Plot Details: This opinion reveals major details about the movie's plot.

In the moment of post-9/11 America, it seems very clear that the country is in turmoil not just in politics but in all sorts of issues. Racism is one of them as the days of the Civil Rights movement proves that not all are created equal. It's not just tension between blacks and whites but everyone. Especially in this post-9/11 world that we live in. In 2004 at the Toronto Film Festival, one film came out that revealed all that tension on one entire day in a movie simply titled Crash (not to be confused with the sexual, car-crash 1996 film by David Cronenberg).

Based on a story by Million Dollar Baby screenwriter Paul Haggis, Crash is a film about a group of people discussing and dealing with racism on a tense day in Los Angeles during the Christmas holidays. Directed by Haggis with a script written by co-producer Bobby Moresco, Crash is a multi-layered, episodic film filled with interconnecting stories in the tradition of legendary director Robert Altman. This time around, Haggis focuses the core on the tension between people. Starring co-producer Don Cheadle, Sandra Bullock, Brendan Fraser, Thandie Newton, Terrence Howard, Matt Dillon, Jennifer Esposito, Larenz Tate, hip-hop artist Ludacris, Ryan Phillippe, William Fichter, Michael Pena, Loretta Devine, Shaun Toub, Keith David, Tony Danza, Thandie Newton, Nona Gaye, Beverly Todd, and Marina Sirtis. Crash is a powerful, provocative film from Paul Haggis.

It's the Christmas holidays in Los Angeles and things are tense as an Iranian shop owner named Farhad (Shaun Toub) is buying a gun with his adult daughter Shereen (Marina Sirtis) is trying to calm him down since he's been paranoid since 9/11. Later that night, detective Graham Waters (Don Cheadle) and his partner/girlfriend Ria (Jennifer Esposito) are investigating a murder of a cop who has been shot by another. Meanwhile, two young black men Anthony (Ludacris) and Peter (Larenz Tate) are walking in an upper class area of Los Angeles where Anthony talks about his views on racism to the young Peter. Later, the two begin a carjack on a woman named Jean (Sandra Bullock) and her husband Rick Cabot (Brendan Fraser) who is a district attorney.

Anthony and Peter steal the car while the report of the stolen car is taken two a veteran policeman named Jack Ryan (Matt Dillon) and his young partner Tommy Hanson (Ryan Phillippe). Ryan and Hanson found a car that is similar to what they're searching for as Ryan decides to check it out. The car belongs to a young, rich black couple as they're just being relaxed as the wife Christine Thayer (Thandie Newton) is a little drunk while her TV director husband Cameron (Terrence Howard) is driving. Cameron didn't drink but Ryan decides to check things out as he things get a little troubling as Ryan decides to check out Christine where he physically humiliates her. The night only worsens when Anthony and Peter accidentally hit an Asian when Anthony was talking about how blacks are always prejudiced. After pulling him from under the car, it only worsens their night as the car they stole has to be destroyed.

The night becomes more tense as Jean's anger over the carjack becomes uncontrollable as she begins to spew all this hatred to the point that a locksmith named Daniel (Michael Pena) is overhearing. Daniel returns home to his daughter Lara (Ashlyn Sanchez) who was scared over gunshots she hear outside of their home. Daniel then gets another call to put a new lock on a door. When he puts the new lock for Farhad, he tells Farhad that he needs a new door where the paranoid Farhad is thinking that Daniel is cheating him. Ryan meanwhile, is calling a woman named Shaniqua (Loretta Devine) about his father (Bruce Kirby) who is staying at his home for a prostate condition. Ryan’s prejudice views gives him problems with Shaniqua while Tommy asks his superior, Lt. Dixon (Keith David) to be assigned a new partner for personal reasons.

The night gets more tense as Christine and Cameron argue over what happened as she claims that Cameron acted too easy and not ghetto enough. Graham meanwhile, is having a night with Ria where his ignorance over her background only troubles their night. Day arrives as Farhad's store had been destroyed as he seeks vengeance while Cabot with his press secretary Karen (Nona Gaye) is going to talk about the carjack he just been apart in as well as the incident of the black cop killed by a white cop. Graham, continues his investigation while taking care of his drug addict mother (Beverly Todd) who is trying to find her son. Graham is reported to talk about the cop incident as he learns the truth where he talks to a PR agent named Jake Flanagan (William Fichter) who blackmails him into revealing the information to Cabot. Jean Cabot meanwhile, is still fuming over the carjack incident as she begins to lash out at everything around her including her Hispanic maid Maria (Yomi Perry).

After talking with Shaniqua about his father at the clinic, Ryan’s anger and prejudice comes ahead at her when he leaves to return to his post as he tells Tommy about that anger. Cameron goes to work on his TV show when his producer Fred (Tony Danza) wonders if the dialogue isn't black enough as Cameron begins to deal with his identity and even worse, more of Christine's plea over what happened. Anthony and Peter tries to pull off more things as Anthony's examination of racism continues. Immediately, the tense day only becomes more troubling as all the people come together in a series of odd and traumatic events.

