, and when you finally experience it, you're like, "dang...is that IT?"
...anyway, i just have a VERY difficult time believing that all that transpires in this movie takes place within a 24 hour period of time! At the end of the day, Ben Affleck's character actually grows a conscience --- hard to believe, considering how self-absorbed he is at the beginning of the day. I just can't believe that two men can go at each other like this, wrecking lives, wrecking folks' credit rating, riggin folks' cars to try to kill the other, and then make up in one day? It goes without saying that it's not very realistic...it had some strong scenes it it, but truthfully, I could have lived without this movie.

Rating:
Summary: Boring and doesn't know what it wants!
Review: Impeccably crafted and smarter than your average thriller? I think not! Changing Lanes proves nothing! in the course of a day we see two men try to kill each other and then make up in less than twenty four hours! It's absurd!

Ben Affleck's character is a cocky yuppie at the beggining and by the end his is a change of heart nice guy? That doesn't make sense!!! Sam Jackson's nuts at the beginning but not at the end, although his performance is good as always!.

Wanna see agood Affleck film go and see THE SUM OF ALL FEARS, wanna see a a good Samuel L. Jackson film go and rent 187 but whatever you do stay away from this! Sydney Pollack what were you thinking!

Rating:
Summary: Men behaving badly....
Review: Interesting premise, very flawed execution. Affleck's performance is so wooden it's best to just concentrate on the mole on his face to keep yourself from going dizzy.

TOO! MUCH! DRAMATIC! ACTION! Within the course of ONE day? C'mon! It's very hard to believe so many wacky hijinks unfold within such a short time frame. "Well, that's because it's a parable, a morality play." Then why is it set in such a realistic place? Why is there such expository minutiae? "Because it's about issues, MAN! Like, real life and stuff!" Jeez, are you still in high school or something?

Another completely phony, inexplicable critic's darling, just like American Beauty. (resignated sigh)

Rating:
Summary: Puhleeeeeeze!
Review: The premise for this movie was a good one. Fate brings two people together from diverse backgrounds with very different agendas. Neither one understands for a minute just how important the moment in time when they meet is for the other. The rich guy blows off the poor guy because the rich guy's time and schedule has to be far more important than whatever the poor guy has going on. The poor guy picks up a file folder inadvertently dropped in the street by the rich guy and thereby gains leverage for the following events. How far will each one go to get what he wants and needs forms the basis for the rest of the film. It could have been so good. Instead, it was soooooo bad.

The trailer for this movie promised me suspense, excitement, thrills and chills. I saw this film in its first day of release. I'm still waiting for all the reactions I was promised to sink in. The point is that the trailer was far, far better than the movie it represents. The trailer is also extremely misleading.

Ben Aflick tries very hard to be the hardcase lawyer type, but I got the impression from the beginning that Ben just didn't have it in him. He can do arrogant; he just can't pull off heartless and cold-blooded when he keeps showing up with that one lonely tear working its way down his perfect face. It's not the "Men Don't Cry" syndrome so much as it just is so out of character to see him as doing whatever it will take to get his file back while he has these simultaneous attacks of conscience and that one lonely tear.

Samuel L. Jackson is one of my favorite actors. I believed, before I saw Changing Lanes that Samuel L. could play anyone or anything. I was wrong. Whoever thought it would be a good idea to emasculate Samuel for this movie should be fired from movie making forever. Samuel's character has every reason to feel outrage - at his sorry life, at Ben Aflick's mania for the file Jackson accidently has in his possession, at his wishy-washy wife, even at the world at large. There are sparks of Samuel's outrage here and there, but they come at odd times and without much credibility. Even Jackson's superb talent can't make up for lousy writing and direction when it's this poorly done.

I've noticed that some people consider this movie a story about morality. I suppose that could be true; however, my take is a little different. If this movie makes a statement about anything, I'd say it's about the advantages of taking a bus.

Rating:
Summary: Could two people be any more stupid?!!
Review: This is a ridiculous story about two idiots who refuse to do the right thing from the start. This kind of idiocy works in a comedy, but it clearly does not work here. There was nothing humorous about this movie, especially SLJ's little story about Tiger Woods. Every event is blown way out of proportion and escalated way beyond reason. Time after time I was shaking my head in disbelief, wondering why these two characters were doing what they were doing. After watching half of this movie I left to go do something more productive with my time.

