There is but one film I’ve seen this year that merits an unconditional recommendation, and “Crash” is it. “Million Dollar Baby” scribe Paul Haggis comes out swinging and never drops his dukes in this, his directorial debut (co-written with Bobby Moresco). Haggis has crafted a movie about the shared consequences of racial intolerance in America, using vehicular collisions as a device for bringing together a tapestry of ethnically diverse strangers and exposing their anger and trepidation. The story plays out over a 36-hour period during an unusually chilly Christmas in Los Angeles, beginning with a car-jacking by two erudite young black men (Larenz Tate and the rapper Chris “Ludacris” Bridges, who is a revelation). The victims are the opportunistic LA District Attorney (Brendan Fraser) and his rich-bitch wife (Sandra Bullock), who we will soon discover are connected to their attackers in more ways than one. Several other sto-rylines intersect throughout, none more gripping than one involving a racist cop (Matt Dillon) and an affluent African-American TV producer and his wife, played by Terrence Howard and Thandie Newton. Ryan Phillippe stands out as Dillon’s disapproving partner, as does the always brilliant Don Cheadle as a detective who’s seen too much to care about anything anymore. “Crash,” while not preachy, challenges viewers to confront fears and prejudices and, ultimately, to embrace our shared humanity. It’s a message movie, to be sure, and one worth heeding. (Rated R for language, sexual content and some violence. Running time: 100 minutes)
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on May 6, 2005. Read the original PDF.