Crash

I'm not a big fan of movies where multiple stories intertwine. But here, I don't even mind and the individual stories seemed complete. I felt the most emotion when Thandie Newton was being pulled out of the crashed car. But I was also touched by the fates of the other characters. I was really on edge at some points. Otherwise, I was amazed by the great music and unique atmosphere for most of the film. The film lived up to my expectations, yet I won't give it 5 stars. In the beginning, some parts were a bit boring. (08/20/2011)

Paul Haggis is an incredible talent, hIs script for Million Dollar Baby was fantastic and, after a short time, he repeats his performance and twice so. His direction is brilliant as well, and thanks to him, Crash is one of the best films of the year. The mosaic-like structure of the story is very similar, for example, to 21 Grams, but here it doesn't lose any of its attractiveness or power and forces the viewer to think about every scene that unfolds. The visually cold stylization of dark L.A. is a sure bet, just like the handheld camera. (09/04/2005)

There are two free seats on the bus, one of them is next to a white guy, the other is next to someone with brown skin. Where would you sit? This film answers this and similar questions, hinting at the circumstances that lead to them. Is it racism or avoiding a risk from fears based on previous negative experiences? An often unnecessary but quite logical price of mixing nations together. (04/08/2009)

Find strength, courage, and a clear mind. And let yourself get caught up in the clash. It's harder than it seems, because you might have to overcome prejudices. Not necessarily the racial ones that Haggis talks about, but purely cinematic ones. It requires rising above contrivance, incredibility, or potential calculation. This creative team certainly isn't aiming for that. There were times when I couldn't find a single wrong word to say about Crash, thanks to its sincerity and persuasiveness, and even though I now understand that everything fits together perhaps a bit too easily and not all the storylines are masterfully told, even ten years after its sensational Oscar triumph, it remains painfully relevant and timeless. The actors, the script, the perfectly captivating yet unobtrusive music, and one of the most flawless scenes I have ever seen, "I'll protect you", are responsible for that. And it's a scene that nobody who has seen the film will forget. (10/28/2005)

I've seen this movie a couple of times and I’m sure I'll see it a few more times because I simply enjoy it. The atmosphere and the story are nice, but what gets me the most are the characters. No one is just black or white (I mean character), everyone has been given an interesting mixture of traits, which is what makes this movie so great. I don’t think a movie like this would get away with it today, though. It does revolve around racial prejudice, but the only ones whose lives matter don't come off as complete good guys, which is where the problem lies. There were plenty of emotionally charged scenes. Thankfully, I didn't feel like someone was trying to forcefully jerk tears out of me. (12/23/2021)