Two persons can live in the same city their entire lives, yet they can belong to completely different worlds. And when those worlds collide, the result often isn’t very pretty. One such collision serves as the basis for plot of Changing Lanes, 2002 drama directed by Roger Michel.
The plot is set in New York City. Gavin Banek (played by Ben Affleck) is young and successful attorney who appears to have anything he would need in life – wealth, beautiful wife Cynthia (played by Amanda Peet) and well-paid job in the firm owned by Cynthia’s father Stephen Delano (played by Sydney Pollack). Doyle Gipson (played by Samuel L. Jackson) is small time insurance salesman and recovering alcoholic who has barely secured mortgage for the house, bought for the sole purpose of retaining custody of his children. One morning Banek and Gipson drive to the court and their two cars smash into each other. Banek’s car was less damaged and rich attorney, who is in great hurry, simply writes blank cheque to Gipson and leaves him stranded on the road with wrecked car. Because of this Gipson misses his court appointment and, upon arrival, learns that the judge gave sole custody of children to his wife Valerie (played by Kim Staunton). Banek, on the other hand, learns that he lost folder with documents that could decide the case worth hundreds of millions of dollars. When he realises that he mistakenly gave the folder to Gipson after the accident, he desperately tries to get in touch with Gipson. But Gipson blames arrogant attorney for losing his children and doesn’t want to return the folder. When attempts to talk with Gipson fail, Banek listens to advice of his secretary and lover Michelle (played by Toni Collette) and hires people that would try to make Gipson change his mind with different methods. Intimidation only makes Gipson more angry and more determined to destroy Banek’s life.
Changing Lanes was advertised as thriller, but in its essence it is a drama that uses thriller-like plot as a way to talk about class divisions of American society. The script, written by Chap Taylor and Michael Tolkin (the latter best known for his work on Altman’s The Player), could have easily, like so many Hollywood films with similar subjects, would cover the class conflict in simplistic one-sided way. Instead, it opts for more nuanced approach allowing viewers to opt whom they would sympathise. In a routine Hollywood thriller, Jackson’s character would have been presented as saint and martyr, a victim of oppressive system embodied by rich, arrogant WASPs like Affleck’s character. But in this film, like in real life, truth is more complex. Changing Lanes suggest that Gipson troubles can be attributed less to racial injustice and more to his own propensity towards violence, brilliantly suggested with the scene when he starts pointless bar fight. Banek, on the other hand, throughout the plot begins to question his actions and life priorities, while becoming aware of the moral decay that engulfs the social class he belongs to. This decay is illustrated in the scene where Banek’s wife admits, with brutal honesty, that she was aware of his infidelities but never contemplated divorce for the simple reason that such action would have affected her privileged lifestyle.
Changing Lanes wouldn’t have been that effective in conveying such message if not for very good cast. Ben Affleck, by playing rather complex character, almost redeems himself for the series of rather unfortunate casting choices from that period of his career. Samuel L. Jackson, as it is to be expected, up to the task, even in scenes where his character speaks very quietly. Even better impression is left by supporting cast, including Amanda Peet as Banek’s wife and veteran director Sydney Pollack, who, just like in Eyes Wide Shut, shows knack for playing upper class New Yorkers. Roger Michell, British director best known for romantic comedy Notting Hill, does solid job with the film, although cinematography could have been better than the one provided by Salvatore Totino. The finale, which, in line with Hollywood conventions, provides plot twists in order to bring happy ending, is slightly disappointing. But, generally speaking, Changing Lanes is well-made film, which can be enjoyed and appreciated even in our times, when its premise is becoming less comprehensible to generations conditioned to the world where only Baneks would be allowed to own cars, while Gipsons are be allowed to be happy in 15 minutes cities.
RATING: 7/10 (+++)
_Blog in Croatian https://draxblog.com Blog in English https://draxreview.wordpress.com/ Leofinance blog https://leofinance.io/@drax.leo
InLeo: https://inleo.io/signup?referral=drax.leo Stars Arena: https://www.starsarena.com/?ref=draxblog Unstoppable Domains: https://unstoppabledomains.com/?ref=3fc23fc42c1b417 Hiveonboard: https://hiveonboard.com?ref=drax y Bitcoin Lightning HIVE donations: https://v4v.app/v1/lnurlp/qrcode/drax Rising Star game: https://www.risingstargame.com?referrer=drax 1Inch: https://1inch.exchange/#/r/0x83823d8CCB74F828148258BB4457642124b1328e
BTC donations: 1EWxiMiP6iiG9rger3NuUSd6HByaxQWafG ETH donations: 0xB305F144323b99e6f8b1d66f5D7DE78B498C32A7
Posted using CineTV
