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A dramatic film directed Paul Haggis about race relations in Los Angeles.
< read all 17 reviews
Rating:
First: throw your stereotypes out the window. They simply don't apply here.
+5
To say that "Crash" is a movie about race relations is true, but it also sells the film completely short in terms of the effect that it has and the stories that it tells. It's almost unbearably frustrating, even infuriating to watch, because it's honest, and it is the film's honesty that makes it well worth seeing.
The story is a complex one, interweaving the lives of several characters over the course of two days. How they meet, under what circumstances, and how they react to one another forms the meat of the story...and there's a lot here to chew on. As the title implies, conflict arises in almost every interaction, but it is the complexity that is admirable here. Each thread of story intertwines with the others in ways both obvious and subtle. Some of them part, never to meet again, while others meet more than once as the story progresses. All set in the racial hotbed of Los Angeles, where tensions tend to run high just in the natural course of things.
"Crash" is an emotional rollercoaster in the truest sense, dragging you places that you might not want to go, from shaking with rage to gasping from shock to weeping with joy. Almost every scene is played to a perfect emotional pitch, surprising and challenging and just right for the feeling it wants to express. Mark Isham's beautiful, haunting score enhances the story with unexpected but brilliant overtones.
Put simply, "Crash" is a masterpiece in storytelling on the screen, and a movie that says a great deal about the modern state of race relations. It makes a fine point in subtle ways, without resorting to stereotype to do so. In fact, it is a film that specifically defies stereotypes in many ways. It's not an easy movie to watch, but that's just one of the things that make it so worth watching.
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QUEENBFLIX
September 28, 2010
I wanted to like this film because of its good intentions, but I'd seen it done so much more deftly by John Sayles in films like CITY OF HOPE in '91 and MEN WITH GUNS that all that I could see was the incredibly contrived and awkward aspects of the plot. I suppose it's a good thing that a film like this is still being made today and getting an audience, but it's sad that so many decades after Sayles' film that it still HAS to be made.
GlassIsland
September 28, 2010
It IS sad that films like this still need to be made, and for the same reasons. I've heard a lot about 'City of Hope,' I think I'll have to add that to my list.
QUEENBFLIX
September 28, 2010
Sayles is my favorite auteur. If you really want to see him at his best, go for MEN WITH GUNS. It's out of print right now but NetFlix does carry it. He was nominated for Best Foreign Language film for that one. Another good one is LONE STAR, and in a completely different tone) THE SECRET OF ROAN INISH.
GlassIsland
September 28, 2010
Oh I've seen 'Secret of Roan Inish,' and enjoyed it. I just added 'Men With Guns' to my Netflix. :)
QUEENBFLIX
September 28, 2010
MEN WITH GUNS is one powerful flick. I hope that you'll review it. I've tried a couple of times and I just can't handle it, someone here needs to.
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More Crash (2004 film) reviews
WARNING: This review contains some spoilers! 2005 was a year in which making socially relevant and topical films became a popular trend in Hollywood. Many of these films focused on particular issues, such as the ongoing conflict between the U.S. and the Middle East (Jarhead), corruption within the oil industry (Syriana), sexism in the workplace (North Country), intolerance towards homosexuals (Brokeback Mountain), the psychological inner workings of terrorists (Paradise Now), or political … more
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Compliments (63)
One of the most thought-provoking movies you'll ever see, with some exceptional acting by a huge cast. Everyone needs to see this film, especially Americans.
Comments (2)
Compliments (3)
review by MichaelN.
April 29, 2009
With the success of such films as Pulp Fiction and Sin City there seems to be a new style of telling a story where there are separate tales intertwined with characters crossing over between the tales. This film takes it a step further and seems to be like a soap opera with several plots happening at the same time with characters constantly crossing over between the plots. The director performs a masterful job of this and creates an excellent tale of many separate lives that reach a crossroad and … more
Comments (3)
Compliments (7)
review by luan_gaines.
March 30, 2009
Crash is probably one of the most thought-provoking, well-written and beautifully acted films I have seen this year. In a collage of collisions, traffic and human, the disturbing underbelly of racism in LA is exposed in all its forms, each plot line producing outrageous events and even more surprising resolutions. With a cross-section of the public, multi-ethnic characters, cops, the advantaged and the disadvantaged, Crash manages to reach beneath the smooth exterior of everyday life, revealing … more
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review by Schtinky.
November 09, 2008
Sometimes there is a reason for people to be angry; sometimes there is no reason for people to be angry. But anger, hatred, and evil, are all Entities that do not recognize the boundaries of color, religion, race, creed, sexual orientation, or social status. 'Crash' is one of the most powerful movies I have ever watched. The script doesn't miss a chance for picking on people because of exterior perceptions and stereotypes, and no one is exempt from the hate. The plotline … more
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Compliments (14)
review by KonaCat.
