Crash

"Crash," Paul Haggis' directoral debut (he wrote "Million Dollar Baby") is as impressive as great films come. I've heard people talk about "Crash" and sigh because they think all it was about was racism. But it is about much much more than that. It's about the goodness in people, and about the bad inside all of us. It's about how people---especially in L.A.---suffer from a lack of human-to-human contact, and emphasizes the needful craving we all have for relationships. And of course, it's about more drama and more coincidences than you can shake a stick at, but that's all well and good in my opinion. It's been compared to "Magnolia," which I can see but feel that it's somewhat of an unwarranted comparison. Just because a movie juggles a dozen characters wonderfully and complexly doesn't mean they're "Magnolia" or worthy to be compared to it. But "Crash" has some elements similar to it, and so, I can see why people are saying that. Although it's not nearly as brutally honest or provocative or shockingly intimate as "Magnolia" was and is, "Crash" is wonderful in its own ways, one of which being in the way it manages to take a group of characters and make them multi-dimensional and multi-layered. I was fascinated by where they all were going and I was intrigued and entertained by them at the same time. And for a film so dark and naked in its portrayal of racial and ethnic stereotypes, it still manages to make you laugh and make you laugh at yourself.

Also, if there ever was a movie that showcased my favorite Madeleine L'Engle chapter entitled "What Are You Looking For?" (from "A Stone for a Pillow") it would be "Crash." It proves---in the first 10 minutes---how people see what they want to see, and how people will find whatever it is they are looking for. Be it bad, or good, or ugly, or racist---it's all out there....waiting to be turned into something meaningful.

"Crash," like "Harold and Kumar Go To White Castle," sees America as it is today--particularly in terms of language differences and culture clashes. It is a gripping little imperfect piece of cinema, that will most likely garner a spot on my top ten list for 2005. Despite a few things I would've changed had I been the one making the movie (i.e., the end song that closes with the credits just does not fit---and ruined the mood of the film for me) and the final, ambiguous, yet, could-it-be-preaching-for-or-against-illegal-immigration shot---also felt out of place to some extent. However, this is a film you should definitely see, as long as you're in the mood for some tough entertainment. Beautiful score, unforgettable moments, powerful movie...period.