Brilliant in every, single way

Rating: 9/10 (8 June 2005)

Well, isn't this quite the movie. Uh-huhevery year, in my opinion, a movie is released that is made just perfectly. Made perfectlymeaning all of the acting, all of the writing, all of the directing, the music, the cinematography, the editing, the plot, story, all that, is just perfect. Last year that movie was "Collateral". The year before that it was "In America". This year, it is Paul Haggis' "Crash".
The film tells the stories of ten or so different people whose lives intersect over a forty-eight hour period, between two car accidents in LA. There's Detective Graham Waters (Don Cheadle) and his partner-girlfriend Ria (Jennifer Esposito) investigating the seemingly accidental shooting of a black cop, DA Rick Cabot (Brendan Fraser) and his neurotic wife Jean (Sandra Bullock), a TV director (Terrence Howard) and his wife (Thandie Newton), two cops  one racist (Matt Dillon), one gallant (Ryan Phillippe); an Iranian convenience store owner (Shaun Toub); two college-aged black men (Ludicrous and Larenz Tate) and the innocent, victimized locksmith Daniel (Michael Pena).
Some of them have connections with others when the movie begins, but by the end they'll all more or less be connected by the prejudices and judgments that they store in their hearts over years of ignored ignorance. As the most interesting character in the movie puts it: "You think you know who you are? You have no idea"by the end of the film, all of the main characters are at least starting to learn who they are.
How? Well, to give away even the smallest detail may spoil the experience, but let's just say that a lot of the characters meet through accidents, crashes if you will. A lot depends on coincidence, a lot on behavior, and a lot on prejudice. But everyone learns.
Ensemble movies like this are done a lot, I guess, but it always feels fresh and new when they're done so well, like with 1999's "Magnolia". This movie is clearer and more bearable than "Magnolia", which was a masterpiece in itself. It just so perfectly captures human nature  none of the characters are completely innocent, and none are one hundred percent guilty, either. This is shown perfectly in the characters of the two cops, through developments that I will not give away, but I will say that they are both brilliantly emotional and suspenseful.
And yes, the movie is suspenseful. It shouldn't be one of those "boring dramas" that action-and-stupid-comedy buffs seem to avoid. This is a movie that could draw anyone in, because everybody can find a piece of their soul somewhere in it.
Its qualities stretch far beyond themethis is an ensemble piece, an ensemble of talent. Writer director Paul Haggis has been around since the early nineties I guess, but with this so soon after his Oscar-nominated script for "Million Dollar Baby", I'm seeing him as a new talent. And he's good. If he plays his cards right he'll be able to ride the Hollywood horse in the way Spielberg and Tarantino are doing it right now.
And the acting  oh, the acting! It's superb, it's marvelous, every actor knows the soul of their character, and plays it excellently (even Ludicrous, who might just have an acting career ahead of him, unlike a lot of his rapper peers). Now everyone was good, make no mistake, but let me point out a few who were justextraordinary. Matt Dillon ranks in at number one, as the fierce, racist cop, who we hate from the start, but come to understand by the end. Sure, when he explains the roots of his prejudices, we roll our eyes, but imagine walking in his shoes? And he has a scene that will be remembered. And there's Terrence Howard and Thandie Newton as the black married couple, who each face prejudice on their own and together, and seeing them interact we thinkyes, this is a marriage. I knew Newton was great, but Howard is a bit of a surprise herea good surprise, he's more talented than I might've thought at first, and this is his performance. An Oscar, I say! Don Cheadle, Jennifer Esposito, Michael Pena, Shaun Toub, Brendan Fraser, William Fitchner, Keith David, Tony Danza and Sandra Bullock all pop up in a few scenes or more, and they each leave a great impression. People like Tony Danza and Sandra Bullock seemed like a lost cause, but they do have talentthey've just been hiding it for a while. It's expertly displayed here.
Basically, I can't think of a single reason for anyone of a mature age not to see this movie. It's greatone of the year's best.
9/10