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 Crash (2005)Rated: R for language, sexual content and some violence. Runtime: 113 mins. Director: Paul Haggis Writer: Paul Haggis (story); Paul Haggis (screenplay) Cast: Don Cheadle; Sandra Bullock; Matt Dillon; Jennifer Esposito; Brendan Fraser... complete cast Tagline: You think you know who you are. You have no idea. Genre: Drama/Crime Memorable Quote: "In L.A. nobody touches you. We're always behind this metal and glass"
Taking on a subject that Hollywood rarely addresses in such an overt manner, Haggis rams us head-on into the issue of racism in this soul-searing drama that sprang from his own real-life experiences. He never skirts the issue and is never vague about its implications. Like the 500-pound gorilla in the room, the subject is a main driving force around which all the actors perform. As painful and embarrassing as it is, by the time the film runs its course, each and every one of us will have seen a piece of ourselves in the film. No races are spared and no stereotypes go unaddressed. Haggis' screenplay weaves a disturbingly volatile tapestry that's stitched together by a diverse group of Los Angeles residents whose lives literally collide during a 36-hour period. Haggis claims that because of our tendency to isolate ourselves from our urban surroundings, presumably in our cars, we are more likely to crash into one another than we are to bump elbows on the street. A bigoted gun dealer refuses to sell a gun to a Persian man calling him Osama, yet the Persian man later yells at an Hispanic locksmith who's only trying to help him. Two young black men complain that white people are wrongfully scared of them due to racial profiling, yet the youngsters turn right around and carjack the couple who cowered at their presence. A racist cop harasses a black TV director and his wife, yet the couple later have an argument about which is more genuinely black. It's these disturbing ironies and painful truths that cause Crash to resonate with each of us. The film reveals more about ourselves than we are comfortable in knowing. Haggis' skills as an award-winning screenwriter are undeniable. But the fact that Crash represents his directing debut becomes a bit obvious in the film's latter stages. Due to its circuitous complexity, his multi-threaded screenplay needs a firm hand, an adroit sense of organization and a consistent vision to keep all the plates spinning at once. Many of his closing scenes seem a bit rushed and unevenly paced, and some of his characters need a few more minutes of screen time to fully blossom. But kudos for his fearlessness in tackling both the complexity of the project and having the chutzpah to tell his controversial story. The acting is truly superb, including another unforgettable effort by Cheadle. The cinematography is remarkable as Haggis uses the lights of a nighttime Los Angeles to create a palpable atmosphere reminiscent of last year's Collateral. Frank Wilkins  Don't agree with this review? Have something to add? Read or post comments about this film or review on the CRASH discussion forum Screen formats: Widescreen 1.85:1
Number of discs: 2 - Keepcase packaging.
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