Rating: 
Summary: "Better luck next time."
Review: Nice-guys-finish-last fable concerning a Yuppie Wall Street lawyer (Ben Affleck) and a reformed alcoholic (Samuel L. Jackson) whose paths violently intersect on the FDR Expressway. The despicable young lawyer is on his way to probate court to cheat some money out of a philanthropist's heir (see the heavy theme coming?); the alcoholic is on his way to divorce court to battle his ex-wife over custody of their two boys. Their collision will adversely affect the outcomes of their respective court-dates: Jackson will be late to his hearing and subsequently lose custody of his kids; Affleck, after pompously leaving Jackson a blank check for auto repair and a more-important-than-thou "Better luck next time", gets to HIS appointment on time . . . but he also left behind some paperwork that would assist him in his unethical dealings at the probate hearing. Through the rest of the movie's duration, we witness one-upsmanships of escalating nastiness: ticked at Affleck, Jackson refuses to return the probate documents; Affleck responds by screwing with Jackson's credit rating, etc. etc. . . . It all has something to do with the fragility -- and importance -- of common decency in society. However, the casting of Ben Affleck and Samuel L. Jackson unavoidably shrinks this theme down to traditional race issues. Which is fine, mind you; but I think the writers were trying to go for something with universal applications. In any case, the movie errs by cramming too many hostilities between the warring parties within one measly 12-hour-period. There's no reason why this battle could not have lasted for a good week or so. Indeed, a leisurely time-frame might have generated more suspense, as in, "What in the world is that guy going to do to me tomorrow? And how can I get him back?" Each man obsessively planning his next move, raising the stakes just a wee bit higher, would've been mordantly funny and dramatic. Instead, we're given a flurry of activity in an unbelievably short amount of time, leading to an equally unbelievable "happy" ending. The sudden changes of fortune (and of heart) don't jibe with the sadistic carnage each man has unleashed on each other.
Rating: 
Summary: Fresh, original and courageous
Review: After a mid-morning scrape on the FDR, two men from radically different backgrounds become locked in a high-stakes game of revenge. That premise is enough for a decent movie, but its power is doubled here by an intelligent moral subtext. What could have been just another urban action film becomes not only an exciting thriller, but a finely nuanced commentary on contemporary values: in a corrupt world, doing the right thing can be more revolutionary, more "edgy", than doing the wrong. Affleck is wonderful as Gavin Banek, the morally-conflicted Wall Street attorney desperately trying to recover a lost file; and Jackson, as Doyle Gipson, sets aside his trademark coolness to convincingly portray an estranged, alcoholic father struggling to salvage what's left of his life. They're helped enormously by some inspired casting in the supporting roles: William Hurt as Doyle's AA sponsor; Sidney Pollack as Gavin's venal father-in-law and boss; Dylan Baker as an online Mr Fix-It; Toni Collette as Gavin's co-worker and former lover; and Amanda Peet as his pragmatically devoted wife. Roger Michell's direction is never self-consciously showy, yet perfectly captures the feeling of a frantic struggle through the oppressive streets of a rainy New York day. There are some speechy moments when the morality theme is hammered home a little too hard, but for the most part writers Chap Taylor and Michael Tolkin manage to show it rather than say it, and at 99 minutes they know precisely when to cut it off. That this film could so easily have settled for being a cat-and-mouse story of visually spectacular revenge makes it all the more thrilling that it isn't. The artistry and intelligence of its creators and performers ensure that "Changing Lanes" is not only entertaining, but intellectually engaging on an entirely different level.
Rating: 
Summary: Very tense, but excellent movie
Review: Extreme tension from beginning to end. Ben Affleck stars as an arrogant lawyer who's destined to be a partner at a major law firm, but when he has a minor car accident one day and flees the scene, leaving behind a major part of a huge case, his life quickly takes a downward spiral. Without the information in that file, he faces the risk of prison as well as risks the entire law firms future.What seems like a simple solution, just gets worse and worse, until you think there is no way for a positive ending... and you may be right. Watch this movie, it's very tense and fast-paced, but you'll find yourself on edge waiting for the conclusion.
Rating:
Summary: Benny's Best Since Good Will...
Review: It's fast, engrossing, and plot-driven. It's smart, it's touching, it keeps you on your toes thinking and wondering. Ben Affleck has been, for the most part, blusteringly acceptable in most all the movies he's done since Good Will Hunting, but Changing Lanes has shown him as the confident actor he appeared to be when he blazed into the mainstream with Good Will Hunting in 1997. Thru no fault of his own, life experience and emotional growth shines thru and this is the first film in which Affleck seems like a grown man, not a boy trying to play a man (see 'Pearl Harbor'.) This newly discovered internal push gives his character that 'edge' that drives the film and makes his every word and facial nuance wholely believable. He commands this flim, even when he's hair-pullingly distraught. His praised performance in 'Bounce' which I thought was too tense and anxious and anticipatory is swept aside by his grit, confidence, courage, humility, and yes, even a sublime physical grace in Changing Lanes. (Oh, yeah, he's a honeyyyyy, honey...) Good script, good plot, tight dialogue with semi-automatic delivery. Very good film. And even better the second and third time around. Great flick. Good job, Ben.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent story and acting
Review: This is a very good film from beginning to end: great story and characterization, tightly plotted and never boring. The events occur all in the same day, centering around two individuals of entirely opposite social backgrounds. There is a powerful underlying message about greed, vengence, morality, and human nature. Affleck and Jackson are in their best form. The resolution at the end is a bit artificial, though.
