An American Triumph

Rating: 9/10 (5 December 2006)

Paul Haggis's "Crash" is a triumph of a movie, and it is not without obstacles. It has a mundane plot and dialog that lacks subtly. Yet the superb acting and multitude of provocative questions the film asks its audience to ponder is nothing short of remarkable as it is remarkably important. The cast is exhilarating, particularly Sandra Bullock as a snooty house wife, Matt Dillon as a racist police cop, and especially Thandie Newton as a distraught lady caught in between having to conform to the subtle nature of racism in contemporary LA and the racism Dillon's character inflicts upon her. "Crash" won the Academy Award for Best Picture and I was happy it did so. Unlike "Brokeback Mountain," another great film, "Crash" has a redeeming ending and gives the characters a new sense of definition for their life. To be sure, it is upsetting but not without reason. Definitely worth seeing if you haven't done so already. This one is for the shelf.
GRADE: A