One Wrong Turn Deserves Another...
Rating: 7/10
Running Time: 98 minutes
UK Certificate: 15
On DVD
The starting point of this story is an ordinary minor road collision. But the chain of events that follows causes two complete strangers to become competing forces out for revenge against each other. It just goes to show what can happen when you make a mistake changing lanes…
The lead characters are completely different people. They have lifestyles a world apart, and yet are on the road that day for very similar and at the same time, very different reasons. Gavin Banek (Affleck) is a rich arrogant lawyer, whereas Doyle Gibson (Jackson) is a downtrodden, hard-done-by father. Both are on their way to court, and their futures depend on whether they make it there or not. Doyle is on his way to a hearing which will determine final access rights to his children after his alcoholism caused him to lose them, while Gavin has to file vital legal papers proving that a now dead wealthy businessman gave his law firm control of his estate. The twist here is that Gavin may have obtained the man’s signature in a dubious way.
The effects of the road accident are blown out of proportion by a series of mistakes such as Gavin refusing to exchange contact and insurance details with Doyle, and Doyle accidentally leaving the scene with Gavin’s court documents. Morality goes out of the window as they set out to destroy one another’s lives in revenge. Gavin nearly causes Doyle to lose his children forever, threatening his emotional stability and family life.
‘Changing Lanes’ gets right inside the heads of these two protagonists – shows us their future ambitions, and what drives them to succeed from their past. Gripping!
It's Got: A really emotive narrative.
It Needs: Occasional lighter moments to ease the built up tension.
DVD Extras DVD Features:
- Commentary by director Roger Michell
- Theatrical Trailers
- The Making of Changing Lanes
- Deleted and Extended Scenes
- Alternate Endings
- A Writers Perspective Featurette
- Subtitles in variety of languages
Summary
The viewer is drawn into the interplay between these two different lives.