Top Notch

Rating: 10/10 (5 February 2006)

I'm not often shocked or stunned by films. That is exactly what I was after watching Crash. This was one of the most powerful and mesmerizing films I have ever seen. Not a false note or wasted line of dialogue in the whole picture. One can't help but take a good look at his or herself in the mirror after a film like this. The actors are not portrayed as simply good or bad. There are shades of both and that colors the different scenes. The ensemble cast was astounding and not in the Ocean's 11 or Traffic artificial sort of way. I don't see stuff just because its packed with stars. If that were the case I would of loved Independence Day. These are all talented actors not just pretty faces. The director is completely in control of the audience and gives nothing away. You can predict-and you no doubt will-but you would be wrong. The suspense builds and is sustained until the closing credits after which you will be haunted by what transpired and how it violated your expectations. I didn't feel manipulated by the director because of some forced emotion of political agenda. I was manipulated because I couldn't help but be enthralled by all the characters and what would become of them as the events unfolded. This all transpired in a film under 2 hours long. That too me is remarkable.