Review: Crash (A-)

Crash (2005)
Directed by Paul Haggis
Starring Don Cheadle, Sandra Bullock, Matt Dillon, Ryan Phillippe, Brendan Fraser, Ludacris
MPAA: R
Grade: A-

Review by Scott Standish

One of the best movies of the year, Crash is a phenomenal character study and much more. Set in Los Angeles, post 9/11, Crash highlights how racism touches everyone. Eight actors of different background and ethnicity see their lives collide over a 36 hour stretch.

Director Paul Haggis deftly weaves the back stories of Crash in a style similar to Robert Altman's best works. There are too many stellar characters here to list them all, but Crash features a fabulous ensemble performance to be certain. Sandra Bullock is an angry woman with racist feelings that explode during the course of the film. Her husband (played surprisingly well by Brendan Fraser) is District Attorney that has just had his car jacked. Terrence Howard stands out here as a successful director that is forced to watch as a racist police officer harasses his wife. Don Cheadle is wonderful as a detective that has seen it all.

Crash is a fantastic debut film from director Paul Haggis and it hits with a powerful emotional punch. Racism is alive and well in the U.S. and it lurks beneath the surface of everyday lives. Crash features some of the best acting performances of the year and I would not be surprised to see this film gain several Academy Award nominations. Highly recommended.