"You're addicted to chaos!" says William Hurt's AA Sponsor character to Samuel L. Jackson's Doyle Gipson character. Doyle has a problem with drinking but not really says his sponsor. Doyle is trying to change because his wife has left him and accepted a job in Oregon, thereby taking his two sons VERY far away from him. So Doyle has a plan, and begins to execute this plan on his way to a custody court hearing.
Enter Ben Affleck's lawyer character Gavin Banek. He is on his way to the biggest court case of his life. The financial estate of one of NYC's wealthiest men is at stake and Gavin has all the papers necessary to prove the money goes not to charity but to someone else he is representing. Inside his briefcase is a power of appointment giving Gavin the legal rights to the jackpot.
Two men going down different "lanes" of their lives are suddenly finding themselves connected on a physical lane, as a car accident brings them together for a day they will never forget. By the end of the day these two men will have experienced one hell of a "lane" change.
What I enjoyed most about the movie is that the car scene is only a tiny aspect of the film. Much like Michael Douglas famous role in "Breaking Down", the movie is about true struggle, not just some fight on the freeway. Doyle and Gibson become entwined in a chess match, with each blaming the other for the misgivings of the day. Their lives are continually darkened as each tries to get the upper hand in the quest for correcting the bigger mistake that happened at the scene of the accident. Doyle lost time he can never regain and Gavin lost the Power Of Appointment papers that is the key to his new success.
The acting here is superb with Affleck showing a range has had yet to hit. This role of Gavin is one of a man coming to terms with the reality of life on Wall Street. The movie is far smarter than the marketing or title suggest and it suprised us with its well paced build to the climax. The ending is exactly the kind that this genre of movie deserves. Changing Lanes isn't about a car accident, it's a metaphor for life. Every new day can affect us in ways we previously never imagined and this movie shows just that.
The Disc:
The transfer here is absolutely gorgeous. We don't discuss this much often anymore since pretty much all of the studios have gotten such excellent prints out the last year or two. However the darks and lights here are just so pristine that I needed to mention them. The raining inside the building scene especially brings back vivid memories. Audiowise the presentation somewhat disappoints but this is mainly because of the very few intense scenes. There are quite a few, including a beating of the head with a pay phone, but the thuds just didn't jump out at me.
The extras here are standard stuff with some exteneded/deleted scenes that are quite enjoyable. Many times I skip over these but this time I really liked seeing the additional footage that was shot. The commentary track is full of witty remarks and technical jargon. I wish there had been more of a casual approach to the track but the movie is a bit deep so I can understand. For the most part there isn't much exciting here but it's a good solid disc from Paramount.
bottom line:
A real surprise that should have been marketed better. Samuel Jackson and Ben Affleck work so well together that I hope to see them paired again in the future. Definitely consider seeing this and buying it as the movie is just that good!
4.5 out of 5
By - Brian Gray
1/2
