Hey folks, Harry here... Here's another Holiday Film that's been out testing in this U.S. of A. Sam Jackson and Ben Affleck (sorry for the Animal Crackers crack, but hey, I dug Armageddon... so it ain't an insult). If you remember quite some time ago we had footage from New York captured by AICN Satellite Camera Technology of Sam Jackson opening up a can of whup ass on a pair on a New York street corner. That was for this flick. The movie sounds promising and with all this time to get all the kinks straightened out, this one has a good deal of potential it sounds... The review is very mixed, but has promise... Read on or beware of spoilers...
Hey Harry-
First time writer, here, and I just got out of a preview screening of "Changing Lanes", starring Ben Affleck and Samuel L Jackson, and I wanted to share my thoughts.
The film is directed by Roger Michell ("Notting HIll" and "Persuasion") and written by Michael Tolkin ("The Rapture" and "The Player") and newcomer Chap Taylor.
"Changing Lanes" is the story of what happens when a down-on-his-luck recovering alcoholic father named Doyle (Jackson) gets into a car accident on FDR Drive in New York with a young, egotistical lawyer, Gavin(Affleck). Both are in a rush to get to court, Gavin to defend his firm's ill-gotten control over a large sum of money given as charity by a deceased philanthrophist, and Jackson to present his case for custody over his two children, due to the fact that his estranged wife is planning to move to Oregon with them.
Gavin gives Doyle a blank check for the damages, but Doyle, intent on doing things legally, wants his insurance information. Gavin refuses, and drives off in a hurry, leaving Doyle stranded. Unfortunately, Gavin drops a document vital to his firm's case, which Doyle picks up. They both end up late for court, and both get into trouble: Gavin needs his file back, and Doyle has lost his custody battle.
What ensues over the course of the single day in which the movie takes place is a story of frustration, anguish, betrayal, sabotage, and ultimately redemption...at least, I think so. It's very hard to tell, to be honest, as "Changing Lanes", at this point, is not really a film at all. It's an incoherent mess that runs about 20-25 minutes too long. Of course, the nature of a preview screening is to show essentially everything that was shot, strung together, so that they can decide what needs to change, what needs to go, and what needs to stay. At this point, the score needs to change (I think they were using a temp score, because there was little music and it didn't fit the film at all), the movie needs to get some serious pacing problems worked out, and it needs to figure out exactly what it means to say.
That said, however, the script itself contains some outstanding dialogue and well-developed characters. There are moments of honesty in this script that are rare in film these days. The performances are also universally outstanding. Affleck gives his most honest, believable performance to date, Jackson is superb as always, and Toni Collette, Amanda Peet, and Sidney Pollock all turn in polished performances in small roles. William Hurt, playing Jackson's sponsor, is also terrific. The unfortunate aspect of all these supporting roles is they get lost in the film's overlong rambling. You forget they are even a part of this film, and Hurt's character, although also a minor one, needs the film to be shorter, so as he doesn't get lost in it. He really defines for us, in one scene, what the movie is getting at, the heart of it...if only the movie could figure that out too. The problem with "Changing Lanes" is it really has no heart, no essence, at the moment. This could be fixed with the right editing, pacing, and changes, or it could be a total disaster. There is no way to sell this movie if it stays as is, and I'm sure it won't. The film I saw was a mess, and there exists in "Changing Lanes" a truly great film...it only requires getting through the mess and finding where it lies. The film is due sometime in November or December, and I am anxious to see what the final product is. Till then, take care all.
-Darth Maul Eight-Eight-Five
