What a brilliant movie

Rating: 9/10 (23 September 2005)

I have just watched Crash, and I have to say I thought it was a brilliant movie. The acting is excellent, and I was pleasantly surprised by Matt Damon's performance, very strong. The viewer has to pay special attention to virtually every character in the film; they will all become important links in the chain later on.
I would have to agree with other reviewers on the subject of the race card, it is played a lot throughout the film, but not to the point of dominating the whole thing. In fact, although the main characters are black, and the "bad guys" seem to be all white, it is more about fear and ignorance of class, as it is of colour.
Crash has a cast that will not be household names in the UK, but many will have been spotted in minor roles in other movies. In much the same way as Hill Street Blues did when it first aired in the UK, the quality of the acting and the script, makes you care about these people, as the series Lost is doing here right now.
I would advise first time watchers to take note of all that is happening around the characters, however small a role it appears they are playing. The movie is really split into two halves, in many ways a case of crime and redemption.
In the first half we are introduced to the characters, many of which would seem to have little or no chance of ever crossing each others paths. We will love some and hate others, only to go through a complete sea change of emotions later on.
The movie in its second phase, then develops characters that played seemingly insignificant roles, they now become a very different and more important ingredient in the climax to the film. To avoid spoiling the film for Crash "virgins" I will not comment too much on the plots. It is better to let the movie unravel for you and allow you to make your own judgement about the justification for their behaviour.
In closing, I would recommend this film to just about everyone. Get a pizza in, a few beers and take the phone off the hook. Then, with an open mind, sit back and be entertained.