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Back Shelf Beauties
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Crash Crash isn't so much one big movie, but several small stories linked together as a large character study of Los Angeles. In one story, Jean (Sandra Bullock) and Rick (Brendan Fraser) are a well-to-do couple robbed at gun point by Peter (Larenz Tate) and Anthony (Ludacris). In another, Graham (Don Cheadle) is a police detective trying to find his missing brother, while taking care of his unappreciative mother. In a third story, Christine (Thandie Newton) and Cameron (Terrence Howard) are a well-to-do couple pulled over by two cops, Officer Ryan (Matt Dillon) and Officer Hanson (Ryan Phillippe). In yet another piece of the puzzle, Daniel (Michael Pena) is a young locksmith who keeps running afoul of customers through no fault of his own. How do all of these people link together? Crash is a good movie, but it tries too hard to throw racism in our faces as we watch the film. Director/writer Paul Haggis has a point to make about underlying beliefs and actions driven by racism, and puts forth some believable and sadly realistic scenarios, but his handling of the subject is too awkward and raw at various points in the film. He moderates the approach a little by showing many sides of the story and the changing attitudes of characters as each of them experience interactions with each other. However, at times, the dialogue felt too overt, two-dimensional and forced. Maybe I just hang out with good people, but the racist attitudes expressed by various characters were chillingly overt and almost too simpleminded even in the context presented here. On the positive side, Haggis deftly links the various plotlines together, and presents them in a way that is easy for the audience to keep straight in our minds. Crash is a movie you want to see for the great acting performances from some unlikely sources. Bullock is getting the most buzz for her turn as a bad, bad woman, which we have never seen before, but I think the audience should also be blown away by performances from lesser known actors Ludacris, Pena and Howard. Ludacris brings a great deal of depth to his criminal character and shows an ability to elevate a stereotypical character to wonderful heights, while showing us more than just the surface. Pena plays the most likable character as his Daniel is everything we want from a hero on the inside, from his statements and his desire to protect his family, while not everyone will be comfortable with the tattoos on the outside. Also, Howard is powerful as the TV director/producer who is emasculated by a racist cop who deserves a beating. His ability to show Cameron's resulting downfall is painful to watch, but painful in a good way. Toss in a career highlight performance from Matt Dillon, showing more complexity and anger than you have ever seen from him, and you have a good movie. 3 Waffles (Out Of 4) Copyright 2005 - WaffleMovies.com
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