What's
most surprising about the new drama Changing Lanes is how different it actually
is from it's advertisements. Nearly every ad I've seen for this film make it look
like some kind of over-the-top actioneer that stems from a fender bender. Thankfully,
this movie is a little bit deeper than that, although it does suffer from a fair
share of heavy handed moments.
In
Changing Lanes, Ben Affleck is an up-and-coming lawyer, and Samuel L. Jackson
is recovering alcoholic. During one extremely hectic day, these two very different
men cross paths through an untimely and most unwelcome set of circumstances. On
their way to very important appointments, Affleck and Jackson find themselves
in a most unfortunate car accident. The wreck causes a downward spiral for both
men, culminating in a vicious game that proves to be far more destructive then
the accident itself.
Changing
Lanes was directed by Roger Mitchell (Notting Hill) in a very cynical fashion.
This film paints an ugly portrait of the world, and it's fascinating that both
lead characters are ultimately right and wrong at the same time.
This
is easily Affleck's most effective work since his star making turn in Chasing
Amy. He's very convincing as a clueless lawyer who gets a lesson in life. Jackson
is also effective as Affleck's counterpart, a troubled man who wants to get his
life together. The two actors have very few scenes together (think DeNiro and
Pacino in Heat), but the moments they do share, really work. Famed director Sydney
Pollock is terrific as a sleazy lawyer and Affleck's father-in-law, while William
Hurt is strong in an all too brief turn as one of Jackson's AA sponsors.
Changing
Lanes has a structure similar to last year's Training Day and is also slightly
reminiscent of Falling Down. The movie takes place over the course of one day,
but it's characters go through more earth-shattering situations than a common
person might go through in a lifetime. While that aspect of the picture didn't
bother me, I did feel that many situations were piled on pretty thick. I also
could have done without the sappy ending. I liked the fact that there was light
at the end of the tunnel, but the ending felt way too pat.
You
could say that Changing Lanes is about road rage. I like to look at it as a movie
about two people who, thanks to the worst day of their lives, realize that there
is goodness in the world and that everyone can make a difference. While the film
strains mighty hard to get this point across, it's a well intentioned morality
tale with good performances and enough strengths to recommend.
