Heavy-handed

Rating: 6/10 (31 August 2005)

I was really looking forward to seeing Crash, but I'm afraid I found it quite dull and heavy handed. While the quality of the actors on screen is not in doubt, the large ensemble cast means that no one set of characters has much screen time and it is hard to get to know the characters and empathise with their actions. The handling of the race elements, although well-intentioned, came across as heavy handed, particularly the part of the film involving Matt Dillon's character, his background story and how he interacts with the health care/medical insurance clerk. However, what I did like about Crash was how the different elements of the story came together; I particularly enjoyed the strand involving Daniel the locksmith who was trying to make a better life for his family. I really wanted Crash to make me think about the issues it raised, but I left the cinema feeling a bit disappointed and let down.