Excellent and heart breaking- - so why didn't I give it a 10?

Rating: 9/10 (30 June 2006)

Few films have ever succeeded in breaking my heart; and Crash is one of them. This film is brilliant and it breaks your heart to watch it. I haven't seen any of the other nominees for the 2006 Best Picture Oscar so I have no idea how it compares, but Crash is indeed wonderful.
The entire cast does an amazing job. Their performances (as individuals and as a whole) are stunning and inspired. There is not a single performance that I was able to find a problem with, and that surprised me. For one, it is a colossal ensemble piece, you would expect one of them to back down at least once. But they never do. In fact, some of the actors have redeemed themselves in my eyes. Most particularly, Ryan Phillipe as Henderson. He doesn't mumble, and his character isn't the sort of pathetic, self assertive, slime ball that I'm used to seeing him as. All the performances are excellent, but there are a few in particular that I would like to point out: Matt Dillon as Officer John Ryan. He plays the most disgusting, racist, bigot that ever existed. His anger (at himself, at his father, for his father) wells up inside until he sees no way to relieve it other than to be racist. He molests a black woman without a second thought. And then, he tries to do the right thing, only to find that his past actions have an affect on people, so much that they are unable to forgive him for some things. Another performance is Don Cheadle as Graham Waters. A black detective from the inner city who has risen to a level far above his beginnings. As much as he hates his past, he is still connected to it, as he takes care of his druggie mother, and shields her from what her youngest son has become. Sandra Bullock as Jean Cabot. Where's Miss Conjeniality now? She plays an afraid, lonely, and prejudiced wife, who feels as if she's always angry, but without a reason. I have a whole new respect for her acting abilities. My final favorite performance goes to Michael Pena as Daniel. An honest, law abiding man trying to make a life for his young daughter, away from the violence that surrounds their life. His role as a caring father is perfect, and it breaks my heart.
My hat goes off to Paul Haggis. I cannot even imagine making this movie. The camera angles are wonderful, but I really loved the transitions. Weird, I know, but I do love them. They are not abrupt, there are no dissolves, or old school transitions. They are all smooth, flowing from one scene to the next flawlessly. They help to keep the film moving at a quick pace. The script is astounding as well, so my hat goes off to Robert "Bobby" Moresco as well as Haggis. I cannot even fathom writing this screenplay. The entire premise is so complex, that I just have to give it a standing ovation. The dialog flows and every single one of the characters are created perfectly. They come alive for us on screen. They *are* alive for us. There are so many twists and turns of the plot (just as with real life), that you are sucked in. I love, even though it kills me, the plot twist that happens to Henderson. That kills me. The young, white cop, fighting for equality, who does the one thing he hates. It's one of the truest moments I have ever seen on film.
And that brings me to the reason that I am unable to give Crash a perfect 10. As superb as it is, the acting, the direction, the writing, it is flawed in too many ways - too many for me just to over look. Crash fails to wrap up many of the loose ends that its multiple story lines are bound to have. And it's a shame too. I want to know how Henderson handles what he did. I want to know what was really going on between Rick and Karen and how he breaks that to Jean, or if he just lets it slide. But all in all, Crash is a gem. I loved it, and I give it an extremely high 9/10.