Rating:
Summary: Gritty Realism - Rich Man vs Poor Man
Review: Two men are having a bad day when they collide on a busy freeway; the rich young attorney in the Mercedes, Gavin Banek (Ben Afflek)is late for court, so abandons his collision-victim, Doyle Gipson (Samuel L Jackson) beside his wrecked jalopy and speeds off...but leaves a critical legal file with Doyle by mistake. Doyle also has to be in court to fight for custody of his two sons in a divorce hearing, but arrives late due to the accident and loses the case by default.

Gavin, on the other hand, is reprimanded by the judge for not having the required legal file, and is informed without it he and his legal partners could be accused of fraud and even jailed. She gives him til the end of the day to retrieve the file and deliver it to her. Alas, Doyle is by now a bit annoyed with the rich and selfish attorney and is in no hurry to return it. Anger, desperation and spite cause a bitter feud as each of the two men seek to threaten, punish and taunt the other.

I loved the gritty realism of this film. Doyle is a recovering alcoholic, and goes to A.A. meetings. Gavin is married to the head partner's daughter in a legal firm where ruthlessness and fraud are practiced and greed is the major value. Gavin's goal is to retrieve the file, save his partners from jail and redeem himself. Doyle's goal is to purchase a dilapidated house and persuade his wife to give him another chance. Gavin and Doyle are imperfect but good men, made antagonists by circumstances, frustration and their own personality flaws. The result is a gripping plot that never drags, and a film with some good moral messages. I recommend it!

Rating:
Summary: A Realistic Drama on the Life of Two Different People.
Review: A Successful but Naive Lawyer (Oscar-Winner:Ben Affleck) tries to make a difference being as a Attorney, who is on a Hurry to get in Court. When a Hard-Working, ex-alcholic Insurance salesman (Samuel L. Jackson), who is also in a Rush to be in a Costody Battle to save his Children. When they both actually Collide, the Attorney accidently put his Important Document to the Salesman. When they both arrived late on Court, the Lawyer needs his Document before the End of the Day and the Another was late and he lost the Battle on the Costody of his Children. When the Attorney tries to get back his Document from the Salesman, which he refused to give back the Document. The Lawyer will do anything to have it back, even he has to make trouble to the Ex-Alcholic. When two different lives is going to be Changed for the Better or Worse.

Directed by Roger Michell (Notting Hill) made a clever intense film, which works-thanks to Jackson and Affleck strong Performance. An Superb Screenplay by Chap Talyor and Micheal Tolkin (Deep Impact, The Player, The Rapture) from a Stroy by Talyor brings a Moral film, makes it works. This has a Strong Supporting Cast also. This become an Instant Hit at the Box office. This is Acutally the Best Role for Affleck to date since Bounce. Jackson is always Terrific as Usual. This is a One of a Kind film, which is Not to be Missed. This Cat and Mouse makes you think about the Good and Evil ways about Life and Making the Right Decision in your Life. This is one of the most Intelligent film to date about making the Right choice in life. Don't miss this Unique Movie. DVD has an terrific anamorphic Widescreen (2.35:1) transfer and an fine Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound. DVD also has good extras as an Pretty good commentary track by the Director:Mitchell, 2 Behind the Scenes featurette, 2 Deleted Scenes and an Extended Scene. The only thing is missing from this DVD is the Original Ending-which could've been great as a extra. It's an strong, terrific, bleak film that is worth seeing, an great film. Super 35. Grade:A.

Rating:
Summary: KEEN AND ACUTE PLOT
Review: The story answers the eternal question, WHY LIFE IS AS IS? Human beings are good and bad. Every day you incurr in bad deeeds. You can not avoid this and must accept it, without tormenting yourself. In this imperfect world your goal is to accomplish more good than bad. And you must do it day by day. If you are able to do this, life will be more bearable. This is the message of this picture. THE PLOT IS SUPERB AND THE ACTING IMPECABLE. THE PICTURE IS A MUST FOR THE SAVANTS.

Rating:
Summary: Solid Story, Performances
Review: With the advent of the internet, all things electronic or digital, and fast food, our world has become altogether too small, and everything moves entirely too fast. With so much happening all the time, everywhere, and with so many different ways to go, people have become preoccupied, which can be dangerous if the momentum propelling an individual happens to come to cross purposes with that same kind of momentum driving another, and the two converge. And it happens. "Things" happen; and when they do, the important thing is that all parties involved react responsibly and focus their individual attention on the matter at hand. If either side fails in this regard, it can mean big trouble. it means you suddenly have a situation; and it's just such a situation that is explored by director Roger Michell in "Changing Lanes," a tension filled drama starring Ben Affleck and Samuel L. Jackson.

