A Review by Phil Calabro
***HIGHLY RECOMMENDED***
2005, Lions Gate Films, Dir. Paul Haggis - Starring Sandra Bullock, Don Cheadle, Matt Dillon, Tony Danza, Jennifer Esposito, William Fichtner, Brendan Fraser, Terrence Howard, Ludacris, Thandie Newton, Michael Pena, Ryan Phillippe, Larenz Tate, Shaun Toub
This is written proof that Paul Haggis is a mastered writer - he has made it possible to take one metaphorical cliche such as a car crash (or the act of crashing altogether) and transform it into a meaningful and emotional twist on racial tension. What I saw in 'Crash' never felt like a whole lot of stereotypes, but realistic dialogue among urban life. Racism has so many interpretations today, that it's become hard to point it out - but Haggis has a good hold on all different sorts of clashes, from the rich white suburbia to Latino communities to reverse-racism situations. The purpose isn't to show that LA or any other city has a lot of racists, but to show how ordinary and destructive it can be. There were times when I laughed, many when I cried, others when I just watched in complete awe at how real it was. 'Crash' is a meaningful film written with such intensity that it sure to leave audience members in some state of shock, and certainly one of this year's best.
In present day Los Angeles, a set of seperate storylines involving racial tension intertwine seemingly by coincidence and chance. The characters are introduced in states of anger, generally towards another race, so as to set the mood for the entire film. We meet the white rich Rick (Fraser), the district attorney of LA, and his wife Jean (Bullock), whose car is robbed by two unsuspecting hoodlums, Antony (Ludacris) and Peter (Tate). This sparks Jean in a racist frenzy, where she believes the locksmith Daniel (Pena) fixing their house locks, is a gang member when he in fact is a proud father with a beautiful young daughter. An Iranian salesman Farhad (Toub) believes the same thing, and goes after Daniel after he believes he robbed and vandalized his store. We then meet the chavunistic and equally racist Officer Ryan (Dillon), whose disgusting behavior is shown when he feels up the wife of a black TV director (Newton and Howard) just for kicks. His partner Officer Hanson (Phillippe) shows discomfort in Ryan's ways. Meanwhile, the relationship between black LA detective Graham (Cheadle) and Latino detective Ria (Esposito) escalates into a dangerous bend.
Major props go to Sarah Finn and Randi Hiller for casting such a star-studded yet entirely appropriate set of actors for 'Crash'. There were few occasions that I wasn't interested in the storylines, because the characters are written in such a truthful fashion that it seems so casual to understand them. Some of the best performances from the film arise from Matt Dillon, Michael Pena, and Shaun Toub. Dillon, an actor fashioned to situational comedies, feels right in the character of Officer Ryan. The role requires an extreme vengance for other races, mostly because he doesn't have the strength inside to help his stubborn and sickly father. The scene where he fondles the woman on the job is so hateful, that I applaud Dillon's ability to really strike the audience with such emotion. Michael Pena and Shaun Toub share one of the most mesmerizing, yet slightly trite, scenes in recent time. A shootout between the two comes to show the tragedy and beauty in other people - after the drama tones down, the viewer seems stunned. Don Cheadle's character felt too similar to other roles he's had in the past, such as 'The Assassination of Richard Nixon', and here he seems too bland.
The film ends with a personal favorite song of mine, "Maybe Tomorrow" by the Stereophonics. The tune plays the message that I conveyed most from the film - that there's always a chance for reconciliation and understanding within race. Certainly it will still exist, and it's a shame, but it takes accidents and luck to hit us in the face with the concept sometimes. We are all human, we share the same hopes and fears for the best, and through situations offered in 'Crash', we are getting a better hold of the situation than before. People may criticize the film for relying too much on coincidence, but I tend to think from the big picture. It's not luck, but everyday situations that give us the same conflicts. We don't have to have car crashes or robberies or major inconveniences to show the harm of racism - society is full of tiny little anecdotes that can help us through life without it. 'Crash' feels more real than its alternatives.
I can't help but feel stunned after seeing 'Crash' - it's hard to exit the theater without pointing out how indifferent some people can be, but that's not necessarily the attitude to take. Haggis wants this not just to be a showcasing of intolerance, but a wake-up call to do something about it. There's magic, charm, shock, and value in this incredible piece of art.
