heavy-handed and over-written

Rating: 4/10 (7 February 2006)

Crash is a heavy-handed and over-written mess best appreciated by simplistic viewers who can pat themselves on the back for grasping a film that is ostensibly "deep." Scenes that are provocative and well staged (e.g., Dillon's piggish frisking of Newton) are nullified by moments of painful obviousness (e.g., Dillon's rescue of same from a car crash; and the idiocy concerning the protective invisible coat). When this convoluted film finally drew to a close, the only question I had was: Is LA that f$%king small? To end this comment on a positive note, I felt the redeeming features of this film were its acting (although Sandra Bullock's curiously immobile face had difficulty registering emotion), and its subject matter (racism). It will be interesting to see if film-makers examine this topic in a subsequent movie less manipulative and schematic.