A Powerful, Raw and Intelligent Movie

Rating: 9/10 (31 March 2008)

I am extremely glad that I watched this movie for two reasons. The first reason is that Crash is an extremely clever and complex human drama, which shows an uncompromising portrait of racism and how it can cause either a greater connection or division in a society. All of the characters are flawed and fascinating to observe, as we know that there will be someone almost exactly like them somewhere in the world today.
The second reason is a man called Paul Haggis. If I had avoided this movie, I would never have discovered how brilliant Haggis is at screen-writing. The dialogue in this movie is not only natural and realistic, but also startlingly effective. I was definitely caught off guard by some of the conversations because of the humanity and emotions involved, and even though I am not a huge fan of James Bond, one of the many reasons why I went to see Casino Royale with even a hint of anticipation was that I was immensely confident that Haggis' dialogue would be as superbly written and character-defining as it is in Crash.
Haggis also directs, and he does just as incredibly well at directing as he does at screen-writing. Whilst quite a few people will probably think that there are too many characters in the story, Haggis makes every single one of them thought-provoking, superbly complex and most importantly, human. When two different couples in the movie argue with each other over serious topics (sexual assault, carjacking) that have affected them, they are not quiet or peaceful. They shout, scream, swear and say things that offend each other, and afterwards feel terrible about it and wish it had never happened. These situations happen because they are human-beings, just like us; flawed, imperfect and entitled to mistakes.
Haggis is also aided by a superb cast. In this movie, some of the people who give the best performances are the cast members that you least expect to do just that. One prime example is Sandra Bullock. I watched this movie at the cinema shortly after seeing Miss Congeniality 2 with my little sister, and I despised that film. But Bullock's performance in Crash is a force of nature, and whenever she appears, she manages to steal the movie right from under most of the other actors' noses. However, there are a few performances that manage to rival hers. Matt Dillon does superbly well as a conflicted racist cop, whilst Don Cheadle gives a knock-out performance as a cop investigating the murder of his brother. Even the cast members with smaller roles impress, especially World Trade Center's Michael Pena as a Mexican locksmith.
Due to the unforced impact of its wide variety of characters, perfect performances and both stunning direction and writing from Paul Haggis, Crash is an exceptional, gritty and personal film. It is both devastating in its details of how racism tears apart the human race, and redeeming in the way that it illustrates that the good side of the human nature is able to shine through when utterly necessary. A great piece of intelligent cinema, and highly recommended by me.