... Such is the premise of Changing Lanes, a movie which will not so much entertain you, as put you through an emotional wringer for 2 solid hours. Its a taught drama in which the good and bad guys constantly switch roles until eventually you throw up your hands in disgust at both of them...and ... Read review
Changing Lanesfinds director Roger Michell (Notting Hill) going American but not ... more
Hollywood, working from a script written by Michael Tolkin (The Player) and newcomer Chip Taylor. The result is something likeFalling Downsquared.It all starts with a car ...
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Modern society draws lines between right and wrong, good and evil, rage and redemption. A ... more
moment of self-absorption and a spark of anger will cause two men to cross them . As the battle of wills escalates, both lives are changed forever. Samuel L. Jack...
Changing Lanesfinds director Roger Michell (Notting Hill) going American but not ... more
Hollywood, working from a script written by Michael Tolkin (The Player) and newcomer Chip Taylor. The result is something likeFalling Downsquared.It all starts with a car ...
Postage & Packaging: Free! Availability: Usually dispatched within 24 hours...
Affluent Wall Street lawyer Gavin Banek (Ben Affleck) and recovering alcoholic Doyle ... more
Gipson (Samuel L. Jackson) are both on their way to vital court hearings when they get involved in a fender bender accident with each other on New York's FDR Drive. In...
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The FirmThree-time Oscar nominee Tom Cruise delivers the most electrifying performance of ... more
his career in this riveting film based on the international best-seller.Cruise plays Mitch McDeere, a brilliant and ambitious Harvard Law grad. Driven by a fierce desire to bury his working-class past, Mitch joins a small, prosperous Memphis firm that affords Mitch and his wife (Jeanne Tripplehorn) an affluent lifestyle beyond their wildest dreams. But when FBI agents confront him with evidence of corruption and murder within the firm, Mitch sets out to find the truth in a deadly crossfire between the FBI, the Mob, and a force that will stop at nothing to protect its interests - The Firm.The RainmakerFrancis Ford Coppola directs and scripts an exciting, star packed adaptation of John Grisham's novel about an idealistic young attorney who takes on the case of a lifetime.Matt Damon (Good Will Hunting) plays Rudy Baylor, a rookie lawyer in over his head on a high-profile case. Opposing him: an army of seasoned legal sharks (led by Joh Voight). On Rudy's side: Deck Shifflet (Danny Devito), a feisty paralawyer who specialises in flunking the bar exam. Rudy's chances are slim to none-until he uncovers a trail of corruption that might lead to the one thing that could win his case: the truth.Changing LanesModern society draws lines between right and wrong, good and evil, rage and redemption. A moment of self-absorption and a spark of anger will cause two men to cross them. As the battle of wills escalates, both lives are changed forever. Samuel L. Jackson and Ben Affleck star in a provocative and gripping drama that exposes the best and worst in all of us.
Production Year: 2002 - Thriller - Director: Bharat Nalluri, Rob Bailey, Andy Wilson - Original Language: English - Classification: 15 years and over - Starring: Matthew MacFadyen, Keeley Hawes, David Oyelowo, Peter Firth, Jenny Agutter, Lisa Faulkner
Thriller - Original Language: English - Classification: 15 years and over - Starring: Timothy West, Neil Morrissey, Tara Fitzgerald, Annette Crosbie, Pauline Quirke, Rob Brydon, Denise Van Outen, John Thomson, Kevin Whately, David Suchet
Advantages: see review Disadvantages: saccharin coated ending
...Such is the premise of Changing Lanes, a movie which will not so much entertain you, as put you through an emotional wringer for 2 solid hours. Its a taught drama in which the good and bad guys constantly switch roles until eventually you throw up your hands in disgust at both of them...and then recognise a bit of each of us in them and pay attention once more. As morality tales go, its a good'un. As popcorn entertainment goes - try the next screen, ... ...The pivotal event in Changing Lanes is a fender bender on New York's busy FDR Drive. Hotshot lawyer Ben Affleck is in a hurry, late for an appointment in court upon which rests the control of $100 million dollars of a charity's money which has been signed over to his law firm. If he doesn't get there in time then it could be the end of his career and may end up in a jail term for fraud. In a hurry too is recovering alcoholic and current recipient ... more
What happens when two men from very different worlds collide? Probably not alot, unless you put them both on the edge and extract the very worse elements of human nature from them. Such is the premise of Changing Lanes, a movie which will not so much entertain you, as put you through an emotional wringer for 2 solid hours. Its a taught drama in which the good and bad guys constantly switch roles until eventually you throw up your hands in disgust at both of them...and then recognise a bit of each of us in them and pay attention once more. As morality tales go, its a good'un. As popcorn entertainment goes - try the next screen, I think they're showing The Scorpion King...
