A Morality Tale

Rating: 10/10 (28 September 2012)

Crash is a drama co-written, produced, and directed by Paul Haggis. The film is about racial and social tensions in Los Angeles, California wherein several characters' stories interweave.The ensemble cast includes Sandra Bullock,Don Cheadle,Matt Dillon,Jennifer Esposito,Brendan Fraser,Terrence Howard,Chris "Ludacris" Bridges,Thandie Newton,Ryan Phillippe,Larenz Tate and Michael Peña It was inspired by a real life incident in which his Porsche was carjacked outside a video store on Wilshire Boulevard back in 1991.
Graham is a police detective whose brother is a street criminal, and it hurts him to know his mother cares more about his never-do-well brother than him. Graham's partner is Ria, who is also his girlfriend, though she has begun to bristle at his emotional distance, as well as his occasional insensitivity over the fact he's African-American and she's Hispanic. Rick is an L.A. district attorney whose wife, Jean, makes little secret of her fear and hatred of people unlike herself. Jean's worst imaginings about people of color are confirmed when her SUV is carjacked by two African-American men in Anthony, who dislikes white people as much as Jean hates blacks, and Peter, who is more open minded. Cameron is a well-to-do African-American television producer with a beautiful wife, Christine. While coming home from a party, Cameron and Christine are pulled over by Officer Ryan, who subjects them to a humiliating interrogation while his new partner, Officer Hansen (Ryan Phillippe), looks on. Daniel is a hard-working locksmith and dedicated father who discovers that his looks don't lead many of his customers to trust him. And Farhad is a Middle Eastern shopkeeper who is so constantly threatened in the wake of the 9/11 attacks that he decided he needs a gun to defend his family.
Movie studios, by and large, avoid controversial subjects like race the way you might avoid a hive of angry bees. So it's remarkable that Crash even got made; that it's a rich, intelligent, and moving exploration of the interlocking lives of a dozen Los Angeles residents--black, white, Latino, Asian, and Persian--is downright amazing.This is the rare American film really about something, and almost all the performances are riveting. It asks tough questions, and lets its audience struggle with the answers.