I can't really recall very many films that bring this many extremely talented actors together and actually make it work. This was one of the best films of 2004 and the subject matter of race and prejudice is just as relevant today as it was then.
I wouldn't say that any particular person is the star of this movie as it focuses on many different lives and how they happen to "crash" into one-another. The lineup is just incredible and includes Don Cheadle, Matt Dillon, Sandra Bullock, Jennifer Espisito, Brenden Frasier (in on the last good roles he has ever had,) Terrance Howard, Ludacris, Thandie Newton, Michael Pena, and Ryan Phillippe (whatever happened to that guy?)
The film is filled with racial stereotypes including but not limited to white people are racist, black people are criminals, middle-easterners are terrorists, and Asians can't integrate into society. There are others as well and anyone who is too sensitive might one to give this one a miss - however, the film presents these aspects of society in a very balanced manor and how certain people's perceptions of other racial groups are actually self-perpetuating or even caused by circumstances beyond their control.
Some critics lambasted the film for being "racially charged" and unfair to certain ethnicities / races - I say that when you make a film about race there is no way that some people aren't going to find an issue with it. Basically, you are not going to be able to please everyone. However it mostly received critical acclaim including Roger Ebert giving it 4 / 4, winning Best Picture at the Oscars and being named one the "30 most significant films of the past 30 years" by the Independent Film & Television alliance - whatever that is.
While pretty much everyone in this movie is incredible (even Brenden Frasier,) i personally found Terrance Howard's performance as "Cameron" to be the most compelling - he made me a fan of his after watching this film as his depiction of a character who is pushed to the brink by various factors including his home life to be just outstanding.
Ludacris continues to amaze the world because if you can believe this he was once just a local FM DJ who turned out to be an amazing rapper, producer, and now actor. Sometimes the biggest talents have rather humble beginnings.
The scene that sees these two working together was one of the most powerful in the entire movie and with a movie that has so many powerful moments, that is really saying something.
If you haven't seen this movie get ready for a roller coaster ride of emotion and entertainment as this is one of my favorite movies of all time.
The film also has an outstanding soundtrack composed and written by Mark Isham.
9.5 / 10
it is just about as perfect as a film can be
This movie here is a must see. I remember seeing it whe I was in middle school and trying to explain the connections to my little sister. Many many many years later this is a movie that still makes me feel every emotion possible.
Fun fact I believe this was the last dvd I ever purchased.
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It was easy to make fun of this movie the year it came out, a year after Avenue Q's iconic central song "Everybody's a little bit racist" became a thing. What Avenue Q did with a light touch and gentle satire, this movie laid on with heavy drama and manipulative contrivances.
It was also easy to underestimate, given that it seemed to pinch and twist the weather metaphor of the race classic, "Do the Right Thing," replacing the "hottest day in Brooklyn" trope with it's chilly "snow in Los Angeles" opposite.
And indeed, this movie does seem more contrived than "Do the Right Thing," as that movie laser focused on one incident, then worked backwards and forwards from the incident building a credible tapestry of an event, whereas this movie utilizes multiple unlikely coincidences, as well as questionable characterizations, to earn it's "everybody's a little bit racist but still basically decent" theme.
Some spoilers follow. . .
One questionable characterization suggests that a man's hard life with his dad somehow makes molesting a woman understandable. But if he did that to your sister, you'd find it hard to forgive him like this movie makes us do, when it contrives a rescue scenario with that very same woman.
Another questionable characterization is that of a Persian hothead, a middle-eastern cliche, so hotheaded that he'll fire a gun at a total innocent. At least this is balanced by the actions of his daughter, but you can't watch this movie and not think that this character is off-the-wall bonkers and less relatable than the molester.
All these thoughts I had back in 2004, when I saw and enjoyed the movie at the cinema, but was plagued by these doubts.
But with the passage of time, I like the movie more and more, as the need for a simple "everybody's a little bit racist" message has increased, with so much racial finger-pointing, so little self-criticism and taking responsibility.
And the performances in this movie are across the board awesome, with two stand-out unforgettably performed scenes, namely the Matt Dillon rescue scene with Thandie Newton, which made me tear up, and even better, the ferocious "I-can't-take-this-any-more" Terence Howard - Ryan Phillippe scene, which was superbly done, a truly electric scene where you sat on your seat cringing, waiting for an inevitable explosion. The scene resolved beautifully, with some of the most credible and tense acting and action of the whole movie.
