Changing Lanes – 4K UHD Blu-ray Review
Commissions Earned
Film Title: Changing Lanes (2002)
Release Date: 2024
Rating: R
Runtime: 99 minutes
Region Coding: Region Free
Distributor: KL Studio Classics
Audio Formats: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 & 2.0
High Dynamic Range: HDR10, Dolby Vision
Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1
Version Reviewed: 4K UHD Blu-ray
Release Date: 3/19/24
Director: Roger Michell
Cast: Ben Affleck, Samuel L. Jackson, Kim Staunton, Toni Collette, Sydney Pollack, Richard Jenkins, Amanda Peet, Jennifer Dundas, Matt Malloy, Dylan Baker, William Hurt
Jump to Sections:
Movie | Video | Audio | Bonus | Closing | Screenshots
Full 4K Tech Specs found at the bottom
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The Movie
“Changing Lanes” was a 2002 film directed by Roger Michell, best known for directing the films “Notting Hill” (1999), “Venus” (2006), “Morning Glory” (2010), “Hyde Park on Hudson” (2012), and “The Duke” (2020). The original story was written by Chap Taylor, who also co-wrote the screenplay with the help of Michael Tolkin. Tolkin is best known for co-writing the screenplays for the films “Deep Cover” (1992) and “Deep Impact” (1998) as well.
The story here takes place in modern New York City. Two different men will cross paths, and their lives will forever be changed. “Doyle Gipson” (Samuel L. Jackson), a recovering alcoholic father, is driving on his way to court for a custody hearing of his children. At the same time, an uptight Wall Street lawyer, “Gavin Banek” (Ben Affleck), is driving on his way to court and manages to have a traffic accident while changing lanes, hence the title. The way that the lawyer handles things is something that comes back to haunt him, as he manages to lose something from his briefcase when he should have been exchanging insurance information.
When things don’t go well for either man at their separate court appearances, they unavoidably end up reconnecting afterward but not in a good way. One man has some compromising leverage over the other, and he’s struggling to keep it together, while the lawyer is trying to cover his ass in any way possible at the law firm. What started with a small car accident turned to road rage, and what follows is a feud between these two men who likely would have never met.
Movie Rating: 4.25 (out of 5)
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Video Quality
“Changing Lanes” on 4K UHD Blu-ray is presented in the 2.35:1 aspect ratio with HDR10 and Dolby Vision forms of high dynamic range.
This movie was shot on 35mm film using Panaflex cameras with anamorphic lenses in the Super 35 cinematographic process. The movie has received a new 4K scan of the original 35mm camera negative.
Next, let me get technical, for a bit, regarding the 4K UHD Blu-ray Disc itself here. This release uses a BD-100 (100 gigabytes) disc, 69.15 gigabytes total, and 67.5 gigabytes itself for the film. Based on my observations via my 4K UHD Blu-ray player, this seems to be running an average (roughly) of anywhere between 77.4 to 87.1 Mbps in the HEVC (high-efficiency video coding) codec, hitting peaks as high as 119.7 and 144 Mbps at times. According to info on the PC side, this seems to have an overall video bitrate of 87.8 Mb/s average. One last technical note, my Panasonic 4K player shows the HDR10 metadata having a maximum light level of 3679 nits.
As expected, there’s a visually pleasing amount of film grain here. The detail now [in 4K] is impressive compared to the previous HD version on Blu-ray. The black level here is quite solid, and the color palette can be somewhat vibrant at times, although it is ever-so-slightly subdued to fit the overall look the filmmaker was going for. Flesh tones appear accurate and facial closeups offer an impressive amount of detail. It’s safe to say that the new 4K scan in a medley with Dolby Vision’s high dynamic range has made this look even more realistic and also feel more cinematic. I was rather impressed by this visual presentation, enough for to earn a 4.5 rating for video quality.
Video Quality Rating: 4.5 (out of 5)
click to view a 4K Screenshot
Audio Quality
“Changing Lanes” arrives on 4K UHD Blu-ray with DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless surround and DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Stereo. Both mixes feature a DTS core for those unable to decode the lossless format. I opted for the 5.1 surround mix, so that’s what I’ll be covering.
The movie starts by making great use of the rear channels with the sounds of the original music, music being performed, and then the applause of an audience filling the surroundings. And that’s just three minutes into the film. The dialogue is distinctly driven from the center channel speaker. There’s a decent amount of LFE here when cranked to reference-level volume, especially in the more pivotal moments. Once the car accident happens, you’ll start to feel the subwoofer getting more action as things escalate for a brief bit.
