A Melting Pot on Fire.

Rating: Null/10 (10 February 2006)

Outstanding allegory on our society and the views (both subtle and apparent) that we may have on others of varying racial and ethnic backgrounds. Over a two-day period in present-day Los Angeles, a whole cast of vivid characters clash and crash into one another in an emotionally draining sparring match of wits, words and explosive outcomes. Police officer Matt Dillon and new partner Ryan Phillippe do not see eye-to-eye when it comes to law enforcement practices. Dillon's blatant racism toward African Americans immediately makes him an unsympathetic character who seems to be reeling due to the fact that he is unable to find suitable health care for his ailing father. A high class African-American television director (the always outstanding Terrence Howard) and his socialite wife (Thandie Newton) find constant struggles due to the fact that they do have the finer things in life and are part of a societal racial minority---something that many others just cannot comprehend or understand. A district attorney (Brendan Fraser) has political problems on top of political problems as his blatantly terrified wife (Sandra Bullock's finest turn) becomes a jumbled bundle of nerves after they are carjacked by two hilariously informed African-American thieves (Larenz Tate and Chris 'Ludacris' Bridges) who obviously have their fair share of philosophical meanderings. A Mexican-American locksmith (Michael Pena) tries to provide comfort and solace to his young wife and daughter as he attempts to give them better lives than what he has had. A Persian immigrant (Shaun Toub) who is near a breaking point after the latest robbery of his convenient store also gets thrown into the dizzying mix. His adult daughter (Bahar Soomekh) tries to be the calming influence in his turbulent life. And of course we have two police detectives/lovers (Don Cheadle and Jennifer Esposito) who try to make sense of senseless happenings, while having trouble themselves in their personal relationship. Paul Haggis' demoralizingly real and complex screenplay is revolutionary and his direction is subtly strong as he takes a backseat behind the camera and lets his actors run to the bank with the multi-layered script. Highly intelligent and thought-provoking in its "this is happening right now" approach, "Crash" literally runs over its audience with strong cinematic executions and conclusions. 5 stars out of 5.