A work of cinematic genius.

Rating: 9/10 (27 March 2006)

According to Newton's Third Law of Motion, "For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction." In "Crash," the energy is conserved while we see lives of the characters either created or destroyed by events. Through exploration of tense racial and political subjects, "Crash" grips onto audiences with vignettes of superior drama.
During this year's Academy Awards, "Crash" took an unexpected victory for the "Best Picture" award over the expected winner "Brokeback Mountain." After watching "Crash," however, it became clear why this film is highly acclaimed.
We are introduced to several characters all in some ways are connected to each other over a 36-hour time frame occurring in Los Angeles. The movie portrays the variety of struggles between African-Americans and the LAPD, the paranoia and prejudice of Hispanics and Muslims, and the dark and bright sides of crime. In the end, all characters collide, and they are changed forever.
The genius in "Crash" not only lies in the plot, but also in the themes and messages lodged inside. The obvious issue is racism: minorities are targets of white men and sometimes of one another. The movie explores the tensions rooted in hardships and misunderstandings. For example, Officer Ryan (Matt Dillon) reveals his troubles are due to his ill father and their struggle to support themselves. Although not a "liberal" message, the movie downplays affirmative action and states that policy will harm minorities and only human intuition can help save discrimination. Several other "liberal" criticisms prevail such as Medicare reform, feminism, and immigration.
The characters in Crash are astounding. Especially fascinating is the rapper Ludicrous, who recently gained limelight acting in major films ("Hustle & Flow"The characters Terrence Howard have played beat up Ludicrous in both movies). His character, Anthony, is morally questionable yet he devises astute philosophies of life. In addition, the movie revives several diminishing actors such as Brendan Fraser and Sandra Bullock. Even the minor characters such as the fussy Asian woman were well-articulated, bringing "Crash" a high level of credibility.
But I gave the film a 9/10 rating because some of the content didn't connect well while some characters disappear after their climax and rarely resurface until a shot of him/her in the end. However, "Crash" is a well-merited film that is definitely worth watching or keeping. Since most of the political messages are strong, conservatives might be repulsed by these sensitive subjects. GREAT FILM!