This movie is well worth its Oscar

Rating: 10/10 (22 October 2009)

Spoilers throughout
Most of the time this movie doesn't make pleasant watching. We are faced with a collection of racists interacting with a few people who aren't racists - but even then, those who are may discover their error and those who aren't may discover they just didn't know themselves.
I'd expected a major car crash scene. It's not exactly like that. The crashes are between people who in the past have been "apart" but sometimes come together. What sort of crashes, I'll leave you to find out.
I watched this movie as Sandra Bullock stars - I didn't really know any of the other actors. I would say, any reason that gets you watching this telling social drama is a good reason. The racism is truly shocking - is it really this bad in the USA? Aren't there any penalties for insulting - or worse - people in this way? It's racism against all colours, and I expect all creeds too if there'd been time to go into creeds. The white lady unable to trust black people yet discovering it's a black person who'll help her in an emergency whilst everyone else including her husband can't be bothered or can't be reached, her husband probably carrying on with his black PA, the cop who thinks he's decent but racism can even get him, the cop who's definitely racist and yet will save anyone's life. The coloured man who's insulted by the cop sexually abusing his wife, and daren't answer back, and her fury at his cowardice - or was it just common sense? The cop who's forced to tell lies and make himself seem a fool because the police department don't want a race scandal. The DA embarrassed people will find out he was carjacked by "black guys" and trying to find a publicity fiddle to keep this secret. The shopkeeper insulted by being labelled with the "wrong" ethnic origin and the usual insurance small print that denies him compensation and then driven to desperate measures. The people trafficking. Guns here there and everywhere, easy to get, easy to use, shoot first, think later. I mean, it's got almost everything neatly fitted into this movie, hasn't it! And some clever twists - either sad or heartwarming to liven the mood when you are just thinking how horribly grim life apparently must be in LA.
Don't miss it!