The Most Overrated Film of the Year (perhaps, of the decade)

Rating: Null/10 (26 June 2006)

"Crash" is one of those movies which, for some reason I can't really figure out, is considered by both critics/audiences a masterpiece. It got 3 Academy Awards: Best Picture (the one which should have gone to "Brokeback Mountain"), Best Editing (Claire Simpson did a much better job in "The Constant Gardener") and Best Original Screenplay (well, any other film deserved it more, I guess), among many other prestigious awards.
This is not a bad movie. It has some good moments and a few strong performances (Terrence Howard, Matt Dillon, Thandie Newton - all the rest of the cast is just okay; Don Roos' "Happy Endings" has a much better ensemble, if you ask me). The idea of a film concerning the hatred policy that rules in LA is compelling itself - but Paul Haggis (who wrote "Million Dollar Baby") and Bobby Moresco's script is so schematic that "Crash" became just a shadow of a great film. The "In the Deep" moment shamelessly ripped "Magnolia"s 'Wise Up' off (the comparison is inevitable). "Magnolia", by far the best film of 1999 and possibly the best ensemble drama ever, wasn't even nominated to Best Picture Oscar; but, at least, they awarded another great, daring film ("American Beauty"). Since in 2005 the strongest film was a "gay cowboy love story", the Academy puritans were courageous enough to award..."Crash", which is more like a slightly above the average TV-movie. My vote: 5.5 out of 10.