Crash

Review by Sylvia Allewelt

Crash examines Los Angeles' interracial society through a myriad of intersecting narratives brought together in an emotionally dark, intense, and at times confronting, whirlwind of a film.

The plot threads all deal with racial issues: Two black men, Peter (Larenz Tate) and Anthony (Chris 'Ludacris' Bridges) carjack an SUV owned by the LA district attorney, Rick Cabot (Brendon Fraser) and his wife Jean (Sandra Bullock).

The Cabot's home is having the door locks changed by Daniel (Michael Pena), who faces racial insults on the job and a harrowing incident with his family.

Two white policemen, Ryan (Matt Dillon) and Hanson (Ryan Phillipe) are called to find the Cabot's stolen SUV. The identical vehicle is coincidentally in front of the two cops, being driven by a well-to-do black couple Cameron (Terrence Howard) and Christine (Thadie Newton), who endure a nightmarish ordeal with Officer Ryan.

Two detectives, Graham (Don Cheadle) and Ria (Jennifer Esposito), find their interracial relationship strained while Graham deals with a miscreant brother, addict mother and racial stereotyping at work. Farhad (Shaun Toub), a Persian man angry and frightened at being vilified and his shop vandalised, goes with his daughter Dorri (Bahar Soomekh) to buy a gun.

Co-written by Paul Haggis, who also makes his feature film directorial debut, Crash’s storylines are tightly woven together and well-edited, and the performances are excellent.

Some of the stories have a grim end, while others are more buoyant; but Crash doesn’t examine the origins or give any answers about bigotry – it just shows the disquieting symptoms and outcomes. And it delivers them over and over again, which perhaps is the point: it gives you a lot to think about.

3.5 out of 5

Crash
Australian release: Thursday 12th of May, 2005
Cast: Sandra Bullock, Don Cheadle, Brendan Fraser, Ryan Phillipe, Matt Dillon, Jennifer Esposito, Thadie Newton, Terrence Howard, Chris ‘Ludacris’ Bridges, Larenz Tate, Nona Gaye, Michael Pena, Bahar Soomekh.
Director: Paul Haggis.
Website: Click here.

Brought to you by MovieHole