Big Picture Big Sound

The Film

If you thought Ben Affleck was a jerk before, wait until you see Ben Affleck purposely trying to act like a jerk.  Because, although Changing Lanes shows how two men take their road rage to the streets, it's really Affleck that one-ups his rival in the a-hole department.

While rushing to make court, lawyer Gavin Banek (Affleck) slams into an equally rushed Doyle Gipson (Samuel L. Jackson). Insurance salesman Doyle wants to do the right thing and exchange information. Gavin throws a blank check at the situation and, in his haste, loses major evidence for his trial. Doyle, on the other hand, misses his own court appearance and loses custody of his children.

Sounds like a good day all around, right? Well, it's about to get worse. The two soon spend the day issuing a bit of payback, while tormenting each other as each tries to recover from the peripheral damage caused by their brief chance encouter.

The Picture

This isn't exactly the type of movie you'd pull from the pile to show off your system. Still, it's got a very respectable image. A lot of the film's action takes place in your face. It's filled with close-ups, and all of the fleshtones are right on. There's a little bit of grain towards the beginning of the flick, but overall, it shows a lot of interesting images and detail, whether out on the street or inside offices. A few other scenes are a bit darker, but the colors pop (well as much as they can inside an office) and the black levels go pretty deep.

The Sound

Most of Changing Lanes takes place in areas that are oozing with background noise: the street, restaurants and offices. Unfortunately, you won't feel like you're in the middle of all of that action, but you'll catch some of that atmosphere. The front speakers get most of the workout on this Dolby TrueHD 5.1 track. However, some of that background noise will occasionally float through your surrounds, hinting at the world surrounding our unlucky protagonists.

The Extras

This release provides a decent amount of extras, although most are forgettable. The 15-minute making-of featurette is a standard promo reel. Teeny bits of interviews gushing about the movie and its actors are intertwined with actual scenes and a Don LaFontaine-esque voice-over guy. Also, there's a super-short peek at "The Writer's Perspective," which also relies heavily on movie clips.

Final Thoughts

Changing Lanes is an interesting look at how far one man will go to be a thorn in another's side. Both actors do a fine job, as well as the supporting cast. However, the film spends its entire 98 minutes building up tension, only to let the steam out towards the inevitable happy Hollywood ending.

Where to Buy:

• Changing Lanes on Blu-ray Disc (Amazon.com)

Product Details

• Actors: Ben Affleck, Samuel L. Jackson, Toni Collette, Sydney Pollack, William Hurt, Amanda Peet
• Director: Roger Michell
• Audio/Languages: Dolby TrueHD 5.1 (English), Dolby Digital 5.1 (French, Spanish)
• Subtitles: English, English SDH, French, Spanish, Portuguese
• Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1
• Region: A
• Number of Discs: 1
• Rating: R
• Studio: Paramount Pictures
• Blu-ray Disc Release Date: May 19, 2009
• Run Time: 98 minutes
• List Price: $29.99
• Extras:
  • Commentary by Director Roger Michell
  • The Making of Changing Lanes
  • The Writer's Perspective
  • Deleted Scenes
  • Extended Scene - Confesssional
  • Theatrical Trailer