Crash (by request) (please go see)

[Kam]

Forgot to post this when i saw it and now by Deano's request, here ya go:

Definitely go see this movie!!! By the writer of Million Dollar Baby, Paul Haggis, who wrote and directer this enemble piece. It follows five separate storylines as they weave in and out of each other. It takes a harsh look at stereotypes and why they might be that way and what underlines them, how we look at each other at first glance, and what is wrong with that, and what is right with that. The colors and races of everyone are critically important to how the story unfolds.

There is no "main" story that the movie follows, but the pieces all fit together so seamlessly. The basic storyline follows two black carjackers as they hitup a white DA and his wife who then go home and have their locks changed by a hispanic male (all tattoed up) the wife believes is a gangmember. Meanwhile, a Persian store owner with a medical resident daughter is trying to buy a gun to protect his store and also fix his locks, calls up the same hispanic male after we see the hispanic male in an incredibly heartwarming scene with his daughter. At the same time a white rookie cop is on patrol with a white veteran cop who pulls over a black tv producer and his light skinned black wife and humiliates them. We then see the veteran cop taking care of his sick father who was denied the benefit of seeing a doctor out of his HMO plan by a black administrator. Interwoven throughout is a black detective (Cheadle) with a hispanic female partner (Jennifer Esposito) he's also having an affair with and has to make choices when a white cop (accused of killing other black cops 'by accident') actually kills a dirty black cop who was on the take and has to testify about it.

That basis is so wrought for horrible cliches and stupidity, yet Haggis weaves this tale with such clever dialogue and interesting characters, that even if the entire movie can be called deus ex machina, it still works brilliantly. The people talk over and at and through each other, everyone speaking english yet no one understanding what the other is really saying. it looks very harshly at stereotypes and breaks them down and holds them up all at the same time. It leads you down paths and you think you know exactly what will happen next, but Haggis treats the material with such a respect that even if you do know what will happen next (I sure didnt) it's incredible to watch it all unfold anyway.

Crash was plagued by a horrible marketing campaign and a very bad release timing (early summer) so it was buried.

If it is still playing, please go see it. Art, at its best, changes the world or how we see it. I'm not saying this movie is "change the world" material, but at least it makes an attempt at opening our eyes. At least it did for me. There's a great message in here and listen carefully to Cheadle's opening voice over and how it plays out, and makes perfect sense as the movie unfolds.

So far, best movie of the year.

peace
k2

[ericl]

Thanks for the review Kam, I'm definitely going to check it out. Timing defintely was off for a movie like this, buried under all the super-hyped summer blockbusters.

[kexodusc]

I saw this openning night, man, I'll agree it is a pretty darn good film. I thought the performances were all pretty good...real people, and no "lead role" really.

I don't think I'd give it best movie of the year so far, but it'd be in top 5, and is much better than it's success at the Box Office suggests.

Them's some good drama.

There's some hilarious lines in it too..a bit of everything.

[dean_martin]

Thanks, Kam. It may not be playing at a theater near me, but I'll certainly watch for the dvd realease.

BTW, I didn't think you were referring to the mid90's movie of same name, but you can never be too sure around here!

[MomurdA]

^^^^^^^^^ You mean the one where ppl get turned on by car crashes??

[dean_martin]

^^^^^^^^^ You mean the one where ppl get turned on by car crashes??

Yeah, that one. Kam was recommending Crash as a "date movie" in an earlier thread. I wasn't quite sure what to think.

[Kam]

Yeah, that one. Kam was recommending Crash as a "date movie" in an earlier thread. I wasn't quite sure what to think.

woops, sorry, didnt mean to cause confusion: not the david cronenburg movie with james spader and holly hunter, this one just came out earlier this year by Paul haggis, the guy who wrote Million Dollar Baby.