"You think you know who you are. You have no idea."

Rating: 10/10 (7 May 2005)

Paul Haggis has proved that he is a great writer with his adaptation of F.X. O'Tooles works into "Million Dollar Baby", one of 2004's finest films. Now he proves that not only is he a great writer, but a great director as well, with "Crash". Like the 'tapestry' films of Robert Altman, "Crash" is a complex film, interweaving many different characters and stories to create a portrait of life in a big city.
"Crash" takes place in Los Angeles where racism and blind hatred affect everyone's lives, whether they be taking it or dishing it out. What "Crash" suggests, like Altman's "Nashville" and "Short Cuts", is that the problems the characters have derive from a lack of connections with each other. None of these characters take the time to meet each other,or learn about each other. All that matters is the color of their skin and how deep their wallet goes.
For example, Sandra Bullock's Jean, the narcissistic wife of the DA. Jean finds it perfectly OK to turn and run from people of other ethnicities, and to treat them all like low-life thugs. She even suspects her Latino locksmith of being a gang member, and wholly believes that he will sell her keys to other gangs. If she had taken the time to meet him she would have known that Daniel is actually a family man and a model citizen. But she doesn't know him, and she doesn't care.
Or, how about Matt Dillon's Ryan, a cop who pulls over a black couple and molests the wife, Christine, on the side of the road. Not because he hates them for being black, but because of his frustration in trying to deal with a black HMO agent just minutes earlier. Ryan's father is suffering from a urinary tract infection and can't sleep due to the pain. When he contacts the HMO to see if they'll cover pain medication, Ryan winds up talking to a black woman who tells him the medicine isn't covered. Ryan later visits her office and tells her there are at least five or six white men who should have her job and don't, thanks to affirmative action.
There are many other stories and characters in "Crash", too many to cover in detail here. The black and Latino detectives/lovers with severe racial tension between them; the eloquent, pseudo-existentialist carjackers (my personal favorite characters); the Persian shop owners who are mistaken for Arabs and treated like terrorists; the Asian immigrant couple who wind up in two separate car accidents; the list goes on. There are so many diverse people to meet here, it can seem overwhelming. With so many characters, it is amazing that writer/director Haggis manages to give them all time to become three-dimensional characters in the film's 113 minute running time. What's more amazing is that he manages to tie up every story so well. By allowing the story lines to bleed into each other, Haggis makes the connections they so desperately need.
The film's climax gives the audience a chance to see that every bad person can be good, and every good person can go wrong. It all depends on who they meet, and how they connect. It also reminds us that these characters will probably wind up the way they were before they crashed together, but they'll at least be wiser for what they experienced.
It's been a long time since a film stood out and demanded attention like "Crash" does. "Crash" is a big, bold film that will grab you instantly and won't let go until it takes you on one long, complicated, and powerful journey through the mess we call life. With Oscar-caliber performances, a brilliant screenplay, and a master in the makings at the helm, "Crash" is a major contender for film of the year. This is a sure-fire best picture nominee in my book, and you can quote me on that.