Rating:
Summary: A surprisingly good film about modern morality
Review: Despite trailers portraying the movie as an action flick, Changing Lanes really is a morality story. How far would you go, who would you hurt, to save yourself? Skillfully telling the story of an essentially good-at-heart lawyer (Ben Affleck) at the verge of becoming corrupt amidst an unsavory law firm, and the story of a father (Samuel L. Jackson) losing custody of this two sons, Changing Lanes presents the dark side that is present in everyone. This is a small story about how a minor car accident can escalate and bring out the worst in people. Everyone's been in similar situations, and that experience makes this film very personal. Aside from the questions this film raises on morality, it remains unpredictable. Where is it going? How will it end? So many films follow a predictable storyline today, its refreshing to not know the outcome here. Changing Lanes is a surprisingly good film, and while it may not be a masterpiece, it is an intelligent and thought-provoking film that will force you to contemplate your own moral identity.
Rating:
Summary: Good
Review: Good story, good end, really enjoyed both actors performace.
Rating: 
Summary: Pretty formulaic
Review: 'Changing Lanes' is a thriller that desperately wants to be different but in the end succumbs to a predictable ending. It starts off well, with two characters that at least aren't boring or ordinary. The premise has Matt Damon as a hotshot young lawyer who crashes into Samuel L Jackson's recovering drunk on the highway. Rather than giving him his insurance details or helping the guy whose car is wrecked, Damon runs off to court simply saying 'Better luck next time'. Things gets twisted though when he realises that he left the file crucial to winning over his corrupt case in the hands of Jackson, who incidentally couldn't get to court in time to argue for custody of his children. What follows is mainly a list of mind games as Damon's character resorts to ever more dirty methods in forcing Jackson to hand over the important files, punctuated only by his ambiguous feelings towards colleague Toni Collette. What's presumably meant to come of all this is Damon realises that the law is a dirty business and that the world is a corrupt place devoid of happiness. The most interesting thing about the movie is definitely the characterisation though, with both Jackson and, surprisingly, Damon, on fine form. Neither are particularly likeable characters even if the movie does a good job of showing what motivates them to do what they do. Indeed, there's a good sense of desperation that runs throughout this. This leads to a question over who you're supposed to be rooting for exactly. However, towards the end it becomes all too obvious that the filmmakers were obviously not too keen on an ambiguous ending and instead crudely inserted a moral resolution for Damon and let him keep his job as well as ensure that Jackson isn't left out in the cold. All of this is presided over by some absolutely cringe-worthy calypso music at the end. It's such a shame that a good, high-concept thriller like this was so swiftly turned around to something formulaic and dull. This is a movie that's worth seeing but offers little new to its audience.
Rating:
Summary: A great idea. Badly done
Review: The gist of the story is Affleck collides with Jackson but is in such a hurry to get to court he leaves the scene of the accident. Because of this Jackson misses a custody hearing and loses custody of his children. Affleck accidentally left an important file at the scene and will go to jail if he can't produce it in court. As a result, both men set about destroying each other but in the end become friends. The movie had great potential (and a great plot idea) but missed the mark too many times. For example, the revenge portion of the movie works quite well to begin with but becomes ridiculous when Jackson tries to kill Affleck. And then we are supposed to accept that they make up soon after. The happy ending simply does not work. The inner soul searching of Affleck is what I liked best. The prospect of going to jail prompts the successful lawyer, partner in his law firm at only 29, to reevaluate his life. He becomes concerned about the ethical and moral aspects of his chosen career. His father-in-law and his wife try to justify unethical behavior, with his father-in-law stating that all that matters is doing less harm than good everyday. However, Affleck's new understanding of right and wrong loses much of its effectiveness because his newfound enlightenment occurs at the same time he is carrying out terrible revenge and doing other not so good things. For example, he sets off a fire alarm, forcing people to flee a tall office building in panic, so he can get a glimpse at a file. Its things like this that destroy the film's potential. If I had written this script I would have had Affleck carry out his revenge first and begin his redemption out of guilt later. I would have had Jackson's wife move to Oregon because I don't think it was necessary for both characters to be redeemed. Worth renting for both the great performances and some great dialogue (be prepared to suspend belief a lot). You might want to rent this first before you make a final decision to buy.
Rating:
Summary: Modern Tale Of Revenge, Redemption
Review: The Power that 'Changing Lanes' holds is not in the story,
a so-so tale of Redemption, but in the spectacular performances.
It's not even that the acting is so great but that both Samuel L. Jackson and Ben Affleck have been perfectly cast.
Ben Affleck fills the role of a arrogant street lawyer so well that you hate to acclaim his performance alone for the reason that his arrogance and attitude seem so natural and authentic.
Samuel L. Jackson on the otherhand seems like an everyman.
His emotion and realism bleed through the character and he pulls off the performance better than any actor I know could.
As I said, the power of Changing Lanes rests in the performances, not the story. Not that the story is bad. It flows fine except about three quarters in when the story begins to weave the tale of redemption. The two end up becoming friends, call me fickle but this seems a tad unlikely after all the two have done to tear each other apart. But then again, life doesn't have a hollywood ending.
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