"That's a nice-a donut."

Sunday, September 25, 2005

Crash (2005)

"It's the sense of touch. In any real city you walk, you know? You brush past people, people bump into you. In LA nobody touches you. We're always behind this metal and glass. I think we miss that touch so much that we crash into each other, just so we can feel something."

Paul Haggis, the Oscar-nominated scribe behind Million Dollar Baby, made his major feature directorial debut (other than a movie from 1993 that nobody has ever heard of) with Crash, an uncompromising work on racial tensions and problems in modern-day America. The setting is Los Angeles, and the plot takes place over about a two day period in which we find many of the characters interact and their lives intermingle and come together in unforeseen ways. For instance, the district attorney (Brandan Fraser) and his wife (Sandra Bullock) are carjacked by a pair of bright but troubled youths. Later that evening they have a locksmith (Michael Pena) change the locks on their home to provide a feeling of more security. That same locksmith does a job for an Iranian convenience store owner but that doesn't secure the door better and the store is robbed that night.

There are several other interesting tales, including a young police officer (Ryan Philippe) dealing with his bigoted partner (Matt Dillon), who in turn has harassed a successful black couple (Terrance Howard and Thandie Newton) on their way home from an awards show. Also, a police detective (Don Cheadle) must deal with his partner (Jennifer Esposito) who he is also dating and later investigates a possible killing. Not to mention a couple of car accidents that occur.

Things get turned upside down eventually as characters that were vicious before become human, and some that were more likeable show their bad side. Nearly all of them have their own racial prejudices, some of which are more serious and up front, while others have more subtle biases. Most of them either receive their comeuppance or atone for themselves in some way. The ensemble cast is very good, with no weak performances in the bunch. Matt Dillon, Terrance Howard, and Ludacris (as one of the carjackers) should be especially singled out. The all-star cast is so large though, that even Tony Danza appears. (What's next, Steve Guttenberg?)

The story moves briskly along, and even though the subject matter is very serious, it is never uninteresting and even includes some light humor to break up the tension at various points. The raw and unflinching manner in which each little vignette is told sort of slows the viewer from being able to really ponder any of the deep and profound comments that Haggis making on society at large.

The movie makes many small, but clever observations about race in America. Sometimes it's just the small things, like when Cheadle's detective says to his partner: "Oh, come on. I would have said a Mexican, but I don't think it would have pissed her off so much!" The problem is, her dad is from El Salvador and her mom from Puerto Rico; sort of along the lines of someone calling an Asian person (no matter what nationality) "Chinese." Some may find it too forthcoming, but for those people it may just mean that the themes hit too close to home.

The one thing generally holding Crash back from being really great is that it aims a little too far and wide at times. It results in a few of the situations being hackneyed and rather unbelievable. But if you think about it, so is racism. And what about the voiceover by the police detective at the beginning of the movie? Is it some deep metaphor or explanation for racial problems, or is it just some nonsense babble that only gives a feeling of really saying anything? I don't really know, perhaps a little bit of both. Haggis provides no answers or cure for the problem, or any of its many underlying causes. But, either way, I look forward to seeing what he has to say next.

The Verdict: B+.

Michael Bentley 3:46 PM

"That's a nice-a donut."

Sunday, September 25, 2005

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