CHANGING LANES --------------
Gavin Banek (Ben Affleck) is in self-denial about the legality of his attempt to take over a deceased millionaire's charity trust for the father-in-law who just made him a law firm partner. Doyle Gipson (Samuel L. Jackson) believes his faithful AA meeting attendance and a mortgage approval on his first house should convince his wife from moving to Portland with his two sons. Their lives will become as locked as their fenders as they both rush to urgent appointments in "Changing Lanes."
This smarter-than-average screenplay by Chap Taylor and Michael Tolkin ("The Player," "The New Age") is a cat and mouse game on the surface but is loaded with subtext about compromising ethics. Star Affleck hasn't been in such strong form since supporting buddy Damon in "Good Will Hunting."
When Banek and Gipson collide on the FDR, Gipson wants to proceed by the book,
but hot shot Banek's in such a hurry, he offers a blank check instead. Gipson refuses and asks for a lift, but Banek strands him retorting 'Better luck next time.' His words will come back to haunt him.
Arriving in court, Banek discovers he mistakenly handed an all important file to Gipson and he didn't even get the guy's name. Meanwhile Gipson arrives late at a custody hearing and loses a chance to regain his family. In despair, he throws his papers, including Banek's file, into the trash and heads to the nearest bar, but resists the bourbon he orders. Once he discovers how much the file means to Banek, he retrieves it and faxes a page to Banek with 'Better luck next time' emblazoned across the sheet.
Each man's action makes the other guy go farther than he ever thought possible
until the situation's completely out of control. This horrible day will force Gavin and Doyle to take a good hard look at themselves and face some ugly truths.
The screenplay gives each man a conscience personified. Toni Collette ("Shaft") is Michelle, Gavin's colleague and former mistress, who's watched him leap into the abyss by marrying into the money that provides. their livelihoods. While Michelle tries to pull Gavin from the brink, his wife Cynthia (Amanda Peet, "Saving Silverman") lays out the truth of their marriage and the necessity of forging the document he lost to keep it viable.
Gipson's got his AA sponsor (William Hurt) who encourages the man until even he must state what Valerie Gipson (Kim Staunton, "Dragonfly") has discovered painfully - that Gipson's addicted to chaos. It's a nice piece of symmetry that each man's sounding board is also emblematic of his moral weakness.
Director Roger Michell ("Notting Hill") gets fine performances from his leads on down to minor players. Affleck is perfectly cast as a successful, shallow shark, but shows his chops when he faces his inner conflict. He's terrific in an ironic scene late in the film interviewing a fresh-eyed idealist.
Jackson shows a nice range from humbled and prideful of new home ownership to enraged and ferociously paternal. His character is reminiscent of Michael Douglas in "Falling Down." Sydney Pollack ("Eyes Wide Shut") is on target as the elder rationalizer who's bred an equally entitled daughter (Peet, also up to the task).
Cinematography by "Any Given Sunday" lenser Salvatore Tontino has the in-your-face franticness of the Stone film. Extensive use of glass effectively provides mirrors for the protagonists to view themselves. Editing by Christopher Tellefsen ("Man on the Moon") is succinct, allowing the audience to make leaps on their own. David Arnold's score maintains tension with ominous rumblings.
"Changing Lanes" does hit a few minor potholes along the way, but it's a pleasure to experience Hollywood come off of cruise control.
B
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