While I often have no problem watching films for what they are -- pleasant diversions that set out to entertain -- I have to admit I've got a particular affinity for movies that induce a certain degree of introspection while under the guise of a popcorn entertainer. It would be easy to dismiss 'Changing Lanes' as another piece of mindless drivel that Hollywood churns out oh-so-regularly. But look a little closer, and you will begin to notice that this is a very frustrating film. Our dichotomous minds like to think in terms of black and white, evil and good, Darth and Luke. This film is refreshingly different because it presents us with two diametrically opposing characters; and just like in real life, it has been left for us to decide who we want to root for. On one hand is Ben Affleck's hotshot attorney who's rushing off to meet a court appointment deadline. On the other hand is Samuel L. Jackson's alcoholic insurance salesman who is also in a rush for a hearing over the custody of his children. Their mid-highway car collision quickly escalates from road rage to unscrupulous vengeance and then utter moral breakdown. As we fascinatedly watch their cat-and-mouse game of one-upmanship, we shockingly realise that these ethically challenged individuals could very well be a mirror for ourselves. The movie obstinately refuses to side with any one character, presenting each one as a mix of the vile and the pitiable. The dubious moral ground that these characters stand on leave us questioning the world we live in, where nothing is as simple as choosing between the chocolate mudcake and the strawberry sorbet... there's always got to be that lemon meringue pie!
Review of Changing Lanes
