Changing Lanes - 5 stars out of 10

Changing Lanes - 5 stars out of 10

"Changing Lanes" is a thriller whose characters go beyond reasonable (and believable) actions, but you won't care.  The film works because the car crash at the beginning of the film dramatically destroys the lives of both men involved, and it makes complete sense.  The writers were really smart when they chose the time-sensitive situations of the lead characters and not forcing us to suspend our disbelief at that point.  I realized that this film effectively gets its point across when I grew very frustrated that Samuel L. Jackson is trying to do the right thing, but Ben Affleck's actions force him into a retaliatory action.  I typically hate Ben Affleck (and this film is no exception), but it works this time since he's supposed to be a complete jerk.  The film grows a bit far-fetched with the world of lawyers paying people to change the bank accounts of others, but it keeps the momentum going.  My favorite part of this entire film is the irony at the end, when you realize that if Affleck had simply taken the time to respond to Jackson when he requested a ride after the accident, they would have found that they were both headed to the same courthouse and the entire "battle" could have been avoided.  It's a simple moral about taking time to do the right thing, but an important moral nonetheless.