MPAA Rated – R
It’s 1:39 Long
A Review by:
– The Dude on the Right
| Changing Lanes Movie Stats & Links |
|
| Starring: | Samuel L. Jackson, Ben Affleck, Amanda Peet |
| MPAA Rated: | R |
| Released By: | Paramount Pictures |
| Release Date: | 2002 |
| Kiddie Movie: | Lots of swear words and an adult story. Leave them with the sitter. |
| Date Movie: | It’s a drama, but she’ll just probably say something like “See, guys are stupid.” |
| Gratuitous Sex: | Nah. |
| Gratuitous Violence: | Not really beating the crap out of each other, but Gavin has a pretty bad car crash. |
| Action: | Some suspense. |
| Laughs: | Not really. |
| Memorable Scene: | None. |
| Memorable Quote: | None. |
| Directed By: | Roger Michell |
A lot of critics liked “Changing Lanes.” I’m not one of those critics. Let’s start with the basic story.
Ben Affleck is Gavin. He’s a partner in a law firm and on his way to deliver proof that an old man left his foundation to the law firm to take care of. On the way he has a fender-bender with Doyle (Samuel L. Jackson). Doyle is a recovering alcoholic trying to make a court date so he can keep some custody of his two sons. Gavin drops the proof and Doyle picks it up but he’s late for his court date. Gavin can’t prove his case without the proof Doyle picked up, Doyle lost all custody of his kids because he was twenty minutes late, and now it’s a day of who can get the other to flinch. Unfortunately for Gavin, Doyle has the trump card – Gavin just doesn’t realize it.
So both of our boys go through a really crappy day. Gavin is trying to get his file back; Doyle almost gives it back until Gavin pays a computer hacker to fuck with Doyle’s financial life, and now it’s a movie about ethics and just being a good person. Blah.
As I got about an hour into this movie I was bored. Yea, both lives are screwed up, both men are doing whatever is in their power to get their lives back together, and I knew that, in the end, their lives would be back on the road to rebuilding their mental states/ethics to the next level. And it happened.
Don’t get me wrong, the movie was okay, but from all of the rave reviews I had been reading, I figured “Changing Lanes” would be great. For me it wasn’t great, it was just okay. So I say see it, it’s an okay drama, but I was bored with the story about half the way through. Both men are stupid. 2 ½ stars out of 5.
That’s it for this one! I’m The Dude on the Right!! L8R!!!