Disappointingly flawed

Rating: 5/10 (24 April 2006)

Goodness knows it's ground that is well trodden - Short Cuts and Magnolia to name but two meandering LA multi-character tales - but it's not far off a remake of Lawrence Kasdan's racially themed Grand Canyon (yes, there's even a movie producer character). So it needs a lot to stand out, but a ludicrously contrived plot and ludicrously contrived characters put paid to that. Least convincing are two black friends who talk in loud passionate political debate (one militant, one reasoned), before pulling out guns on white passers-by. What, in God's name, is THAT all about? Playing more like theatre than reality, Crash fails to convince even at its primary level of preaching about racial tension. The second half improves and there are a couple of powerful scenes before it all stops. But the best film of 2005? Pur-lease.