However, things are slightly calmer during a courtroom scene but that changes as it is followed by a car accident. Keep in mind this genre is primarily drama and this is not an action film, so don’t expect anything over the top. However, this still is an impressive lossless 5.1 sound mix that does get intense at times and lives up to the thriller sub-genre justice. The use of rear channels continues throughout the film and helps make you feel like you’re in the different environments, as scenes change. Roughly around 19 minutes as one of the characters is exiting a courthouse you’ll hear the sound of falling rain surrounding you from the front left and right and rear channels. There’s also an excellent amount of bass here as the LFE starts to make use of the original score. Again, this mix is doing a great job of capturing each changing environment realistically. You’ll certainly feel the tension if you opt for 5.1 here.
Overall, I found this 5.1 lossless mix to be impressive and certainly do this film justice. It earns itself a respectable overall 4.5 rating for audio quality.
Audio Quality Rating: 4.5 (out of 5)
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Bonus Materials
Bonus material included on the 4K UHD Blu-ray is listed below.
Audio Commentary by Director Roger Michell
A Blu-ray Disc of the film is included. It features a 1080p HD video presentation in the 2.35:1 aspect ratio and DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 and 2.0 Stereo sound. NOTE: This Blu-ray is Region A locked.
Bonus material included on the Blu-ray Disc are listed below.
- Audio Commentary by Director Roger Michell
- “The Making of Changing Lanes: Featurette” (15 minutes – SD) includes on-set footage as well as interviews with Ben Affleck (“Gavin Banek”), Samuel L. Jackson (“Doyle Gipson”), Roger Michell (director), Sydney Pollack (“Stephen Delano”), and Toni Collette (“Michelle”).
- “The Writers’ Perspective: Featurette” (6 minutes, 30 seconds – SD) includes interviews with Michael Tolkin (screenwriter) and Chap Taylor (screenwriter).
- Deleted/Extended Scenes (9 minutes, 32 seconds – SD)
- Theatrical Trailer (2 minutes, 26 seconds – HD)
Overall, the bonus materials prove to be both informative and entertaining. The audio commentary is certainly worth giving a listen to if you enjoyed the film and want further insight into the making of the movie. All and all, these are just the previous DVD and Blu-ray extras ported over, but it’s nice to get the aforementioned audio commentary included on the 4K disc.
Bonus Materials Rating: 2 (out of 5)
click to view a 4K Screenshot
Closing Thoughts
“Changing Lanes” was a wildly unique film that pits two strangers against one another over the strangest of circumstances. The performances given by both Ben Affleck and Samuel L. Jackson here are unforgettable, and really unlike any of their other work. It’s a well-written story, with an overall good message, and thanks to director Roger Michell the movie is fleshed out tastefully.
In terms of video quality, this arrives with a new 4K scan that certainly visually does the movie justice and delivers a very cinematic experience. When looking back to the previous DVD and Blu-ray releases, this is certainly an improvement that will leave you impressed.
In terms of audio quality, for a dramatic psychological thriller (of sorts), this manages to come with a lossless 5.1 surround mix that will leave you feeling like you’re exactly in the middle of the situation all throughout. The suspenseful moments truly come across nicely and the overall audio presentation packs a bit of punch.
The bonus materials here are all of the previous DVD (and Blu-ray) extras ported over and are for sure worth the watch and listen — to the audio commentary — after you’ve seen the film. However, don’t go in with expectations of anything new in terms of supplemental material. Still, it’s nice to see the audio commentary included on the 4K disc.
Overall, “Changing Lanes” on 4K UHD Blu-ray proves to be A Recommended Upgrade for those who have previously owned the film on home video. The folks at Kino Lorber once again have done a very impressive job with this 4K release, something they’ve become known for.
In terms of 4K UHD Blu-ray release, this gets:
4.5 (out of 5) for video quality
4.5 (out of 5) for audio quality
2 (out of 5) for bonus materials
Overall Verdict:
A Recommended Upgrade
Available As:
2024 4K UHD Blu-ray Release
Available at: Amazon | Walmart
Commissions Earned
4K UHD Blu-ray Screenshots:
Packaging:
4K UHD Blu-ray Technical Specifications:
Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1
Exact Runtime(s): 1:38:43
Audio Format(s): English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (with a DTS 5.1 core), English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Stereo (with a DTS 2.0 Stereo core)
Languages: English
Subtitles: English
HDR: HDR10, Dolby Vision
Disc Size: BD-100
Disc Use: 69.15GB total / 67.5GB for the film
Video Bitrate: 87.8 Mb/s