'Lanes' Blurs Lines Between Good, Evil

4 Stars

When a man loses his children in court, it can easily be said that he's having a bad day. Likewise, a lawyer who loses vital evidence on the way to court also can be labeled as having a bad day.

But what do you get when each of the above men are responsible for the other's woes?

You get "Changing Lanes," a twisted tale of revenge, full of one-upmanship, conspiracy and the lowest of low blows.

Starring opposite Samuel L. Jackson, Ben Affleck portrays upwardly mobile lawyer Gavin Banek, a man who finds himself falling deeper and deeper into his bosses' semi-legal dealings.

Jackson eschews his smooth-as-silk "Pulp Fiction" persona as Doyle Gibson, an awkward loser and recovering alcoholic on the verge of losing all that he holds dear.

The film, directed by Roger Michell, revolves around the vicious cycle of revenge generated by a minor car crash. Due to the accident, Jackson winds up late for a custody battle, and Affleck loses the key piece of evidence in a dubious law case. Then all chaos breaks loose.

The simplicity of the catalytic fender-bender belies the twisted, complex nature of "Changing Lanes." Both Affleck and Jackson are superb, going at each other's throat in roles that blur the lines between what's justifiable and what's over the line.

Blurry is definitely a good way to describe this film -- confusion and ambiguity plague the viewer as the two actors simply don't fall into the usual good guy/bad guy categories.

Is Affleck at fault, his tortured morals giving way to sheer destructive rage as he systematically destroys his adversary's records and family life?

Or is Jackson the bad guy, his frustration constantly erupting in bursts of violence as he pummels barflies and sabotages Affleck's Mercedes-Benz?

Affleck's underhanded hacking and Jackson's flaring temper are different flavors of rotten, but is either really the lesser of two evils? This quandary gives "Changing Lanes" an added edge -- unable to empathize with either character, the viewer can only sit back and watch as the two try to outdo each other in a battle of dirty tricks.

Even the camera work reflects this dichotomy, loaded with back-and-forth sequence shots of Affleck and Jackson as they wreak havoc on the other's life. And in a clever visual metaphor, close-up celluloid portraits cloak half the characters' face in shadow.

The film's only real shortcoming is that it's just too hard to sustain the level of tension it establishes early on. This makes it very difficult to resolve the conflict between Affleck and Jackson, and as a result, the ending fails to live up to the rest of the film.

But a weak ending can't detract from the entertainment offered by Jackson's and Affleck's excellent performances. Or the sheer nastiness of their deeds.

With a devilishly creative storyline presented by two stellar actors, "Changing Lanes" is possibly the strongest film to come out of Hollywood this year. And while the characters' morals are muddy at best, their message is clear -- think twice before cutting off that anonymous figure in the car beside you.

The Arts & Entertainment Editor can be reached at artsdesk@unc.edu.