"Crash" Course

Crash certainly got a fair amount of attention and praise among the critics during its theatrical run. And with good reason. It's a hard hitting realistic look at race relations in modern America today. Given that co-writer/director Paul Haggis also penned the script for the 2004 Oscar winner Million Dollar Baby, as well, you could say that he enjoys taking on social issues for his projects.

The film weaves together several stories and intersects many lives in the process: Jean Cabot (Sandra Bullock), wife of L.A. district attorney Rick Cabot (Brendan Fraser) meet a pair of African American street thugs--Anthony (Chris "Ludacris" Bridges) and Peter (Larenz Tate) as they travel across the city, indulging in car-jackings, all the while discussing the sorry state of their race; As for Detective Graham Waters (Don Cheadle), he is having a busy day of his own-- attempting to pacify his mother (BeverlyTodd), while looking for his lost younger brother, solve a pair of puzzling murder cases, and even finds time for an affair with his partner Ria (Jennifer Esposito) ; Sergeant Ryan (Matt Dillon) is a very bitter LAPD officer who has his hands full too...breaking in a new partner, Officer Hanson (Ryan Phillppe) and caring for his ailing father (Bruce Kirby) while fighting with an insurance company employee, Shaniqua Johnson (Loretta Devine); noted TV director Cameron (Terrence Howard) is dealing with the aftermath of a traffic stop and how its affected his wife, Christine (Thandie Newton); hard-working locksmith Daniel (Michael Pena) is confronted by an unhappy customer, a Persian convenience store owner Farhad (Shaun Toub).

Haggis and co-writer Robert Moresco use a realistic cross section of the LA population to tell the stories. Looking at the nature of the story though, I was not expecting there to be any humor, but there are some strategically placed lighter moments amid the intense drama. Everyone in the all star cast turns in very good performances. From Sandra Bullock right on down, each of the players yield some really nice moments. Special kudos must go to Matt Dillon though for his stark turn as a cop on the edge. I have heard some have complaints about how the film switches from one "story" to another. Considering the scope of the film, I think that it's pace is really handled quite well and not an issue at all.

The extras on the DVD begin with a rather meaningless 16 second introduction from Haggis. All he really does is welcome viewers to the bonus material. Big deal. Better realized is the audio commentary. Haggis ,co-writer/producer Moresco and actor/producer Cheadle make for an engaging trio, discussing the film in great detail, in both the practical and its genesis. There is a 10 minute EPK style behind the scenes featurette. A music video for Kansascali's "If I..." from the Crash soundtrack. Trailers for the soundtrack, as well as other studio releases round out the extras.

As far as I'm concerned, Crash is a must see, offering an interesting examination of the fabric of our society...Warts and all. It's a film that will make you think as well as entertain.