Thought-Provoking Drama with a Powerful Story...

Rating: 9/10 (22 December 2007)

I had no idea what this movie was when I first rented it. I had never heard of it. I didn't know who was in it or even what it was about. I just knew that, when I worked at Blockbuster Video, everyone was asking for it when it came out. So, I decided to see what all the hype was about. After I had finished the movie, I was impressed. I thought it definitely lived up to all the talk I had heard. It had a terrific cast with a story that never slowed down. It provided a strong, emotional look at the racism running rampant. We are reminded of how everything we do affects the lives of those around us. One of the aspects I loved about this film was that it inspired thought after the credits began to roll.
This movie follows an ensemble cast and has multiple small story lines weaving through it. Don Cheadle and Jennifer Esposito play detectives investigating the murder of a black LAPD officer who was shot by a white colleague. Terrence Howard and Thandie Newton play a couple whose lives are changed after they are pulled over by the police and things go wrong. Brendan Fraser is a DA who, with his wife (Sandra Bullock), is carjacked by Chris 'Ludicrous' Bridges and Larenz Tate. This is only a sampling of the stories involved; each one colliding together in a 24 period.
Paul Haggis did a great job with his movie. Each of the case does a spectacular job. I enjoyed watching actors/actresses working roles I had never pictured them in, namely Sandra Bullock and Brendan Fraser. I wasn't used to seeing them in such serious roles and it was cool to witness the range of their abilities. Ludicrous really surprised me with how well he did in this movie. With so little acting experience, he really seemed to put 100% into his role and did well. There really weren't any weak spots in this film's casting and it would take forever to mention how well they each did.
There seem to be a lot of people who really don't like this movie, but I fail to see why. Each of the stories is developed enough to enjoy, despite having so many in one film. The acting is great and the flow of the story keeps from boring its audience. It's emotionally powerful (my wife STILL cries when watching it) and it sends an important message. As I said before, this movie also shows how much people effect each other in their daily lives. This is definitely a 'love it or hate it' movie and I think it's worth giving it a shot to find out where you stand.