January 02, 2009
The movie, set in Los Angeles, follows several unrelated characters as they come to terms with crime and racial prejudice over a two-day period. Some stories eventually overlap; others do not. The characters are presented honestly with all their flaws and a few redeeming qualities. The large ensemble cast is excellent; standouts are Don Cheadle as an honest police detective who has problems at home and at work, Sandra Bullock and Brendan Fraser as a wealthy couple who are carjacked, Matt Dillon … more
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Compliments (7)
"Crash" is a film that revolves around racism and bigotry, and as such it's no surprise that it's become such a controversial film. It was a major achievement for it to garner the Best Picture Oscar (which arguably "Sin City" actually deserved, but one doesn't expect the Academy to bestow awards to those films which truly deserve them), but although it did, and although Roger Ebert proclaimed it the "Best Film of 2005" (though the film actually premiered in 2004), "Crash" has been viewed rather … more
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Compliment
CRASH is a movie about race and ethnicity in L.A. However, the film is more than that. It's also a movie about how we are all connected to each other and that despite the differences in our skin color, cultural heritage, and lifestyle choices we are more alike than we would like to admit. The movie is an ensemble film that examines a wide variety of people in different parts of L.A. The film illustrates how their lives interact, or crash into each other, and how the varied … more
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Compliment
"Crash" is a clever and groundbreaking movie. The story takes place in Los Angeles and weaves several situations involving prejudice and anguish; each character is usually portrayed as a victim and a villain at the same time. The movie seamlessly takes all of these people with their diverse backgrounds and their situations and brings them together so skillfully that any criticism of the movie being "contrived" seems provincial. To reflect on any of the scenarios is unnecessary and perhaps a spoiler, … more
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review by MichaelN.
March 22, 2006
With the success of such films as Pulp Fiction and Sin City there seems to be a new style of telling a story where there are separate tales intertwined with characters crossing over between the tales. This film takes it a step further and seems to be like a soap opera with several plots happening at the same time with characters constantly crossing over between the plots. The director performs a masterful job of this and creates an excellent tale of many separate lives that reach a crossroad and … more
Comment
Compliment
About the reviewer
Rich Stoehr (GlassIsland)
Ranked #53
Ranked #53
I often hide behind a pithy Douglas Adams quote or maybe some song lyrics. I guess it makes sense that much of what I share is reviews of things I like (or don't). People … more
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About this movie
Movie studios, by and large, avoid controversial subjects like race the way you might avoid a hive of angry bees. So it's remarkable thatCrasheven got made; that it's a rich, intelligent, and moving exploration of the interlocking lives of a dozen Los Angeles residents--black, white, latino, Asian, and Persian--is downright amazing. A politically nervous district attorney (Brendan Fraser) and his high-strung wife (Sandra Bullock, biting into a welcome change of pace fromMiss Congeniality) get car-jacked by an oddly sociological pair of young black men (Larenz Tate and Chris "Ludacris" Bridges); a rich black T.V. director (Terrence Howard) and his wife (Thandie Newton) get pulled over by a white racist cop (Matt Dillon) and his reluctant partner (Ryan Phillipe); a detective (Don Cheadle) and his Latina partner and lover (Jennifer Esposito) investigate a white cop who shot a black cop--these are only three of the interlocking stories that reach up and down class lines. Writer/director Paul Haggis (who wrote the screenplay forMillion Dollar Baby) spins every character in unpredictable directions, refusing to let anyone sink into a stereotype. The cast--ranging from the famous names above to lesser-known but just as capable actors like Michael Pena (Buffalo Soldiers) and Loretta Devine (Woman Thou Art Loosed)--meets the strong script head-on, delivering galvanizing performances in short vignettes, brief glimpses that build with gut-wrenching force. This sort of...
Cast:
Sandra Bullock,
Don Cheadle,
Keith David,
William Fichtner,
Art Chudabala,
Brendan Fraser,
Shaun Toub,
Jennifer Esposito,
Nona Gaye,
Ludacris,
C. Ernst Harth,
Karina Arroyave,
Terrence Howard,
Matt Dillon,
Ryan Phillippe,
Michael Peña,
Larenz Tate,
Loretta Devine,
Thandie Newton,
Sean Cory,
William Fichter,
Marina Sirtis,
Tony Danza,
Daniel Kim,
Ken Garito,
Billy Gallo,
James Haggis,
Dato Bakhtadze
Director:
Paul Haggis
Genre:
Drama
Release Date:
May 6, 2005
MPAA Rating:
R
Runtime:
122 minutes; 125 minutes (director's cut)
Studio:
Bob Yari Productions,
Lions Gate Films
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