Netflix Movie Review #2

[borlandia]

"Crash" is centered in Los Angeles in modern times, and surveys the scope of racial tensions along all class lines. Basically every character in the movie holds some kind of stereotype (even the smaller roles) and ultimately they all intersect with eachother throughout the movie. The plot really carries this movie. There are no insignificant scenes throughout the entire movie, and they all more or less tie together at many different sections. A character from almost every nationality is depicted, and the kinds of setbacks they must endure in daily life in America. Therefore, the plot sets things up for the characters to overcome their predjudices in order to help themselves in bad situations, and in some just to survive. The plot, however, isn't bulletproof. It has such a fast-moving pace there's no time to develop the characters or really get to know them. A couple of them, although non-integral, you only see a couple of times, and it's difficult to keep up with the massive web of connections the cast weaves throughout the 3-day plot of this film. The ending and most of the last half-hour or so drags, despite its importance, and ends rather inconclusively with seemingly little solved and more problems to dissect. The lesson learned (be aware of your innate predjudices) is rather cliche and at the end when a few of the characters reach their "epiphanies" it is almost too Hollywood-ized to really take seriously or really hit home. Often times, the editing was very good and the shifts between the scenes were often clean, but overall the plot movement left this rather inconsistent.

The acting is done by an all-star cast including Brendan Fraser, Sandra Bullock, Ryan Phillipe, Don Cheadle, Matt Dillon and Ludacris. Amazingly, even Tony Danza gets a cameo appearance. Fraser and Bullock's characters are set out at the beginning to be important, but eventually peter out. The two most well developed characters are a half-black television executive whose marriage and problems dealing with racism from the other main character, Matt Dillon, a police officer whose father is suffering from potential cancer and lashes out towards the black community. The struggle between these two (and the underlying authority v. minority problem here) is the best part of the plot and the most well developed and thought out. Ludacris provides a lot of comic relief with great speeches on buses, waiting tables, and my personal favorite: rap music. There is also a reference to 9/11 early in the film to display its modernness and subtley hint that these are modern issues.

In conclusion: Good plot that sometimes moves too fast, inconclusive ending, great acting, and actually really good choice of background sound/music to make things more dramatic in the film. Not fantastic, but rather good nonetheless.

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