X
- 2002
- R
- Paramount Pictures
- 1 h 38 m
- 2002
- R
- Paramount Pictures
- 1 h 38 m
Summary A rush hour fender-bender on New York City's crowded FDR Drive turns two complete strangers into vicious adversaries. (Paramount Pictures)
Directed By: Roger Michell
Written By: Chap Taylor, Michael Tolkin
- 2002
- R
- Paramount Pictures
- 1 h 38 m
- 2002
- R
- Paramount Pictures
- 1 h 38 m
Changing Lanes
69
8.6
Where to Watch
Summary A rush hour fender-bender on New York City's crowded FDR Drive turns two complete strangers into vicious adversaries. (Paramount Pictures)
Directed By: Roger Michell
Written By: Chap Taylor, Michael Tolkin
Where to Watch
Top Cast
Metascore
Generally Favorable
Based on 36 Critic Reviews
69
75% Positive
27 Reviews
27 Reviews
22% Mixed
8 Reviews
8 Reviews
3% Negative
1 Review
1 Review
Metascore
Generally Favorable
Based on 36 Critic Reviews
69
75% Positive
27 Reviews
27 Reviews
22% Mixed
8 Reviews
8 Reviews
3% Negative
1 Review
1 Review
Glossy, big-budget thriller that qualifies as the season's biggest and most rewarding surprise.
Jackson's portrait of impotent rage is tremendous, and Affleck, who drops his usual smugness, is surprisingly good.
User Score
Universal Acclaim
Based on 160 User Ratings
8.6
83% Positive
133 Ratings
133 Ratings
11% Mixed
17 Ratings
17 Ratings
6% Negative
10 Ratings
10 Ratings
User Score
Universal Acclaim
Based on 160 User Ratings
8.6
83% Positive
133 Ratings
133 Ratings
11% Mixed
17 Ratings
17 Ratings
6% Negative
10 Ratings
10 Ratings
If you think you've had a hard day, try this...
Jackson plays Doyle Gipson, an insurance salesman who is trying to earn his family back. Between attending AA meetings, he is seeking regular access to his two children. Affleck plays Gavin Banek, whose law firm demands he do morally questionable deeds so they can keep earning from their clients. We see their flaws but if there is a difference early on, it is that Gipson wants to do right by everyone while Banek is blinkered into looking after himself. Beginning sharply with a car accident, Banek makes a choice which robs Gipson of something that can't be replaced. Gipson in turn has something Banek desperately needs. As one man's manipulative tactics are used in increasingly desperate measures, the other's wanting to do the right thing quickly evaporates as he is pushed to the brink and beyond. All the action is played out over the course of a day and what a day it is. I've seldom seen so much packed into one 24-hour period that feels as real as this. Things of course move along rapidly. Just when you think a scene may become bogged down in too much talk, one guy makes his move, sparking off the next in the series of clashes. By the end however, both come to ground with a view of themselves they didn't have when they set out that morning. Damage has been done but maybe some can be repaired as two men learn from each other how to be better and move forward. The ending is a very satisfying one. The writing is excellent and moves between moral drama and gritty thriller. It's not all about two men locking horns as their story is interwoven with background to their lives. Whether Banek in discussion with his wife or Gipson having a dilemma in a bar, these scenes add depth but never take away from the intensity. The success of this film is also largely about the two lead performances. Affleck raises his game while Jackson is as charged as ever. He doesn't radiate hugeness as in other roles, but is just as effective in this often broken character. Both ensure their duel is a fascinating one from start to finish.
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Two shallow poorly written characters repeatedly fail to make logical choices in this well produced textured drama/thriller. Sadly the brittle world in which they orbit never takes on a form strong enough to provide the emotional impact their scenes aim to reach. Put this down as an intriguing missed opportunity.
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A refreshingly novel ride.
Loses its nerve in the final minutes, relying on a series of contrivances to arrive at an unconvincingly pat, happy ending. The story begged for a darker, more biting resolution.
Deeply strange, oddly shimmery movie.
Smitten by the symmetry of his parable, director Roger Michell crosscuts emphatically between the preening leads -- a strategy that only draws attention to the numerous lapses in logic and unpersuasive changes of heart while sidelining the lively supporting cast
Gets too caught up in its escalating violence and strained-to-bursting moral subtexts. It's the blood of souls drenching the screen, and it's a hideous sight to behold.
Changing Lanes is a decent movie dealing with ethics and human nature. It does, however, have the odd nonsensical plot-hole to infuriate you with. That annoyance aside, Changing Lanes is solid stuff.
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[SPOILER ALERT: This review contains spoilers.]
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My best friend and I saw this movie in theaters when it came out and to this day, I feel it's the worst movie I've watched. Ever. It's been nearly 20 years since I watched it. If you're checking out reviews before deciding wether or not to watch it, don't bother watching it.
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Awards
Black Reel Awards
• 2 Nominations
Prism Awards
• 1 Nomination
Image Awards (NAACP)
• 1 Nomination
