Directed by:
Paul HaggisCinematography:
J. Michael MuroComposer:
Mark IshamCast:
Sandra Bullock, Don Cheadle, Matt Dillon, Jennifer Esposito, William Fichtner, Brendan Fraser, Terrence Howard, Ludacris, Thandiwe Newton, Ryan Phillippe (more)VOD (2)
Plots(1)
Crash uses a sophisticated, layered structure to tell the stories of a multi-racial group of characters in contemporary LA. As their lives inter-connect through a sequence of events around a car accident, we see their prejudices, tensions and hopes...and how tough yet uplifting life in the 'melting pot' can be. (Pathé Distribution UK)
Videos (2)
Reviews (12)
There are two free seats on the bus, one of them is next to a white guy, the other is next to someone with brown skin. Where would you sit? This film answers this and similar questions, hinting at the circumstances that lead to them. Is it racism or avoiding a risk from fears based on previous negative experiences? An often unnecessary but quite logical price of mixing nations together.
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The mirror reflecting contemporary America is perhaps angled in a way so as to provide the most effective reflection, but the whole thing is so believable that it's hard to resent it for that. Haggis's minimalist form achieves the best effect, which is an emotional attack on the viewer. Simple camera work, no directorial gimmicks or excesses, subtle music by Mark Isham, and above all, strong content that, in its own way, lacks a unified plot but instead fragments into a complex mosaic of individual human destinies and leaves an incredibly powerful, realistic, and human impact. Moreover, the strong cast elevates the quality of the film even higher. Still, I can't help but bring up one name - Don Cheadle. He is perhaps unfairly overlooked as an actor, but he proved here that he belongs to the absolute top in his field and that he has no issues taking on any role. Coincidences may not exist, but after watching Crash, one can successfully question that notion.
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There are certainly a few scenes that get under your skin and make you shudder, but as a whole it’s too contrived, too "for effect" (in this respect I experienced the same feelings at the turning point in Haggis's other film Million Dollar Baby), too many coincidences that I found hard to accept, unbelievable behaviour of some of the characters. I didn’t buy it...
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I'm not a big fan of movies where multiple stories intertwine. But here, I don't even mind and the individual stories seemed complete. I felt the most emotion when Thandie Newton was being pulled out of the crashed car. But I was also touched by the fates of the other characters. I was really on edge at some points. Otherwise, I was amazed by the great music and unique atmosphere for most of the film. The film lived up to my expectations, yet I won't give it 5 stars. In the beginning, some parts were a bit boring.
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Paul Haggis is an incredible talent, hIs script for Million Dollar Baby was fantastic and, after a short time, he repeats his performance and twice so. His direction is brilliant as well, and thanks to him, Crash is one of the best films of the year. The mosaic-like structure of the story is very similar, for example, to 21 Grams, but here it doesn't lose any of its attractiveness or power and forces the viewer to think about every scene that unfolds. The visually cold stylization of dark L.A. is a sure bet, just like the handheld camera.
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