Grade:  B

Director:  Roger Michell		Released:  April 2002
Writer:  Chap Taylor		MPAA Rating:  R
Players:  Ben Affleck, Samuel L. Jackson, Toni Collette, Amanda Peet		Running time:  99 minutes

Ratings System

Changing Lanes is a direct competitor with Panic Room.  They are both cat-and-mouse type thrillers, and both are very well made.  I prefer Changing Lanes slightly, because it's more than just a thriller, it also supplies a little food for thought.

The thing I really like is the way it creates characters that I can sympathize with and then loathe from one minute to the next.  There is no "hero" and no "villain", which is nice.  It helps you understand the motivations behind each character's actions.  The character I really liked, though, was Affleck's wife.  I can't describe what it is I like about her without spoiling one of the good surprises of the film, but there is a scene between Affleck and Peet in a restaurant which is fantastic, and then carries over to another dinner scene at the end of the film.

It's easy to forget how simple it could be for someone to seriously fuck with your life, this movie will remind you.  Sure, some of the things are a little contrived, but others are entirely plausible.

- crocoPuffs