Well....

Rating: 7/10 (24 July 2007)

Like Titanic before it, Best Picture-winning Crash has become a punching bag for movie snobs. While about as subtle as a series of left jabs from Hilary Swank, Paul Haggis's ensemble race drama is a watchable effort with some fine acting and a few truly moving moments.
I think Crash's biggest problem is that it tries too hard, often sacrificing believable dialogue and characters for the clever, preachy and faux-profound varieties. Aside from a few miscasts (Encino Man as the L.A. district attorney?), the actors are able to rise above the overly...scripty script. Thandie Newton and Terrence Howard give standout performances.
But my favorite characters, the films least clichéd, are the Hispanic locksmith and his daughter. My favorite scene in the film is probably the only one not centered around race: the one in which he comes home late from work and gives her an invincibility cloak that will protect her from neighborhood gunfire. It's a tender moment amidst the heavyhandedness.
Is there much about Crash that is hard-hitting, bold or over-the-top thought-provoking? In 2005, not really.
But I still liked it.