LA Confidential 2

Rating: 10/10 (10 September 2005)

let's see; corrupt, racist cops, a protagonist who has no idea who he is; a great, ensemble cast; actors playing against type (mostly), the fact that things haven't changed much; Crash is very much like a better movie called LA Confidential, but without the complex story-line and subtlety of the latter. but, having said that, Crash is one of the best films i've ever seen. more than many other films, CRASH changed me in more than just theory but in a tangible way. it showed the good and not so good in all of us; how complex human beings are, how shiny happy people on the surface can be the most lonely and isolated amongst us. i found it to be a poignant, subtle, intricate montage filled with heart-breaking nuances and circumstances and yet held a positive view for our species. desperation, bigotry, anger, helplessness, personal power, luck, courage and cowardice were all there. Paul Haggis' film is a "million dollar baby" in a world filled with such complexity and contradiction, and CRASH let our compassion, kindness, and ability to change shine through despite the ugliness in our world, and demonstrated how compassion and beauty can escalate as quickly as violence. this movie is going straight in my collection of favorite films to watch. it was also nice to see how good Thandie Newton and Ryan Philippe can be as actors while solidifying the performance standards of Matt Dillon and Don Cheadle. and how refreshing to see Sandra Bullock play a B**ch! everyone was superb. the cast deserves awards for ensemble cast, and the score was memorable. the screen play was both understated and powerful, a perfect blend. we are imperfect beings, but we are remarkable. as is this film. after reading some of the anti-Canadian commentaries about this film, for you Canadian critics out there, particularly the one who claims we should stick to what we know (hockey); i cant be the only one who sees the irony of these anti-Canadian comments. Haggis being Canadian has nothing to do with this film. the irony made me laugh. they only serve to validate this film even more. Atom Egoyan, Anne Wheeler, Lorne Michaels, Sylvan Chauvet, James Cameron, Denys Arcand, Norman Jewison, David Cronenberg, Arthur Hiller, Claude Jutra, Louis b Mayer and Ivan Reitman, to name a few, have being Canadian in common. although i'm willing to bet most of them have laced up a few pairs of skates, the last time i checked, they weren't on any hockey teams. film as an art form, can be masterpieces. we live in a global community, where bigotry and stereotyped views exist all over the planet. but as Sam-Wise says, there's good in this world too. that's the message i received from this great film. i didn't see it as an indictment on "americans" by an outsider. for me it was a comment on the complexity of man, that we're not just labels, and that good and not-so-good exists in All of us, that we are a flawed species and need to continually re-evaluate ourselves. i'm sorry if you felt this was an attack on America. if you think that bigotry of all kinds doesn't exist in Canada, nor anywhere else for that matter, come on up and visit sometime. and don't forget your skates. an American icon named Clint Eastwood chose Haggis to write the screenplay for one of his growing list of consistently amazing films. his work as a director is nothing short of astonishing. that alone says a LOT about both of them. footnote*** i had a chance to ask Terrence Howard two questions:1) "why do you think people are so divided about Crash?" Terrence: "i think it's because it forces people to look at questions about themselves that they haven't answered" 2)"would you work with Paul Haggis again?" Terrence:" are you kidding? i'd mow the man's lawn". Terrence, i'd watch any film you're in in a new york minute...
i've been doing some "asking around" after the best picture win at the Oscars. my preference was BBM, and strongly; but i wasn't surprised that Crash took home the big prize. people say, that Crash was "too in your face", too "preachy", and too "obvious". yeah, it was in your face; yeah, it was obvious. racism, and racial profiling is obvious. but we're not suppose to talk about it. we're expected to know it's all around us, so we don't need to hear about it nor think about it, nor see it. we have to be "subtle". Too damn bad that this film may compel you to confront these things. too damn bad it's so in your face....