Over the Top but Fun Ride

Rating: 8/10 (16 September 2012)

In the film "Crash", that is written and directed by Paul Haggis, several characters' lives crash into each other as they are dealing with racial tensions in LA. The long list of characters includes a white district attorney Rick Cabot (Brendan Fraser) and his wife Jean Cabot (Sandra Bullock) whose car is stolen by two black men Anthony (Chris "Ludacris" Bridges) and Peter Waters (Larenz Tate), a black TV producer Cameron Thayer (Terrence Howard) and his wife Christine Thayer (Thandie Newton) who are pulled over by two white cops Officer Ryan (Matt Dillon) and Officer Hansen (Ryan Phillippe) of which one is racist and inappropriately frisks the wife, a Hispanic locksmith Daniel (Michael Pena) and family, a Persian store owner Farhad (Shaun Toub) and his family, a Chinese couple Choi (Greg Joung Paik) and Kim Lee (Alexis Rhee), and black detective Graham Waters (Don Cheadle) and his Hispanic female partner Ria (Jennifer Esposito). Their lives become intertwined through car accidents, vandalism, and shootings and their attitudes toward each other change throughout these events.
The major of theme of racism is really blatant and in your face throughout the movie. I found this to be a bit unrealistic. It's not that I don't think there are that many racist people, but the way in which their stories are all connected takes away from the realism. However, as much as it was unrealistic, I didn't mind because of the ride that that the film takes you on. Some characters use race to have power over other people, and other characters seem to learn from the mistakes they have made regarding another's race.
The style of the film is amazing and keeps you on the edge of your seat throughout. With each scene, I was curious how it was going to bring us back to the beginning of the film. Its style is a reminder of Paul Thomas Anderson's "Magnolia" which also includes a large cast of characters that are interwoven together. It's a complex style, but the theme is simple so it is easy to follow. I would recommend this film for the ride it takes you on and the discussions it will lead to in the end. The film highlights a serious problem in our world, even if it is portrayed a bit over the top.