Ensemble cast deliver outstanding performances in one of the best films i've ever seen

Rating: 10/10 (18 February 2006)

I'd heard much hype about this film over the last few months and when it topped Eberts list for 2005 and was nominated for all its awards I knew I had to check it out. My expectations were quite high, but I wasn't disappointed. It was actually even better than I thought. The story contains several intertwining story lines involving around 20 people from many races that collide in the space of 36 hours. Its truly amazing to watch all these characters effected and how they change throughout. The film is really showing how people are in this day and age and how they react to different situations.
The best thing about the film is the cast, which is one of the biggest I can think of. Although some are given slightly more screen time than others, none dominate the picture, although there are certainly several stand-out performances. For me, the best performance came from Michael Lena as a locksmith who has some of the films most powerful and emotional scenes. He was criminally overlooked at the SAG awards by not being included in the award for ensemble cast, even though William Fichtner (though the good actor he is) was only in one scene and was included. However, his performance was Oscar Worthy and I really hope he goes onto bigger and better things after this because his performance was truly tremendous.
He is nearly matched by Don Cheadle and Matt Dillon whos performances seem to get better and better every new movie they star in and Dillon received a well deserved nomination. Good luck to him come the Acadamey Awards. The other performances are all first-rate and everyone has significant roles in the story.
Speaking of the Acadamey Awards, though I haven't seen the other nominated films, it appears to be a two-legged race between Crash and Brokeback Mountain. Although I haven't seen Brokeback I would really love Crash to win Best Picture as it really is one of the most challenging and thought provoking films I can think of.
Overall, this is a must see film for every mature person out there and provides a realist look at modern day people and how we react to those around us.
10/10