The pivotal event in Changing Lanes is a fender bender on New York's busy FDR Drive. Hotshot lawyer Ben Affleck is in a hurry, late for an appointment in court upon which rests the control of $100 million dollars of a charity's money which has been signed over to his law firm. If he doesn't get there in time then it could be the end of his career and may end up in a jail term for fraud. In a hurry too is recovering alcoholic and current recipient of anger management counselling Samuel L. Jackson who is also due in court to contest his ex-wife's decision to move 3,000 miles across country to keep him from visiting his children as she sees him as a disruptive element in their lives. Jackson has been doing everything right, he's even bought a house for his wife and children to live in close by, all he needs to do is present his case...
Two men in a hurry, in the wrong place at the wrong time results in a minor shunt whilst changing lanes - nothing serious perhaps, but the start of a nightmare for both. Affleck scribbles a cheque out for the damage and speeds off, ignoring Jackson's plea to do things by the book and ignoring his requests for a lift to the courthouse now that his own car is immobilised. Jackson arrives 20 minutes late and the impatient judge has already passed his order and refuses to lend a sympathetic ear - his wife will be allowed to move cross country, he has no visitation rights. Meantime Affleck finds there is one very important element of his own case missing - the case file itself with the all important signature giving his law firm power of attorney over the charity's money. He used it to lean on when writing the cheque to Jackson, who blaming him for his own situation is in no mood to co-operate in giving it back.
What follows is an intriguing cat and mouse game where one character tries to gain the upper hand on the other through increasingly extreme measures. Jackson has something Affleck desperately needs and when he refuses to hand it over, Aflleck has his account hacked and bankrupts him. Jackson's response to this could easily have killed Affleck, and so it goes on, each determined to play the trump card and going to increasingly extreme measures to do so. What makes this all the more interesting is that both these characters are ordinary guys who otherwise would not have given each other a second glance in the street, perhaps may have exchanged a few pleasantries, but certainly not been tearing each other's throats out.
Jackson comes across a decent man struggling to control a hideous temper. His counsellor calls him a man "addicted to chaos", someone who causes havoc from simple situations, but he is shown to be a devoted father and genuinely trying to change, but for the events here. Affleck on the other hand is not averse to a little lying and cheating - its part of his job, but when the foetid underbelly of his lawfirm is exposed he balks at what he is being asked to do. His actions horrify him when he sits and looks at himself - lying in court, leaving the scene of an accident, bankrupting a decent man, defrauding a charity, forging a legal document...and the day not yet half done. Both are driven to the edge and both are to learn something about themselves because of it - but not before teetering upon the brink.
As a viewer to the chaos before your eyes, you'll be put through something of an emotional wringer, rooting first for one character and then the next. One minute you'll be championing Affleck's cause and the next Jackson's, before giving up upon both as lost causes. As one is offered a chance at redemption, the other does something heinous to them which leads them to shun it in favour of revenge and is then comes across something showing them up for exactly what they are doing and sending them looking for their own redemption. Its a fascinating struggle both of one-upmanship and morality, at times incredibly intense, but always fascinating.
This is the kind of role Samuel L. Jackson is made for, and I feel his best since Pulp Fiction. Forget the "L", that should be a capital "I" for "intensity" because there is no one better at displaying the kind of boiling below the surface anger that Jackson's Doyle Gipson puts before us here. Ben Affleck is of course somewhat overshadowed by Jackson's superb performance, but is much better than his previous roles in such things as Armageddon would have you believing possible. He is of course much better when shoved in a suit than put in the action hero role and maybe thats where he should remain. Alongside these two who are very much the main focus of the movie, you have Sydney Pollock as Affelck's boss and father-in-law who embodies everything bad you've ever thought about lawyers and a little bit more, his wife who married him for little more than his 'upward mobility' apparently and ex-mistress/sympathetic ear Toni Collette. The show very much belongs to the two leads though in what is very much a character driven drama.