Ever since 9/11, America has indeed gotten more chaotic where stereotype one race can indeed lead to immense misinterpretation. What Paul Haggis and co-writer Bobby Moresco do is show those flaws of humanity and the hatred that every day human beings go through. It's practically true since probably every once in a while, someone who isn't racist might say a racial slur or say something by mistake. It's something that everyone will likely say. In what Haggis does is convey an episodic, multi-layered story where in the span of 24 hours, all that tension comes face-to-face to every character in that film. It's not just the viewpoints of the characters on what they see but how they're misinterpreted whether it's about one's culture or a taste of music in the parallels of country and hip-hop where Anthony and Peter see their similarities.

All of these issues truly work in not just the film's amazingly structure script but in Haggis' observant and intense approach to directing. The script is very well structured in the three acts. The first is the things that happen and the second act is their reaction to these incidents. Then comes the third where all the characters go through some change, some good, some bad. Yet it's real to the way humanity is dealt with, especially in America where racism is still around. It's something that from probably a realistic or cynical point of view, won't go away. Haggis doesn't go to the point where it becomes very preachy but he just shows that some things can work out in the end and some won't. Plus, the film's title sums up on how the movie begins and ends not just metaphorically but literally.

Helping Haggis in his observant direction is cinematographer James Muro whose lush, colorful photography is filled with some tense moments in its lighting over the areas the characters are in, especially in the exterior scenes while getting additional help from Dana Gonzales with the photography. Production designer Laurence Bennett and art director Brandee Dell'Aringa also bring out that strange world of upper-class Los Angeles and the more urban areas and places that people work in where everything seems very real. Even the costumes of Linda M. Bass reveal those worlds. Editor Hughes Winborne does great job in cutting the film from sequence to sequence without losing track of each story that goes on while doing to some nice cutting into connecting those stories. The film's score by Mark Isham is exquisitely haunting in the tension that it brings with its ambient textures and evocative vocals ranging from operatic to Arabian chanting.

Finally, we come to the film's large and amazing ensemble cast where everyone stands out. While small performances from Beverly Todd, Keith David, Marina Sirtis, Ashlyn Sanchez, Loretta Devine, Bruce Kirby, Nona Gaye, Yomi Perry, William Fichter, and Tony Danza were brief, their brief moments feature some strong and amazing work. Shaun Toub is amazing in his performance as a paranoid, angry Iranian who believe because of who he is, he means trouble and nearly becomes that as he delivers a great performance. Michael Pena is also excellent in the role of a Latino locksmith who has a great heart while breaking the stereotype of what Latinos are usually thought of. Sandra Bullock delivers a performance that also breaks her own realm of typecasting as a woman who becomes very hateful to the point that it is shocking and it's a truly a strong performance. Ryan Phillippe also breaks away from his pretty-boy model to convey an amazing performance as an idealistic cop who tries to do good only to realize that his idealism is really a naivete.

Larenz Tate is also excellent in his role as the more naive, innocent carjacker who has a fondness for hockey and country music while trying to understand the prejudices of the world. Ludacris also gives a very strong performance as a prejudice black man whose cynicism about his own race is somewhat insightful until he becomes part of an incident that kind of changes his perspective in a great, memorable performance. Jennifer Esposito is wonderful as a Latino cop who has to confront her boyfriend about her own background in a great scene where Esposito steals the show. Don Cheadle is amazing as usual in a brilliant performance as a cop conflicted with his own personal life and his own ignorance of race while having to deal with being a good cop. Brendan Fraser does excellent work as a district attorney who is faced with doing the right thing for himself or for his own political career.

Thandie Newton delivers a strong, powerful performance as a woman whose public humiliation reveals not just her own anger but her own prejudice in how rich she's become since she knows that the color of her skin doesn't really change anything. Terrence Howard is also brilliant as a black man who has become confused by his own skin color where he has no idea on where to lash out and on whom. The best performance in the entire ensemble cast easily is Matt Dillon as a prejudiced, bitter cop who is trying to take care of his father while his years as a cop and his father's health takes its toll as he unleashes his anger on anyone.

While it's not exactly a groundbreaking film in its theme and style, Crash is still an intelligent and harrowing film from Paul Haggis. Thanks to a wonderful ensemble cast, this film is surely to become one of the memorable touchstones of post-9/11 America. While the film will raise more questions than answer into the behaviors of the world, it's clear that this film does provide a lot of real insight on the views of racism. In the end, Paul Haggis' Crash is a film that will leave people questioning their own prejudices.

Related Review:

Million Dollar Baby (2004):

http://www.epinions.com/content_169020722820



Recommended: Yes

Viewing Format: DVD
Video Occasion: Good for Groups
Suitability For Children: Not suitable for Children of any age