*** Official "CHANGING LANES" Discussion Thread (1 Viewer)

[Alex Spindler]

Edwin is definitely right. I saw all the signs that the audience was not seeing the movie that they were expecting to see. Several were restless to the point that I suspect they were expecting to see anything but a character drama with limited action in it. I suspect they were hoping for something on the lines of Falling Down, and instead got something like Network.

 

[Anthony_H]

Still comtemplating this movies hours after seeing it. I will say this... occasionally I have to ask myself.."Why do you even watch movies?" So many times I am dissapointed. Generic plot..characters...situations... all combine to make me question if I'm wasting my time. It take a movie like this to say..."Ahhhh...thats why."

 

[Mark Hobbs]

I saw all the signs that the audience was not seeing the movie that they were expecting to see.

I think this explains the laughter from the audience that I mentioned in my review. The audience was expecting a funny, action-packed "I can outdo you" sort of flick between Affleck and Jackson. They were looking for opportunities to laugh. It wasn't until late into the film that most people started to understand that there was more than that here.

Very bad marketing, IMO.

 

[Holadem]

This is easily the best movie I saw so far this year. The score is reminiscent of that of Traffic, very understated. This is by far Ben Affleck's best performance. The greatest thing tho is that not one moment of this movie is predictable. I never saw ANY turns and twists coming. How many hollywood movies can you say this about? It is funny that the kind of originality I was expecting from Fincher's Panic Room was found instead in the last movie I was expecting it to be!
This is definitely one where the trailer is very misleading... for the best
Solid four star, best of the year so far.
--
Holadem

 

[Shane Martin]

I wasn't impressed but I guess I should give this movie another go.

Guess my attitude might have something to do with it.

It was mediocre but I suspect if and when I see it again I will enjoy it more.

 

[Edwin Pereyra]

I think Ebert has overrated this a little bit (I'd only go three stars)...

That wouldn't be the first time he's done it. Remember that 4-star rating for Harry Potter and called it this decade's Wizard of Oz?
~Edwin

 

[todd s]

I would like to see this movie. But, the only time I can get to the theater is to take my kids to see a kid movie. I know the premise. And that both characters are neither right or wrong. Can anyone tell me how this movie resolves itself. Usually, I would never want to know. But, I don't think I can wait for the 6 months for it to come out.

Thanks!

 

[Scott Weinberg]

The third act is really wild. First Sam Jackson breaks out his light-saber and goes Jedi on Affleck. Ben tries the old "I'm your father" ploy, but once they both compare birth years, Jackson realizes this is impossible.
Everything is wrapped up nicely when it's divulged that Affleck was really a dead ghost the whole time, Jackson is an immortal superhero, and both characters are actually the same guy in one body. Then the world explodes.
Sorry, but it's entirely against my nature to give up the ending, even when someone asks! I'm a bastard, I know. But I guarantee that someone will pop in and help you out.

 

[Tino]

Changing Lanes is the BEST film I have seen so far this year. :star::star::star::star:
It was a riveting, thoughtful, extremely well written and beautifully acted film.
Roger Ebert's review is spot on and I agree with it completely. From the hectic first frames of the film to the powerful last, it is completely mesmerizing.
This film is so much deeper than it appears to be. It works on so many levels. Character study, family drama, revenge film, full of moral and ethical questions. It never cheats and is always true to us and itself. It is IMO, Ben Affleck and Samuel L. Jacksons best work to date. Their characters are so wonderfully alive and real and their actions and reactions are completely believable and not "dumbed down" to appeal to mass audiences.
I felt as though I knew both of these men almost immediately and felt their pains and frustrations with what was going on. The supporting cast which includes Sidney Pollack, Toni Collette, and Amanda Peet is also excellent.
The trailers only hint at what is beneath this excellent film. Thankfully it appears as though it has become a sleeper hit, grossing $9 million dollars this weekend, slipping only 19%. Apparently the word is getting out on how good this film really is and I'd like to help....
Roger Michels' Changing Lanes is currently the BEST film of 2002. See it...soon.

 

[Angel Pagan]

I caught the 12:30 am showing of this film last night and I didn't enjoy it as much as I think I should have. I was practically falling asleep towards the end. It wasn't because of the time since this is usually the time I go to the movies but probably cause I had played 2 softball games earlier in the day and then went to work and was practically worn out. I agree with everyone regarding the acting and writing but just couldn't enjoy this movie due to my exhaustion. Will try to see again.

Angel

 

[Edwin Pereyra]

What others would label "very bad" marketing for this film, I would otherwise call it creative as I have noted in the review thread. Knowing the reasoning behind it, it sure got a lot of people into the theaters that normally would not see a morality-based dramatic film.
Changing Lanes is now getting good word of mouth from those who have seen it and those who would have otherwise avoided it had the real content of the film been advertised to begin with. Those who like dramatic films were an easy sale for this one but the filmmakers faced an uphill battle in getting those who were not the film's target audience in the first place. In my judgement, they succeeded in getting the latter into the theaters with the type of marketing they used.
For a film that had a lot to say, that was a very good marketing technique. This is one of the best films so far this year. Now I will read Ebert's review.
~Edwin

 

[Alex Spindler]

Okay, if you consider that cinephiles would pass on the movie in the trailers but the general public would flock to it, then it was a wise decision. And I guess they would round us cinephiles up when it is clear that this is a critical as well as financial success.

So, yeah, I guess it was good marketing.

 

[Matthew Furtek]

I just recently saw this film on DVD, and I didn't like it. Acting-wise I think everyone did a good job, I just didn't like the story. It seemed like everyone was a selfish jerk, is that the type of society that we live in? There was no one with any redeeming qualities, although Samuel Jackson's only character flaw was his anger problem. It seemed like the day lasted so long, and even though Affleck got "redemption" in the end, I got the feeling that his character was just a complete jerk. Samuel Jackson's wife was also a jerk, if my wife told me she was going to find a "better me" that would just make me go off my rocker even more. And William Hurt, who I expected to be the one character with redeeming qualities berates his friend after he endures practically the worst day of his life?! The writing was un-realistic.

Matthew Furtek

 

[Edwin Pereyra]

It seemed like everyone was a selfish jerk, is that the type of society that we live in? ...

The writing was un-realistic.

Have you ever heard of Enron, Worldcom, Arthur Andersen, Tyco, AOL, etc. ?

~Edwin

 

[Paul_D]

I thought it was one of the most refreshingly realistic, honest films I've seen in a long time.
They seemed real to me. In my experience, a lot of people in this world are focused on their own needs. If not all the time then at least now and then, and Changing Lanes takes place during 1 day only. I'm sure you've had days here and there where you've been totally selfish. Everyone does.

 

[Edwin Pereyra]

Not only is Changing Lanes realistic in its situations and themes, it is also very timely in its issues dealing with Corporate greed and whistleblowers.
~Edwin

 

[Alex Spindler]

What I particularly liked was not only how people will react in very stressful situations, but how innocently the entire situation started.

If a character, who believed he lived a moral life, hadn't been in such a rush, then the whole situation wouldn't have happened. He even tried to make things right by offering a blank check (which is remarkably optimistic with regard to general human nature). But because of his rush, he not only angers someone and completes the collapse of his life, but provides the rare opportunity for revenge.

Because all of the characters enter into the story with issues and problems that were already inevitable, the events that transpire are only exasperated by the fued. I believe that Gavin would have been presented with the reality of his job and Doyle's life was hanging on a very thin thread and had some rather unconvincing changes to win back his life. However, the collapse of both of their worlds was accelerated by their conflict, which I think works beautifully.