Its difficult to say whether I liked Changing Lanes or not, its certainly a movie I would have benefitted from seeing had I been more enlightened as to what was to be set before me beforehand. Wandering in expecting another generic thriller affair I was left somewhat bored after the first hour had passed, waiting for something exciting to happen, the car chases, the fights, perhaps an explosion or two and none of this was forethecoming. Under the direction of someone other than Notting Hill's Roger Mitchell, that is undoubtedly what would have been made of such a screenplay, but instead he concentrates upon the characters and the human aspect. There are indeed plenty of fireworks here, but they are the cerebral kind and it took me a little while to notice someone had been slowly turning up the gas as the movie progressed. Sadly, after an extremely ballsy hour and fifty minutes Mitchell bottles out of a realistic ending, instead bringing Changing Lanes to a deeply disappointing castrated conclusion which no doubt will please American audiences and annoy the crap out of everyone else.
The Bottom Line:
Watch it if you fancy your emotions being slow roasted by Jackson's burning anger but be prepared for Mitchell to piss on the flames in the last 5 minutes...
Ever had one of those days? When nothing goes right and it seems like there's someone out to get you? You have? Well meet two men who are feeling the same way and the person out to get them is the other one. ~Synopsis~ Gavin Banek is a hot shot young lawyer who has recently been made partner in his Father-in-Laws' legal firm. He's got an easy job to do today. Turn up in court and deliver a signed power of attorney letter to the court, meaning his ... ...man who is about to lose the only thing that has kept him going for the last few years. His sons. He's on his way to a custody hearing. He's going to tell them about how well his Alcoholics Anonymous is going and that the bank have approved a loan for him to buy a house. This house is not for him; it's for his wife, so she doesn't have to move to the other side of the country to look for work. They're both driving on the freeway. Gavin doesn't pay ...
T-Boy67 21.06.2002
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Changing Lanes (DVD)
Advantages: Good moral guidance Disadvantages: Not Jackson's best role to date
As I have mentioned in my profile, I have been away from Ciao for a long time now, nearly two years in fact. This has been mainly due to having no computer access. Now I have got limited access at my local library so I hope to resume writing regular reviews on this site. Because of this, may I ask you to be patient as my first couple of reviews may seem a bit rustier than my original work. As ever your comments will be greatly accepted.
I have chosen ... ...dvd purchase. I realise that it is not the most recent movie release but I imagine there will be people like myself who have yet to see it. Well, here goes..........
The film has got a very simple plot that revolves around two main characters, Gavin Banek, who is played by Ben Affleck and Doyle Gipson, played by the living legend that is Samuel. L. Jackson. Banek is a high flying member of a law firm owned by his father in law, Stephen Delano, played ...
darpor 13.07.2004
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Changing Lanes (DVD)
Advantages: Takes You Through All Emotions, Great Directing Disadvantages: Too Short, Feels Like There is Something Missing
...is exactly what happens in Changing Lanes to Gavin Banek (Ben Affleck) and Doyle Gibson (Samuel L. Jackson) after both crashes into each other on the way to important, separate engagements, but the thing is this whole sorry tale could have been avoided with a little bit of kindness.
Doyle and Gavin are at two opposite ends of the social economic spectrum. Doyle is a recovering alcoholic who works as an insurance seller, his life is in turmoil after ... ...does this as well as Changing Lanes.
The only big problem i have with the film is its length, at 99 minutes it is hardly a monster i think you would be able to fit easily another 20 minutes of footage in there which could have made the ending even more dramatic and turned this film from a 4 star film into a 5 star performance because i am sure the director must have had a few more ideas that were not used.
