An already over-eventful narrative -- what, another crash? -- teeters into melodramatic implausibility.
Crash (2005)
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:194
Fresh:146
Rotten:48
Average Rating:7.1/10
Consensus: A raw and unsettling morality piece on modern angst and urban disconnect, Crash examines the dangers of bigotry and xenophobia in the lives of interconnected Angelenos.
Theatrical Release:12-08-2005
Synopsis: A Brentwood housewife and her DA husband. A Persian store owner. Two police detectives who are also lovers. A black television director and his wife. A Mexican locksmith. Two car-jackers. A rookie... A Brentwood housewife and her DA husband. A Persian store owner. Two police detectives who are also lovers. A black television director and his wife. A Mexican locksmith. Two car-jackers. A rookie cop. A middle-aged Korean couple… They all live in Los Angeles. And in the next 36 hours, they will all collide… A provocative, unflinching look at the complexities of racial conflict in America, CRASH is that rare cinematic event - a film that challenges audiences to question their own prejudices. Diving headlong into the diverse melting pot of post-9/11 Los Angeles, this compelling urban drama tracks the volatile intersections of a multi-ethnic cast, examining fear and bigotry from multiple perspectives as characters careen in and out of one another's lives. No one is safe in the battle zones of racial strife. And no one is immune to the simmering rage that sparks violence - and changes lives... Funny, powerful, and always unpredictable, CRASH boldly explores the gray area between black and white, victim and aggressor…and finds no easy solutions. The dynamic feature directing debut of Emmy Award-winning writer/producer Paul Haggis, CRASH stars Sandra Bullock, Don Cheadle, Matt Dillon, Jennifer Esposito, William Fichtner, Brendan Fraser, Terrence Howard, Chris "Ludacris" Bridges, Thandie Newton, Ryan Phillippe and Larenz Tate, from a story by Paul Haggis and a screenplay by Haggis and Bobby Moresco. CRASH is produced by Cathy Schulman, Don Cheadle, Bob Yari, Mark R. Harris, Bobby Moresco and Paul Haggis. [More]
Starring: Thandie Newton, Matt Dillon, Don Cheadle, Michael Pena
Starring: Thandie Newton, Matt Dillon, Don Cheadle, Michael Pena, Sandra Bullock, Jennifer Esposito, Brendan Fraser, Larenz Tate, Ludacris, Ryan Phillippe, Terrence DaShon Howard, Shaun Toub
Director: Paul Haggis
Director: Paul Haggis
Screenwriter: Paul Haggis, Robert Moresco
Producer: Cathy Schulman, Don Cheadle, Bob Yari
Composer: Mark Isham
Studio: Lions Gate Films
Reviews for Crash
Few films are as daring. Few films this year are as deserving of your attention.
An engaging, provocative and thought-provoking drama with an intelligent script and terrific performances from its ensemble cast
Feels perhaps a bit too much like Magnolia for its own good. But it's a solid film about seriously important issues.
Compelling, brilliant, gripping, funny, constantly surprising - this is everything cinema should be. Go see, go see.
A haunting, perceptive and uncompromising examination of controversial subject matter, expertly written and directed by Paul Haggis and characterised by excellent performances from its starry cast.
Americans from radically different backgrounds are brought together by a grim serendipity in Paul Haggis's frustrating directorial debut.
The L.A. of Crash is a distorted scale model of the city that [writer-director Paul] Haggis treats as if it were the city itself.
[The actors] can't quite make Haggis' preachy puppet show feel entirely organic, but they certainly take some of the glare off of the strings.
The lesson offered here seems geared toward those viewers who were surprised by the Rodney King video.
Obnoxious, hollow, and not at all as smart or important as it thinks it is.
The theme is racism. Let me say that again: The theme is racism. I could say it 500 more times because that's how many times the movie says it, in every single scene.
The contrivances of first-time director Paul Haggis's script ultimately hurt the film but this Crash is still worth a curious drive-by look.
A preposterous view of American life that bleakly covers the surface of the social problems it tried to paint with such broad brush strokes.
The film's real message isn't anti-racism but pro-screenwriter. 'Look how many coincidences we can pile up!' it seems to say. 'Look at how these stories all interlock!'
Latest News for Crash
November 02, 2009:
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August 30, 2008:
A film teeming with solemn recognition of the nasty complexities of living in a multicultural society, and much of what remains unspoken racially in America being neatly shoved under a complacent rug. ![]()
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October 25, 2007:
Crash, Two Views: A testosterone-soaked LA, in a parable of male redemption forged on the backs of women. And, a high anxiety crash course, along the country's race and class divide. ![]()
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May 24, 2007:
Screenwriter Paul Haggis Enticed Back to "Bond 22"
If you liked "Casino Royale," (and who didn't?) you'll be happy to know that the screenwriting trio is now back in action for the 22nd Bond flick. More...
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