CRASH (2005)

Winner of the Oscar for Best Picture. Starring Matt Dillon, Don Cheadle, Sandra Bullock, Ryan Phillipe, Brendan Fraser, Ludicris, Loretta Devine,Terrance Howard, Jennifer Esposito, Thandie Newton 

Synopsis: "Crash" is a movie featuring an emsemble cast dealing with events that transpire over a short period of time in Los Angeles, yet connects these people of differing backgrounds.

When I first saw Crash on dvd a while back, there was no question in my mind that it was the best movie of the year, and maybe one of the best of the last several years. Foremost, it touched on a very real and relevant overall topic, which is how citizens deal with each other in our ever diversifying culture. 

The best thing about the picture is that it gives us a look at the multi layered and sometimes ambiguous actions and behaviors of people we deal with who may be from different cultures or who we may perceive to be different from us.

I say that because in the movie, I was thinking that the Persian store owner and the Latino locksmith had much more in common on an everyday basis than differences due to ethnicity. Likewise, I felt that the same way about the "good" police officer (Ryan Phillipe, Five Fingers  Stop-Loss) and Terence Howard's character. As you saw in the movie, there was a big clash between both of these pairs as we see almost everyone in the film forming opinions, attifudes, and actions towards others based on their beliefs as to that person's ethnic or socioeconomic group.

Two of the characters who exhibit the most overt prejudice in the film, Matt Dillon and Sandra Bullock, also show exceptional empathy or feelings for members of the very same groups that they were loudly prejudiced against in the film. Some might say that the film is pie-in-the-sky or Hollywood trying to impose its "values" on those of us who want to be content with our prejudice But, I don't think this was the intent of the film, which is why it resonated so well.

For many of us with similar real life experiences to some of the characters in the movie, it is not surprising that the racist cop character played by Matt Dillon could have a father who was unusually kind to people of color before it was fashionable, then display incredible courage to help an African American woman who had earlier been the victim of his racism. It is not surprising that Sandra Bullock's character, after a traumatic experience with a couple of non-whites, could rail loudly, and in the presence of her Hispanic locksmith, against Hispanic "gang members" and then realize and accept that her best friend is a Hispanic.

Those are only two of the many instances within this excellent film, but, to me, it has the ring of truth and reality. Certainly, the movie's Los Angeles setting provides a setting for the intersection of cultures that many people might not experience on a day to day basis. But, ,there is something there for everyone, even within cultures, as we see with Don Cheadle's character as opposed to his family in the film.

I think Crash is one of the most important films to come out in some time and, no, I'm not one who thinks all films need to have some life changing meaning. To me, its fine if a film is just a two hour escape or a good time. But, when a film does have something to say or, more importantly, make us think about, its all the better.

And I would not classify this film as controversial, just real. For all of the criticism-much of it deserved-about the type of films that Hollywood produces for us, it needs to be congratulated when it makes a concerted effort to gives us a superior effort like this movie.

The Oscar was well deserved and, frankly, no other film of the year was even close.