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Changing Lanes (2002) Paramount Pictures 1 hr. 36 mins. Starring: Ben Affleck, Sam Jackson, Toni Collette and Sydney Pollack. Directed by: Roger Michell Changing Lanes Rating:  
E-MAIL GIANCARLO DE LISI One can argue that trailers either give too much away, or mislead us into gaining interest in a film for all the wrong reasons. This is a solid example of the trailer for the Ben Affleck/Sam Jackson vehicle ‘Changing Lanes’. Upon first impression, a tight, vendetta filled thriller seems to emerge from a tale of destiny in NYC. Yet after screening the film, the trailer seems a distant memory as to what exactly transpired on film. My expectations of this film were relatively low considering Director Roger Michell previously directed ‘Notting Hill’. Directing romance and an urban dram can be two extremes, yet Michell surprises with the creation of this unexpectedly moralistic tale. Ben Affleck and Samuel L. Jackson are two strangers whose lives collide in a devastating twist of fate on a gloomy Good Friday. Spanning over the course of one full day, we are teleported directly into the lives of these two men. Although this is not one of Jackson’s greatest performances, his portrayal of Doyle Gipson’s vulnerability as a newly divorced father is as solid as the script allows it to be. On his way to the courthouse, he gets blindsided by Gavin Banek; a seemingly spirited young attorney. In an effort to exchange information on car insurance, Banek flees the incident due to a court appearance and leaves the stranger in the rain in desolation without a car. What was marketed as road rage in the trailers is merely a subtle tale about our hurried times. With each meticulous act; no matter how minute, the film displays the dire consequences of abandonment. Due to the accident, Gipson (Jackson) misses his court appearance causing his life to steer in the path he was dreading. Consequently, hatred ensues as Banek’s chance encounter takes a turn for the worse in a cat and mouse game of reluctant reciprocity due to both men wanting something they may not have. Michell uses his time wisely as he familiarizes the audience with motives, character back-story and significant details that will all contribute to the sudden uprising of morality that surges in the film – all within the first act. As aforementioned, those who expect a thriller will be disappointed. This film is a statement on how our society is stratified and the degree to which two men will attempt to achieve their personal vendettas within different classes. The content is presented on screen in an elegant and unraveling manner that makes us understand that the film is not about obtaining what you once had, but obtaining what you thought you had. Michell opens the film with a few ‘speedup’ shots of NYC accompanied by some trance like beats that do not prepare the viewer for what they are to expect. The film sets up the first act by bringing our characters into what it is they think they need. This in turn leads to a second and third act that might unattract some viewers, but places the film a notch above the rest in terms of cinematic pensiveness. Without giving too much away, the film forces the viewer to reflect upon the many immoral and illogical acts we have all committed within our lifetime. As we see our characters not embarking on an escalating feud driven by genuine dislike and anger, we capture a full throttle vision of a film based on morality. These characters will resort to ‘strong-arm’ tactics and vile methods of reacquiring and avenging their misfortune, but as common sense seeps into their thinking, their values emerge. Values dictate their actions in the final act and instead of sitting through a conventional and convoluted climax; we are witnesses to an apparent salvation. Chap Taylor’s screenplay presents the audience with a morality tale instead of a Hollywood thriller that delivers an uneven yet metamorphic tale that requires a thorough understanding of the double-meaning of the film’s title. Click here to comment on this review or post your own thoughts. Giancarlo De Lisi © TheWorldJournal.com |
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