The main premise of Changing Lanes is a promising one: two men, each at an important moment in his life, have a simple traffic accident that provokes a series of vengeful acts and, ultimately, a spiritual/ethical crisis for each man. Utilizing the structure and feel of a psychological thriller, the director increases the tension steadily throughout the film. Samuel Jackson helps the cause with his excellent portrayal of a man who has been battered around by life and is now disintegrating before our very eyes. We feel his long-held anger beginning to burst into rage, as well as his deep confusion and despair. Most of the other actors also deliver strong performances, especially Collette and Pollack. Even Affleck finds a good role for his limited abilities and unlimited personality, though his melodramatic attempt at showing an ethical crisis gets annoying by the end. Unfortunately, the interesting premise and the great acting are ruined by several scenes that are simply unbelievable and by a unsatisfying and sappy ending that goes against the overall atmosphere of the film.
*SPOILERS AHEAD*
The problems begin with the accident. I'm sorry, I live in New York, and there's no simply way that a Manhattan lawyer is ever - in this or anyone else's lifetime - going to offer a blank check to a total stranger after they've had an accident. My partner almost bailed out on the film at that point. She tried to suspend her belief, especially since the movie had just started, but this ridiculous premise tested her sorely. If Affleck is in such a hurry, why doesn't he simply exchange business cards with Jackson? A blank check? Please.
There are several other unbelievable parts of the story: the file worth hundreds of millions of dollars that's so casually lost; the fact that it's the only official copy in existence; Jackson - who wants to take care of the accident correctly - obviously not bothering to call the police, whose report would have helped him in several ways (and, in fact, why do the police NEVER show up at all, especially since there are eventually TWO CARS simply abandoned on the busiest highway in New York - I don't think so); the whole fire sprinkler routine to get a simple file - we're talking thousands and thousands of dollars worth of water damage to a large law firm, not to mention Affleck's own desk, just to get into an unlocked drawer?; the hacker being able to delete and restore so many of Jackson's important accounts so quickly; etc., etc. Worst of all, why does Affleck never mention or seem to care about the fact that Jackson almost killed him? After exhibiting so much rage throughout the film, you'd think he'd bring it up at some point.
Finally, the ending is terribly flat and uninspiring after the long build-up of tension. We're served up a high (and very shallow) moral lesson during a sappy Hollywood climax that defeats the well-developed ambiguities the rest of the film worked so hard to create. All the good acting Jackson did to create a complex character is thrown out the window as the foes suddenly and boringly settle their differences, Affleck makes a little speech, and then he even solves Jackson's familial drama - all in two minutes.
*END OF SPOILERS*
It's interesting to consider what could have been done with this film. A better writer and a better director could have turned this into a real classic. The elements are all there - they were simply poorly executed. Instead of the uninspiring ending, it would have been interesting to see more of a duel between the two protagonists, in which their rage and anger and their desire to do good all come into play. The premise of the story deserved a better portrait of trying to survive and do well in an often hostile and confusing world.
*SPOILERS AHEAD*
The problems begin with the accident. I'm sorry, I live in New York, and there's no simply way that a Manhattan lawyer is ever - in this or anyone else's lifetime - going to offer a blank check to a total stranger after they've had an accident. My partner almost bailed out on the film at that point. She tried to suspend her belief, especially since the movie had just started, but this ridiculous premise tested her sorely. If Affleck is in such a hurry, why doesn't he simply exchange business cards with Jackson? A blank check? Please.
There are several other unbelievable parts of the story: the file worth hundreds of millions of dollars that's so casually lost; the fact that it's the only official copy in existence; Jackson - who wants to take care of the accident correctly - obviously not bothering to call the police, whose report would have helped him in several ways (and, in fact, why do the police NEVER show up at all, especially since there are eventually TWO CARS simply abandoned on the busiest highway in New York - I don't think so); the whole fire sprinkler routine to get a simple file - we're talking thousands and thousands of dollars worth of water damage to a large law firm, not to mention Affleck's own desk, just to get into an unlocked drawer?; the hacker being able to delete and restore so many of Jackson's important accounts so quickly; etc., etc. Worst of all, why does Affleck never mention or seem to care about the fact that Jackson almost killed him? After exhibiting so much rage throughout the film, you'd think he'd bring it up at some point.
Finally, the ending is terribly flat and uninspiring after the long build-up of tension. We're served up a high (and very shallow) moral lesson during a sappy Hollywood climax that defeats the well-developed ambiguities the rest of the film worked so hard to create. All the good acting Jackson did to create a complex character is thrown out the window as the foes suddenly and boringly settle their differences, Affleck makes a little speech, and then he even solves Jackson's familial drama - all in two minutes.
*END OF SPOILERS*
It's interesting to consider what could have been done with this film. A better writer and a better director could have turned this into a real classic. The elements are all there - they were simply poorly executed. Instead of the uninspiring ending, it would have been interesting to see more of a duel between the two protagonists, in which their rage and anger and their desire to do good all come into play. The premise of the story deserved a better portrait of trying to survive and do well in an often hostile and confusing world.