Genres

Visitors Review

JohnRouseMerriottChard 2013-06-18 18:44:47

One of the most intelligent films of 2002.............

..........Sadly hindered by its pandered ending!.Young upstart lawyer Gavin Banek and recovering alcoholic father DoyleGipson, both have very important court appearances to keep.Unfortunately they have a minor collision on a New York freeway andduring the confusion Banek loses a vital file, while Gipson misses hischild custody appearance. Both men angry and bitter, start to takerevenge against each other, a war that will either define both men orbreak them in two.Changing Lanes stars Ben Affleck {Banek} and Samuel L. Jackson{Gipson}, and is directed by Roger Michell {Enduring Love}. Both leadactors do fine work, and the direction is smooth and unobtrusive in itsexecution. But it's with the writing that Changing Lanes should benoted, written by Chap Taylor {more known as a PA for Woody Allen} andMichael Tolkin {The Player & Deep Impact}, Changing Lanes is much morethan your average movie about someone having a crappy day. Marketedpoorly as a film about men driven to the edge of insanity fuelledbloodthirsty revenge, the piece is intricate in its plot misdirectionsand adroit at keeping its characters from being stereotypes. These guysare just normal human beings, no daring do heroics or villainous traitsto speak of, just your everyday stressed New York inhabitant trying tosurvive the rat race. Each man is poles apart socially, yet both aredrawn together equally in their new found insanity!.This is the crux of Changing Lanes' heart, just what will your averagesane man to to another under duress?. It begs a question that thewriters here, thru a series of zippy twists, really open up thepicture, the ironies of which are at first hard to appreciate. ButChanging Lanes is a film that should be revisited, especially for thosewho didn't get the film that the trailer and the marketing campaignoriginally hinted at. Even allowing for the cop out ending, whichsmacks of a studio bigwig demanding an audience pleasing closure, it'sa film that oozes intelligence and thought provoking astuteness. Ittook me two viewings to fully digest the excellence of its apparentnormality, with one restaurant scene between Banek and his wife Cynthia{Amanda Peet} particularly worthy of another look. Undervaued and maybea touch misunderstood, this most definitely is a picture worth closerconsideration. 8/10

Kenneth Turan 2013-06-18 00:08:20

A frustrating yet deeply watchable melodrama that makes you think it's a tougher picture than it is.

2013-06-14 13:48:19

A Conflicted, but Interesting Work

Ambition counts for something, as one can see from watching 'Changing Lanes,' arguably the most ambitious mainstream movie released this year. Not only does this Ben Affleck and Samuel L. Jackson vehicle want to create an atmosphere of tension and suspense, it's courageous enough to simultaneously delve into various moral dilemmas - or rather, alternately. It seems strange that a movie willing enough to depict the ethical complexities surrounding two flawed men could also fall subject to scenes of cat-and-mouse games. Initially, these action segments weave seamlessly into 'Changing Lanes,' but as their retaliations grow more and more far-fetched, the tone switches from one of social truth to action parody. What's interesting about 'Changing Lanes,' though, is that it never fully abandons one for the other; instead, it appears content to juggle them as it goes along. As a thriller, the movie works in a manner much more interesting than the bulk of the genre. The film admirably refuses to offer a clear-cut character to root for as the day unfolds. No, the director is more interested in understanding the two men as human beings rather than reducing them to caricatures. There's a certain deliberate confusion felt throughout the course of events - wondering what, exactly, is the right way to deal with the situation? Following that question, is the frustration of realizing there is no direct answer. Some sequences of 'Changing Lanes' work - most notably, the one involving Amanda Peet in the role of Ben Affleck's wife. This scene undelines the level of corruption that has been acheived by Affleck's character and the people with whom he associates. What distinguishes this scene, however, is the way in which it doesn't paint these corrupt and powerful figures as evil-doers; rather, there's a hint of sadness and guilt underneath this amoral nature. Affleck's character, in particular, feels the weight of what is going on around him and what he has done. This scene, as well as the ones dealing with Jackson's personal conflicts, are so rooted in the ground of realistic moral uncertainty that the incidents of "payback," which become gradually more absurd, feel out of place. The way in which these "thriller" scenes strain credibility clash with the otherwise interesting subject matter. As stated before, it feels as though there is an unwanted juggling act going on. But that juggling act stumbles and falls in the last scene of the film, which is a sore spot - dramatically detracting from the commendable, if imperfect, sum of the film preceding it. This last scene feels as though it had been cut-and-pasted from a completely different movie. Up until that point, Changing Lanes concerned itself with illustrating the messy nature of human interaction and ethical doubts. Why then would it close on a note of petty moralising? It becomes a "message movie," which is a shame since it had the guts to deal with ideas rarely treated in Hollywood picures. Had Changing Lanes fully explored these ideas it might have been the year's best picture.