The soundtrack had a lot of old and unrecognizable ...
liquidburner2002 18.12.2006
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Changing Lanes (DVD)
Advantages: Good pace, one of Jackson's best roles for ages Disadvantages: Can't think of any right now
...sure what to expect from Changing Lanes - from some of the trailers I'd seen, I was half expecting a car-chase movie. I rely on my wife to tell me if it's good in the first place - it's her who subscribes to Empire magazine after all, not me! So off we trolled to our local multiplex yesterday to see it - well it was either that or get roped into a family gathering! What you actually get here is an intelligent story of two "ships" that SHOULD have ... ...on the Franklin D Roosevelt freeway in New York City instead, which as the story unfolds, really ruins both of their days in a grand style. Ben Affleck plays the part of a junior partner in a Wall Street law firm, (the collective moral stance of this company could be written on the side of a cigarette packet with room to spare), on his way to court to prove that a charitable trust has entrusted its dealings to his company, thereby voting themselves ...
BNibbles 03.11.2002 (08.11.2002)
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Changing Lanes (DVD)
Advantages: Jackson in quiet revenge mode Disadvantages: Toni Collette's looks; all to no effect, really
...a grand total of two drawers of files, which handily contain all that is needed to continue the foundation fraud.
In summary, then, Changing Lanes is dressed as a thriller, it tries to be for some time, then turns to character-driven mush.
It's exhausting, and that's no spoiler. ...
theediscerning 13.12.2002
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Changing Lanes (DVD)
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Advantages: excellent if you are a john grisham fan Disadvantages: not an advisable purchase if you don't like legal thrillers.
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Extras
Runtime: 154 min
Country: USA
Language: English
Certification: UK:15 / USA:R
CHANGINGLANES Genre: Drama / Thriller
Directed by
Roger Michell
Writing credits
Chap Taylor (story)
Chap Taylor (screenplay)
Plot Line
An attorney Gavin ...
The lives of two men become intertwined following a car accident. Doyle Gibson's car is written off in the crash and Gavin Banek gives him a blank cheque to cover the damage, however important files get mixed up in the process...
Release details
DVD Region
DVD
Studio(s)
PARAMOUNT HOME ENTERTAINMENT; TECHNICOLOR DIST. SERVICES
Commentary By Director Roger Michell, Making Of Changing Lanes, A Writers Perspective Featurette, Deleted Scenes, Extended Scenes, Theatrical Trailer
Aspect Ratio
2.35 Anamorphic Wide Screen
Sound
Dolby Digital 5.1
Dubbing Sound
Dolby Digital 5.1 Czech English German
Professional reviews
Review
"...Jackson's performance provides the heart of the story. Illuminating the idea that things are sometimes not what they seem, Jackson shows us a doting father and persistent husband..." (Box Office, p.67, 01/06/2002)
"...Excitingly alive....This is one of the best movies of the year..." (Chicago Sun-Times, p.25, 12/04/2002)
"...Adeptly written....CHANGING LANES is especially good at bringing an urban nightmare to the screen..." (Los Angeles Times, p.C1, 12/04/2002)
"...CHANGING LANES is actually an intense, intelligent and gripping moral drama..." (Total Film, p.106, 01/12/2002)
"...CHANGING LANES is on to something..." (Variety, p.79, 09/05/2002)
DVD Description
Two cars collide on the FDR expressway. Their drivers--two seemingly opposite men--are Gavin Banek (Ben Affleck), a young white partner in a powerful law firm, and Doyle Gipson (Samuel L. Jackson), a meek working class black man. At the scene of this fender bender Gavin, who is busy trying to make a business appointment on his cell phone, offers Doyle a blank check to cover damages. Doyle, wanting to properly exchange information, declines, causing Gavin to flee the accident site. In his haste, Gavin leaves behind an important legal file that Doyle uses to his advantage, setting off a brutal cycle of revenge between these two men who began this Good Friday as strangers. A class commentary that is decidedly different from director Roger Michell's previous film, NOTTING HILL, CHANGING LANES provides very little information about its two central characters before the moment of their car accident. Michell introduces them by crosscutting between both men speaking publicly--Gavin is lecturing to a charitable foundation, Doyle is talking at an AA meeting. These techniques of crosscutting and mirror imaging are used effectively throughout the film to underscore that the obvious social and economic differences between the two men doesn't disguise the dark and angry nature that exists in both of these men, and potentially in all of humanity.
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