 Movie
Reviews
with Evelyn Gough
Crash (MA)
Written & directed by Paul Haggis
 "I'm
sorry sir, but we are no longer allowed to sell guns to people named Habib."
Tired of comic book adaptations and lame comedies? Want a gritty, thought-provoking
drama chock full of powerful performances from a top notch cast? Then Crash is
the movie for you.
Set in a 36-hour time frame, Crash follows the lives of several strangers who
will soon all interconnect in a way none of them could have ever predicted.
There's district attorney, Rick Cabot (Brendan Fraser) and his wife Jean (Sandra
Bullock); two police detectives, Graham and Ria (Don Cheadle and Jennifer Espostio)
who are also lovers; two car-jackers, Peter and Anthony (Larenz Tate and Chris
"Ludacris" Bridges); an African-American television director and his
wife, Cameron and Christine Thayer (Terence Dashon and Thandie Newton); a racist
cop, Ryan (Matt Dillon) and his partner, Hanson (Ryan Phillipe); and Persian store
owner, Farbad (Shaun Toub) and Mexican locksmith Daniel (Michael Pena).
None of them know it but they are all destined to collide and the resulting
crash will leave them reeling.
So... what's it all about and more to the point, is it any good?
Crash is most definitely a classy production and the stories and performances
are riveting. It targets racism and prejudice in contemporary Los Angeles so the
tone is rather sombre and at times extremely tense. And it also has a lot to say
about the United States' unhealthy obsession with guns.
This is not a movie I would recommend to my father, who is easily stressed
and I found it a bit preachy and at times unconvincing.
Bu it was good to see Sandra Bullock given a meatier role for a change and
she's great, as are the rest of the cast. Road rage, car jacking, murder, people
smuggling... welcome to LA!
Crash may not have you rushing to book a holiday in Los Angeles but it will
definitely leave an impression.
Rating: 
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