Ed Gonzalez 2013-06-14 02:03:49

A rare example of studio filmmaking evocatively concerned with the nature of morality.

2013-06-10 03:32:20

Staying Lame

A better title for this cheap-budget film is "Staying Lame," since it is nothing more than a shell of a plot featuring two well-known actors. When I say actors, I may be stretching it a bit, since Samuel L. gives a wooden performance every time, while Ben "Good Will Hunting" Affleck performed best as J Lo's arm candy.But the movie is a pitiful back-and-forth revenge saga, unbelievable, reminiscent of a ping-pong match. It is a "The Firm" wannabe, a Bruce Willis entendre copy and not worth the $4 it cost to rent from your local video rental store. Hopefully, one day, both main actors will go to acting school, or better yet, stop making movies altogether. But then, there is always the remake of "Gone Fishin'" starring Danny Glover and Joe Pesci that would be perfect for Sammy and Benny. That, or both could act together inside the Jaba the Hutt costume in the final prequel of Star Wars. Just don't expect me to rent it when it comes out.

Susan Stark 2013-06-09 07:07:56

Directed with purpose and finesse by England's Roger Mitchell, who handily makes the move from pleasing, relatively lightweight commercial fare such as Notting Hill to commercial fare with real thematic heft.

edw1n5ta 2013-05-31 06:25:41

good premise, ok acting, awful script

Overall this thing was a stinker. It brings up great issues then leavesthemalone. What do good people do in bad moments? How does that steer theirlife's direction, for better or worse? Can we go back and change ourmistakes?I was wishing that better writers had tackled it, because it was just plainsilly in the execution. I rate the choice of scripts as better than whatB.A. has been doing lately but as for Samuel Jackson, his track record ofpretty darn good movies makes me wonder what he was thinking when heaccepted this.Good points: Amanda Peet as the creepy rich wife of B.A. and Sydney Pollackas his creepy boss/father in law.

2013-05-30 20:01:32

An excellent movie with an excellent plot

This movie has got to be one of my favorite movies by far because it's different. It's unique, it's just different from other movies and should be put in a different gnere for that reason even though it's a drama movie. Ben Affleck plays an attorney while Samuel L. Jackson (one of the best actors!!!) plays a car salesman. When there is a car accident between the two, the attorney leaves the scene because he has to be in court. But the car salesman also needed to be in court so that he can get joint custody of his children. But, his car doesn't work now, and he loses custody of his children. In the meantime, the attorney is missing important paperwork which he accidentally left at the accident and the salesman now posseses and refuses to give back. The two then engage in a "war". But, the protagonist clearly is the salesman as you feel terribly for him after what the attorney does to him. The movie is sad and tragic with an amazing performance by Jackson and I shall always remember it for it's unique plot and amazing delivery. Highly reccomended.

Jon Niccum 2013-05-30 09:16:07

It sticks with its characters and doesn't exploit them in order to orchestrate some grandiose revenge scenario befitting a C-grade thriller.

Rob Boberson 2013-05-29 19:43:18

Should be a contender for 'worst movie ever.'

I'm not kidding. Half the theater laughed at the badly portrayed momentsof"tension" at least 5 times. The longest hour and a half of my life. Theaverage production company probably throws out 20 better scripts by lunchtime. I'd explain exactly what was wrong with it but it's already wastedenough of my time. Save your money or go see ANYTHINGelse.

Lane 2013-05-26 10:29:15

Changing Lanes= Asleep at the wheel

I hate to summarize a movie with these two great actors with one word but,this movie SUCKED!! I fell asleep in the middle! I asked my friend whattime was it to see how much longer we has to stay in the theater she saidithad only been Forty-Five minutes. So out of respect for the movie Istayedand gave it a second chance. I should have left and never told anyone Isawthis movie. I can't believe I passed up Panic Room for this movie justbecause I haven't finished the book yet. Ben I love you in all yourmoviesbut you should have passed on this one.

Popcorn-28 2013-05-25 22:26:18

A breath of fresh air

I have not been this captivated by a movie since I first saw The ShawshankRedemption.No CGI, no fancy fights, or pathetic sex or nude scenes to try to keep yourattention. If you're looking for mindless eye candy.........you will bedisappointed.Some people have said that it is a thriller. I do not agree. It certainlywas not edge of the seat stuff. I think that it was simply a powerful dramabut there was alot more going on under the surface 'roadrage'.Just a well directed story line and superb acting.......and surprisingly,one that I've enjoyed watching over again. The scene near the end of the movie where Gavin Banek is at a restaurantwith his wife and in-laws is absolutely superb.Its been a long time, but this one gets full marks fromme.

Minsky95 2013-05-23 23:11:10

Fast action/drama!

