Sometimes we crash into each other just so we can feel something."So begins Paul Haggis's film, Crash, one of the most talked-about of 2005. The directing debut from the writer of "Million Dollar Baby" has courted controversy due to its sensitive subject nature and probably just the fact that it examines racial tensions in Los Angeles that are no doubt commonplace. These are exactly the sort of heavyweight issues that Oscar nominations tend to reward, and this year has been no exception. Along with Steven Spielberg and George Clooney's political dramas "Munich" and "Good Night and Good Luck", Crash has been nominated for Best Picture, as well as Director and Original Screenplay.
So, as you may have guessed, I would without a doubt recommend Crash. It's a film for adults, a film which makes you think and makes you re-assess what you know about the characters. It's emotional, dark and fairly gloomy, but it has a really important message to put across, and it might just change the way you think about yourself and others. Crash is probably my favourite film of 2005.
Will Paul Haggis's next project, the up-coming Bond film Casino Royale, be this good? I seriously doubt it, but with this guy writing it, it could have a surprise or two up its tuxedo sleeve.
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It also did well at the Baftas a few weeks ago: Thandie Newton made herself look like a right fool whilst collecting Best Supporting Actress, and it received Best Original Screenplay.
The film, as I said, is set in Los Angeles, the proverbial boiling pot of racial tensions, where dozens of different ethnic groups are forced together in one sprawling city. Well, at least that's the Los Angeles portrayed in this film. To reflect these groups, there are about twelve main characters, and the film follows their various lives over a twenty-four hour period, as they become obliviously interlinked with one another. The start of the film is at a car crash, hence the title and subsequent extended metaphor, and after switching back to the day before and following these characters, it finishes back at the moment of the crash, leaving the viewer with a better understanding of its causes.
rich white woman (Sandra Bullock) is afraid of black people, and her husband, the mayor of LA (Brendan Fraser) wants to improve his popularity with ethnic groups. Two black car thieves (Chris "Ludacris" Bridges and Larenz Tate) are on hand to steal their car. The police begin to search for the car, so when a racist cop (Matt Dillon) spots a black couple (Terrence
Howard and Thandie Newton) in a similar vehicle, he stops them and assaults the woman while her husband (Terrence Howard) watches helplessly. The cop's rookie apprentice (Ryan Phillipe) knows about his partner's activities, but is unsure whether to say anything. A Hispanic locksmith (Michael Pena) is kicked out of the house of the rich white woman, and also blamed by the Persian owner of a shop when the store is ransacked, due to a mix-up over the door he just fixed. Also featuring are a black policeman (Don Cheadle) and his partner (Jennifer Esposito) who investigate the crash and a Korean couple (including the guy from Lost). That should give you an idea of what kind of a story this is. A complex one. Certainly far too complex for me to explain here; they were just the main bits. However, although some of the inter-character links are sometimes a little coincidental, the structure of the piece is fantastic, and it will reward you for putting in the effort a film like this so badly needs. There's a danger in a film with so many characters that they don't get fully realised and become stereotypical, but herein lies the secret of the film's success. Haggis treats every character equally, and during the film they all express both good and bad features. This means there are no fixed goodies and baddies; these roles change throughout the story. Manipulative? Definitely, but at the same time extremely thought-provoking and pretty realistic when you think about it.
The acting, after the structure, is the factor that stands out for me. It's a real ensemble piece, and that's why it deservedly won the
Actor's Guild of America prize for Outstanding Ensemble Cast. I was surprised that only Matt Dillon is Oscar-nominated, for Supporting Actor. I think that Thandie Newton steals the show; whenever she's onscreen you know that there are going to be fireworks, and her range of emotions is breathtaking. Dillon is great, as the racist cop who still wins your sympathy, and he gives his character a lot of depth. It's good to see Brendan Fraser and Sandra Bullock playing some serious roles, and quite capable they are too. Don Cheadle is brilliant as always, and Ludacris is surprisingly good for a rapper, whilst the rest of the supporting cast all give natural and realistic performances.
Even though there are moments of humour, mainly provided by the two car thieves, the tone of the film is tremendously serious and tinged with sadness. A death, a near-fatal explosion, plus some dramatic and unexpected events, provide some parts where if you wanted to let yourself go, you could easily break down in tears. One part, called on the DVD "A Really Good Cloak" (so as not to give anything away) is slightly overblown, but still very emotional. This is aided by a fantastic soundtrack, including an Oscar-nominated song. "In The Deep". It seems that every serious drama these days, especially if racism is concerned, has to feature some ethnic wailing. Although a tad imposing, I found the music really atmospheric and beautiful. The city of LA is captured very nicely; most of it is set at night, creating a dark, ominous feeling. But don't worry; the ending of the film is quite hopeful for the future. It makes the statement that if different races want to live together, we have to first remove the prejudice and distrust that we have, and that this is entirely possible.
Since writing this review, you are probably aware that Crash became the surprise recipient of Sunday's Best Picture, edging out firm favourite Brokeback Mountain. It also won Best Editing and Best Original Screenplay, making the joint biggest winner on the night. Obviously I'm really happy for the film since I loved it so much, and I hope this will