While easy to critique, Crash ultimately does more to promote understanding of "the other" than 99 percent of movies, remains more resonant and topical today than when it was made, and gives a number of talented actors some of the best scenes they've ever filmed. :)
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"you embarrass me... you embarrass yourself." just awesome. As always thanks for your contribution to my average words.
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@gooddream This is an incredible movie and a fantastic review. I don't want to give away spoilers, but like @gooddream said, if you are very sensitive to the subject, pass on it. The performances were stellar and I was amazed at how well they cast everyone. There was one heartbreaking moment in it where I almost lost it that took place in a front yard of a hispanic male's home. This movie also covers not only the racial part, but society in general, with upper, middle and lower classes. I have watched this film several times and it never gets old!
Thank you for such a wonderful review and a great recommendation to your readers!
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I know what scene you are referring to and i had the same reaction.
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Crushing and heartbreaking at the same time!
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I'm so going to find this movie
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Hiii... Gooddream
Perfect review on this movie.
I aslo watched the film. I like very much.
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Take the pop-cultured infused socio-political discourse of a Spike Lee movie, the glossy grit of a Michael Mann LA crime story, and the compelling mosaic story-telling technique of a Paul Thomas Anderson film, and you'll get the "feel" for Paul Haggis' stunning directorial debut. To boil a film like "Crash" down to such terms, however, would do it severe injustice. Powerful and thought provoking, this is the most accomplished and compelling film since "21 Grams" premiered back at the end of 2003.
"Crash" brilliantly shows through intertwining vignettes, that are often blazingly funny in their brutal honesty and fascinatingly gut-wrenching in their melodrama, how subtle racism (often guised in nervous humor) and overt prejudice (often exasperated by sudden irrational violence and an overabundance of readily available firearms) completely permeate our culture and everyday interactions within society. A hyper intelligent script showcases not characters, but brilliant representations of real people, people we know and pass in the street every day, people not unlike us. People who at first seem to be lost causes in the war against racism (witnessed in Matt Dillon's harried beat cop and Sandra Bulluck's spoiled District Attorney's wife) can often become the most unlikely solutions to the problem, while people who ride in on their high horse (witnessed in Ryan Phillipe's noble young police officer) can turn against the tide in the blink of an eye. No one is immune to it no matter how hard they try to rise above it (witnessed in Don Cheadle's quietly tragic detective).
In the end, everyone is flawed, the racism is inescapable, and the audience feels a twinge of sympathy for just about everyone. Perhaps that is what Haggis is hinting at to be our answer. Showing empathy and being able to relate even on the most remote level to every human being out there is the first step to that true brotherhood of man. Because the film offers no real solution, the discussion and discourse it creates in the minds of the viewers is the first step in solving society's ills. We can't tackle everything at once, but we can open a dialogue, and hopefully, one person conversing with another will be the first step to our salvation. It takes a bold film to raise such questions, and an even greater one to compel an audience to talk about the potential answers, and that is exactly what "Crash" accomplishes.
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Great analysis boss. I think I need to watch the movie
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To be honest, i have not seen the movie yet but it is looking interesting after hearing the story from you, i will give it a try in my spare time.
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Awesome analysis man...
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I remember I saw this movie many years ago but I was very young then, I have read a lot of good things. I definitely need to watch it again one of these days.
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There are films that will never lose their relevance, and "Crash", unfortunately, applies to such films. Why unfortunately? - too gloomy impression remains after its viewing. During the final credits you feel complete devastation. Why is that? But because everything shown in the film is too real, there is nothing far-fetched, and life is shown as it really is, and not what some people used to see it.
In "Crash" there are no positive or negative characters. Authors do not divide people into "good" and "evil." Everything, as in life is much more complicated. Here for each speak his actions. It is actions that can be "good" or "bad" but not the people who commit them. The film turned out to be very difficult, but it could not be otherwise, because "Crash" is a picture of life, and what can be more difficult than life?
The game of actors at the highest level. The plot is completely unpredictable, so it's almost impossible to guess how the life of the characters will turn out in the future. And this incredible soundtrack, which complements the picture and creates a suitable atmosphere. The film was very emotional, I would even say shocking. To such it is difficult to remain indifferent.
10/10
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One of those overrated Oscar bate movies out there!It was okay-ish...
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It won an oscar for best picture, although some people think Brokeback mountain should have win that year but didn't because it was a controversial film (I don't know because I didn't saw it).
Is undeniable that Crash has a great cast. There are movies with similar cast but with dull stories like those new year, valentine day, etc. moviesDownvoting a post can decrease pending rewards and make it less visible. Common reasons:
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