`Crash' Hits Racial Soft Spot (EXCELLENT FILM A POLISHED GEM)

CTNOW.COM ^ | May 6, 2005 | DEBORAH HORNBLOW, Courant Film Critic

[fight_truth_decay]

During a few December days in contemporary Los Angeles, the lives of a handful of strangers intersect, bringing to a boil the racial prejudices and intolerance that simmer beneath the surface of writer/director Paul Haggis' vivid, symphonic "Crash." Haggis' tightly woven, beautifully acted ensemble drama is a story in which no ethnic group - whites, blacks, Latinos, Middle Eastern, Chinese - is spared pain, and none is without prejudice. But if a film about intolerance and racial tension sounds like a social studies assignment, here is where Haggis surprises.

One minute the audience is smiling or laughing at a black character's perception of white people or a white character's excessive paranoia; the next, we are wincing at a child's fear or recoiling from an act of violence that hits viewers like a punch in the stomach.

Requires excerpt:

[fight_truth_decay]

My second attempt at posting this review..the first removed for using TimesDispatch in my comments- "site restricted" . This excerpted as well..but think most movie going FReepers will enjoy "Crash". I certainly did; but was a pain in the neck to post to FR because of excerpts and restricted news links......!

[Borges]

Haggis also wrote 'Million Dollar Baby' screenplay.

[fight_truth_decay]

[RightWingAtheist]

He also created the cult tv show "Due South".

[LibFreeOrDie]

I loved "Due South".

Haggis is writing the screenplay for the film "Flags of Our Fathers" based on the book of the same name about the heroes of Iwo Jima, to be directed by Clint Eastwood.

[fr_freak]

Is this going to be yet another movie where all the white people are evil racists?

[Penner]

I liked the James Spader version better.

[L.A.Justice]

Michael Medved gave a positive review. He gave CRASH three and a half stars. (Out of four stars.)

[HHFi]

Here's where all the reviews are listed: http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/crash/

[KeyWest]

-He also created the cult tv show "Due South".-

And played the Mountie. Love the show.

[fight_truth_decay]

Is this going to be yet another movie where all the white people are evil racists?

No..read the review. Excellent film.

[fight_truth_decay]

Yes, know the site. I would follow blunt out of that whole crowd, most of whom I have never heard of...for Blunt is usually blunt..;)

"Crash is masterful film making..."
-- Emily Blunt, BLUNT REVIEW


But then film appreciation is a personal thing anyway. I can only say I enjoyed Crash which was definitely masterful in the direction that it took.

One of the cool scenes was when the car jackers (both black) of Bullock's and her husband's black Cadillac SUV are speeding away with the jackers searching for music on the car stereo; and one says to the other (paraphrase): "You know I really like Country music now and finds a Country station. (Later he even tells a police officer that has given him a lift that he has written a country song.) The other jacker who believes all white people are racists (to a degree his sidekick always laughs at his illogical paranoia) responds that during the 60's blacks (then names some radical leaders)spoke with a intelligent delivery of the english language/dialog; and therefore after rap music was born because "the government wanted blacks not to understand one another". He says, " You don't hear white people calling each other Honky or Cracker in music or on the street, why are blacks calling each other "N"?

Another good scene: "The Angel thread"- the young Hispanic ex-gang banger turned locksmith (who is first seen changing the locks on Bullock's doors after the car jacking) ties around his daughter's neck when he returns home from work finding her sleeping under her bed because of her past fears from living in a prior neighborhood and experiencing a bullet shot through her window..has further reaching importance then just one scene in the film. A scene that arises from a lack of miscommunication and/or full understanding of the English language by the Hispanic father and a middle eastern immigrant shopkeeper.

You might say everyone experiences a life lesson along the way. Should they give a "Crash" course in school using this film? Yeah, maybe they should.

[Hildy]

This was a great film in so many ways, and it accomplished what Million Dollar Baby did (same writer.) Although the Conservatives went ballistic about Million Dollar Baby, the movie, like this one, does not make a judgement on the actions of the players. He puts the situations out there and shows how people form opinions and make decisions based on their own experiences. Conservatives really missed the boat on MDB, and I hope they don't miss seeing thi sgem.

[Petronski]

I've heard this is a must-see.

[fight_truth_decay]

Was a gem, I agree. I liked Million Dollar Baby as well. Think it will be up for an award come Oscar time?

[fight_truth_decay]

The premise of "Crash" is based on a personal experience involving Paul Haggis, Crash director.

"Haggis and his wife actually had a gun pointed in their faces in a nice neighborhood by some guys who looked like they were college kids or well-to-do African-Americans. Instead of going home and calling the police, making a big stink over it and leaving it at that, he said he was going to write something about it. That night, he wrote 30 or 40 pages about all kinds of events that led to him creating this melting pot of different types of people crashing into one another." *link to story above for updated interview*

[fight_truth_decay]

Think it will be up for an award come Oscar time? CRASH, that is.

[Hildy]

Probably.

[Hildy]

No, it's not at all.

[cyborg]

One of the best shows ever.