I really enjoyed this movie! What a wonderful concept to to have two mencreate havoc for each other just to get what they want and they both learnsomething from their actions. The director made this movie jast pacedenough to where no film was wasted(I thought) and moved just right along. Ireally felt sympathy for both characters, even though what they were doingwas wrong. Something is good in the end though. I recommend this film toanybody and maybe lawyers should watch this movie also. It's a good movieto learn from. This film was about honesty and looking at what's reallyimportant. I wonderful movie that I would see again and again andagain..............etc.

2013-05-23 11:17:29

Very good

The problem this movie faced from the beginning is that the preview made it look like a fast-paced action movie with a sense of urgency concerning the file, so when I left the theater I thought it was pretty good, but I was kind of disappointed at the same time. Then I bought it a couple weeks ago, and knowing what I was in for since I had already seen it, I was really impressed. This is a strong drama with great performances all around - Affleck, Jackson, to the supporting role Sydney Pollack as Delano. I still think that even as a drama this movie deserved a better ending. By the end of the film we do not want to see either Affleck or Jackson's character go down, but we do want to be surprised in some way. The original ending of this movie was that Affleck gives his speech about right and wrong, then they get into an argument over whose fault the accident was. They get into a fist fight on the top of the building, and Jackson waves the file over the building, pretending he's going to drop it. Affleck then grabs it from him and destroys it and they walk away as friends and the credits fade. I guess test screeners must not have liked it. I have yet to see this ending, and am dying to find it somewhere. It was supposed to be included on the DVD, so maybe it's a hidden feature if anyone ever finds it. I think this ending would have been better because it's ambiguous and leaves it up to the audience to decide where Affleck and Jackson take their lives after that. The movie is still very good though, but if you are expecting to see explosions or for anyone to die, this movie is not for you.

Steven D. Greydanus 2013-05-21 15:06:45

Neither Gipson nor Banek makes much of a poster child for the danger of civilized behavior devolving into savagery, since neither of them seems quite stable from the outset.

2013-05-20 21:28:29

Two angry men

A story about two angry men whose lives collide, forcing them to re-evaluate their behavior. A penetrating look at dishonest lawyers and the corrupt under-belly of law firms. One refreshing note is that the white man is not portrayed as a racist villain, nor is the black man portrayed as an innocent saint. Hopefully, this is an indication that Hollywood is getting over its annoying and repetitive habit of villainizing the white man.

2013-05-14 16:36:04

Moral relativism, meaning, ethics...and great acting!

This is a powerful movie. All the events take place in one day. After a minor car accident, the lives of two men become intertwined and quickly place both of them in difficult personal situations. As a result, the ethics of both of the lead characters are stretched and broken in a series of escalating acts of anger and desperation. Yet through a series of events that ultimately illuminate the morally bankrupt relativistic worldview of his law firm, the wealthy lawyer (played by Ben Affleck) discovers his soul and begins a road to regain his life. The character played by Samuel Jackson learns to keep his emotions in check and remarkably in spite of the events of the day is able to do the right thing and "accept the things he cannot change".Both Ben Affleck and Samuel Jackson are outstanding. The frightening ease at which our lives can quickly slip out of our control is depicted in a way that emotionally resonates. In each of us is the potential for small choices to start a series of events that test our character and ethics. A well done, powerful film. Highly recommended.

MelJJ123 2013-05-14 06:25:51

Think, stuck in a traffic jam . . .

You know the feeling when you're stuck in the middle of a big traffic jam... you're moving ever so slowly, and becoming more & more frustrated by theminute. . . well, that was "Changing Lanes". You sit there watching thistrain-wreck of a story become a huge unnecessary mess. The charactersbehave like complete morons, and find themselves in the most unlikely andunrealistic of situations. As the plot becomes more and more absurd, Ibecame increasingly impatient and annoyed. It's difficult to get involvedin a movie when you don't like any of the characters all that much; and inmy opinion, both men in this film were unlikable idiots. (Spoilers)Still,there are moments when the audience has no choice but to sympathize withthecharacters; however, this feeling never sticks because in the end, this isamovie about two hotheaded maniacs who get into a fight and then respond bystooping to the most extreme of tactics (computer credit erasure,sabotage,and much more). Yes, the concept is good; it's fresh and should beinteresting, but yet it's NOT.And I just loved the speech that Gavin's wife gives him in the restaurant.I actually laughed out loud because it was so melodramatic and corny.Whatwas the writer thinking? "If you want to live on the edge with me", blahblah blah. Who speaks like this?? Dads in a jam so he instantly callshisdaughter to take care of business - plain dumb. Don't get me wrong, Ididn't hate the movie. There were some interesting scenes. But as awhole,I'd say save your money, and if you cant sleep one night, watch it oncable.

Geoff Pevere 2013-05-09 09:55:45

Although dampened by intermittent preachiness and an unconvincingly pat and uplifting resolution ... Changing Lanes nevertheless taps into emotions so convincing it elevates the movie above its own shortcomings.

James Berardinelli 2013-05-08 17:54:54

It's watchable and compelling, and works on more than one level.