An Honest, Long-Overdue Film About Race In Present-Day America

Rating: 8/10 (15 February 2006)

I watched this film again tonight & I'm surprised to say that I found it just as moving & provocative as I did the first time I saw it in the theater. Knowing how it ends did not take anything away from the pitch-perfect performances of each & every actor.
How the Academy could have overlooked Michael Pena for a Supporting Actor nom is unfathomable! That magical scene with his daughter & the cape was worth the price of admission by itself. Ditto for Ryan Phillipe's work. He's never impressed me in anything he's done until now. But I pegged him as the moral center of the film when I first saw it, the character we were supposed to admire & be most comfortable in identifying with. And his ultimate betrayal of everything he seemed to stand for previously still hit me like a punch in the gut upon second viewing.
Seeing Sandra Bullock play a privileged suburban bitch was a real treat. I always knew she had it in her, but it was great to see her cast off the mantle of American's Favorite Comedic Actress & show some real skills. Her work in this more than makes up for the banality of her MISS CONGENIALITY franchise. And I was glad for Matt Dillon's nomination, but it was an ensemble film. Considering all the crap Hollywood puts out for most of the year, the Academy could certainly have given more than one actor from CRASH a Best Supporting nod.
I hope against hope that CRASH will make good on its Oscar nom for Best Picture, despite being up against movies by Spielberg & George Clooney. Even if it doesn't win in any category, it's still part of my permanent collection.

RC