I didn't find it that enjoyable but I did find it moving, well written, complex and thought provoking.

Rating: 8/10 (12 February 2006)

SPOILERS THROUGH:
Crash seems to be a love it or hate it type film but I'm in between on that. I found the themes explored here to be relevant and the movie left me moved, wound up and a bit shaken. There was not a performer here who did not deliver and the pure intensity of the performers and the film in general is enveloping from the beginning. Even if one had never heard of this film and did not know what it was about coming in, one can tell within the first five minutes what the message will be. Crash is definitely a movie with a message and it's unrelenting in it's force and energy. Throughout the two hours or so, this movie played for I don't think I moved once.
In spite of the positives, I can't say I really enjoyed this nor do I have a difficult time understanding why someone would not like it. Crash is really really heavy and at times brutal. I understand the people in saying that the movie is unrealistic because of all the coincidences that happen but I really think, though some of the individual stories maybe unrealistic, the complexities and attitudes of many in the film, are both realistic and sad.
Crash is a movie that is very uncomfortable to watch at times. There is a feeling that your eavesdropping into peoples' lives and it is almost impossible not to be a bit shaken and want to talk about the film afterward. I found the ensemble cast to be great and the film's writing to be excellent. It's an impressive film.
If I were to voice any negatives, it actually would not be the coincidence factor, it would be the fact that it is very difficult just to relax and enjoy the film at any moment for any length of time. Virtually every scene has either something bad happening, or the sense that something bad is right around the corner and in my opinion the musical score took away from the film, not because it wasn't a good musical score but because it seemed more suited for a horror movie. The music quickly overshadowed the film and due to the constant rising and falling of the music, there was the sense constantly that something terrible was about to happen. Almost everything seemed like foreshadowing and it was hard not to get caught up in wondering which character was about to get killed, beaten up or screamed at next. This, to me, actually took away from the movie's message because your so busy wondering about this or that, there's very little ability to just sit back and watch the film unfold.
In spite of the fact I didn't ENJOY this, it was a much better then average movie. I wouldn't give this the Oscar but I could see any of the performers being recognized and I really was impressed by the screenplay, the cleverness of the writing and the emotional depth of the film. All the performers(really, all of them!) were great but I must single out Matt Dillon who stunned me with one of the most intense ensemble performances I've ever seen and the chemistry of all the people working together was great. This wasn't one of the more enjoyable films of the year but it was one of the most forceful and deserves the recognition it has been getting. My vote's 8 of 10.