Changing Lanes is sold as a thriller. There was nothing thrilling about this movie. All crucial elements to the story were shown in the trailer. Ben Afflack's character Gavin is flat and the film shows no reasonable explanation for why he suddenly changes into some one with backbone.
Samuel L. Jackson's Doyle doesn't follow the character's development either. He is meant to be a regular guy who is just trying to do the right thing. Why then does he do the wrong thing? His soon-to-be or already ex-wife (this was a little confusing in the movie.) is about the least believable female character I've ever seen. We first meet her at a court date Gavin has missed. She seems unreasonable and shrewish. Then towards the end of the movie she is understanding and sympathetic then a few minutes later she is unbelievably enraged and becomes vindictive. About the only plausible character in this entire movie is William Hurt as Doyle's sponsor. He is quiet and does the only true-to-life thing in the movie. He says that Doyle is a drama queen and is only creating this turmoil for the sake of turmoil. All too true. As a part of the movie-going public I demand that a character in a drama and/or thriller have some motivation behind his actions. In Changing Lanes all any character does is act or react to move the thin plot along. This is a poorly written, and heavy-handed movie. I would not recommend it to any one.
Samuel L. Jackson's Doyle doesn't follow the character's development either. He is meant to be a regular guy who is just trying to do the right thing. Why then does he do the wrong thing? His soon-to-be or already ex-wife (this was a little confusing in the movie.) is about the least believable female character I've ever seen. We first meet her at a court date Gavin has missed. She seems unreasonable and shrewish. Then towards the end of the movie she is understanding and sympathetic then a few minutes later she is unbelievably enraged and becomes vindictive. About the only plausible character in this entire movie is William Hurt as Doyle's sponsor. He is quiet and does the only true-to-life thing in the movie. He says that Doyle is a drama queen and is only creating this turmoil for the sake of turmoil. All too true. As a part of the movie-going public I demand that a character in a drama and/or thriller have some motivation behind his actions. In Changing Lanes all any character does is act or react to move the thin plot along. This is a poorly written, and heavy-handed movie. I would not recommend it to any one.