A cynical attempt to address an important topic

Rating: 3/10 (12 June 2006)

I agree with all the negative postings on this movie. It appears to me that the Academy went for this film because of the topic it purports to address -- race relations in 2005 America. I wish this movie really did that important topic justice. But it doesn't. In fact, this movie instead proposes that: 1) People are generally malign and loathsome creatures regardless of race, creed, color or national origin and none of them can take any responsibility for their actions; 2) L.A. is a city filled with these creatures who are especially violent, thoughtless, and hateful -- stay away from Southern California at all costs; 3) There are really only about 21 people in L.A. and they all keep running into each other sort of like a ridiculous version of six degrees of separation; 4) When people occasionally do something good and righteous, it will either precede or be preceded by something equally evil and corrupt; 5) Racial stereotypes are pretty much true: Black women are mean-spirited overly aggressive shrews; white women are whiny, angry, spoiled brats; young black men are dangerous car jackers and white folks who don't know that are fools; immigrants from the middle east are not only angry and impatient, they will grab a gun and shoot you or your child dead if you don't fix their door (no...seriously...I am not exaggerating here); Black guys who get ahead feel guilty for not being a part of the neighborhood; White politicians are only interested in using people of color for their own political gain -- the list goes on; 6) Worst of all -- this movie purports that the world is a vicious and unpredictable environment regardless of any attempts we might make to better it. Better to just give up. For those who see any form of redemption in this movie, I suggest you were looking too hard. In the end the above six points make the movie not only a silly diatribe on a serious topic, but also offensive to the viewer regardless of your ethnicity. There are many fine movies about racial tension. Watch them all before wasting money on this clunker.