Gavin Banek (Affleck) is a successful lawyer, a partner in the firm and married to Cynthia (Amanda Peet), the daughter of his boss, Stephen Delano (Sydney Pollack). He's currently handling a probate case worth millions to the firm; he's due in court, where he simply has to present a document that will, for all intents and purposes, wrap up the proceedings. But fate is waiting in the wings. In another part of town, Doyle Gipson (Samuel L. Jackson) is also about to wrap up a deal-- a loan for a house that will keep his estranged wife, Valerie (Kim Staunton), from moving with their two boys, Stephen (Akil Walker) and Danny (Cole Hawkins), to Portland, Oregon, or as Doyle sees it, half way across the world.

When Gavin and Doyle get into their respective cars to head to court, they are strangers to one another; they are about to meet, however, when heavy traffic on the expressway and their own preoccupied mental states precipitate a collision-- a minor car accident that ultimately effects a much bigger wreck in both their lives. In his rush to meet his appointed court time, Gavin leaves the scene of the accident and, more importantly, leaves Doyle-- who also has an appointment in court (his child custody hearing, no less)-- stranded, and out of time. Ironically, the document Gavin must file in court is inadvertently in the confusion of the accident left behind on the expressway, and is now in Doyle's hands. And so the conundrum; loss of the document may mean jail time to Gavin. To Doyle, the loss of twenty minutes may mean losing his children. The question now is, how will these two men solve their dilemma? One has what the other needs, but how do you give "time" back to someone?

This film, nicely fashioned by screenwriters Chap Taylor and Michael Tolkin, and extremely well crafted and delivered by director Michell, is at it's core a character study that examines the effects of desperation and the emotional responses elicited thereof. It explores how anger and frustration can in the heat of the moment negatively affect even an individual who under normal circumstances is predisposed to abiding by his own conscience; how even the most rational among us has the capacity for irrational behavior if provoked by unmitigated circumstances. At one point in the film, one of the characters observes that it's like two guys have been dropped into a paper bag together and shaken up, just to see what happens; and that about sums it up. And Michell does an excellent job of keeping the story on track, setting a good pace and maintaining the tension that keeps the audience involved. It's straightforward storytelling that is well presented and effective.

As Gavin, Affleck gives a solid performance, developing his character quite nicely as the story unfolds. When the film begins, Gavin is in a comfort zone, a place that allows him the tunnel vision necessary to do what he does with a clear conscience. In a way, he's naive; a guy who's been led down the path and made to believe that all is well in the land of the free. By the end of the film, we see a different Gavin-- or at least an "awakened" Gavin; the same man, perhaps, but with an entirely different perspective on life. And Affleck's portrayal makes it convincing, and brings Gavin to life in a very real way. A good job by a fine young actor with the ability to tap into that emotional depth that makes his character believable.

Samuel L. Jackson hits his stride, as well, as Doyle, a character whose outward demeanor masks the complexities lying beneath the surface, but which Jackson brings incisively to light. Doyle is your average guy, an insurance salesman, but a man plagued by the demons of addiction; he's a man addicted to chaos, evidenced by the failed relationships in his life and his inability to cope with the situation engendered by his encounter with Gavin. Jackson creates a character with whom you can empathize, even as he makes you aware of the rage within him that could explode at any minute. Doyle understands only too well the dire, probable consequences of being unable to quell his anger, and through his portrayal, Jackson makes the audience aware of it, as well; and it's a pivotal point in the story, which he successfully conveys. And it's that unstable element of Doyle's personality that makes this more than just a story about right or wrong, or who's going to win; it means anything can happen, and it keeps you wondering right up to the end what that something is going to be.

The supporting cast includes William Hurt (The Sponsor), Toni Collette (Michelle), Richard Jenkins (Walter), Tina Sloan (Mrs. Delano), Ileen Getz (Ellen), Sam Rovin (Paralegal) and Jennifer Dundas (Mina). A morality tale that, be advised, does not take too kindly to lawyers, "Changing Lanes" is an engrossing film that delivers much than what is promised, even, by the trailers; a worthwhile cinematic experience.