Changing Lanes

Directed by Roger Michell

Starring Ben Affleck, Samuel L. Jackson, Toni Collette, Amanda Peet, and William Hurt

I once read a film review, which suggested that Samuel L. Jackson only was good in movies in which he had some funny hairstyle. And when I thought about it, it made sense. He was great in Unbreakable, Jackie Brown and Pulp Fiction, so when I saw the ads for this movie and saw Jackson's normal hairstyle, I prepared myself for the worst. But the Samuel L. Jackson Hair Myth is just that, a myth, because this movie surprisingly debunks this theory. This film is easily the biggest surprise of the year because it brings solid acting together with excellent work from an absolute unknown director.

Most films that I see these days disappoint me because of the lack of work on the director's part. There are really only a handful of directors whose work I can respect. But this short list of directors may soon include Roger Michell. Michell displays excellent promise and talent with the work he does in this film. Throughout the film, Michell directly contrasts the two lead actors in his shots. Both men are constantly shot in tight spaces, be it corners, the frame of the shot, doorways, whatever is available. But the difference is that Affleck is mostly shown in bright, richly colored

How did you win an Oscar while I haven't?

spaces, which show off his wealth and prestige, while Jackson is shown in dark, bleak spaces. And the Michell is able to contrast and critique the two lives by cutting back and forth between the stories of each of the men. The shots of Jackson and his struggles to get his family and his life back together are run up against Affleck's struggle to find a file. By doing this, Michell is able to stress how the problems that Affleck faces are trivial compared to the pains that Jackson is going through. And this is what Michell is trying to say, that while there are people out there in the corporate world fucking people over, there are people who are trying to stay together and trying to make something better out of their lives. And the conflict that arises between the two men is more like a class struggle than an issue of road rage (which is what the ads make you think it is going to be about).

Even without a funky hairdo, Jackson delivers a very strong performance. At times you carry deep sympathy for him and then just minutes later you switch sides to Affleck because of what Jackson has done. The movie constantly pulls you back and forth trying to decide whom you place your sympathies with. And this is easily the best performance I have ever seen by Affleck. I, unlike many others, greatly disliked Good Will Hunting and I don't think anyone

This is excellent stuff right here

can honestly say that they thought Pearl Harbor and Armageddon were any good. But here, Affleck takes his pretty boy role and makes it much darker, which Michell displays nicely by having Affleck in dark spaces with shadows on him whenever he is plotting something nasty to do to Jackson. None of the other performances really matter in this film as rarely is anyone else on screen for any substantial amount of time, but when Jackson and Affleck are this good, who needs anyone else?

The weakest link in this film is the story. At some points it gets a little cheesy and I could really do without most of the corruption at Affleck’s law firm subplot, but overall it is still a decent script. The whole vengeance thing gets a little too much for me, but it is very central to the whole conflict of the movie, so I suppose it needs to be there. But don’t let this keep you from seeing this film. So far it is easily the best film of 2002 (that I have seen at least). It delivers with solid direction, acting and a strong message. This film is the proof that Samuel L. Jackson doesn’t need a funny hairstyle to give a good performance, but I’ll admit, if he had a funny hairstyle this would have been an even better movie.

RATING: 75%