Crash

Last night I watched the critically acclaimed movie Crash. This movie is up for a number of Oscars this year, including "Best Picture". Don Cheadle stars in it, along with a number of other great performances by lesser-knowns (Sandra Bullock also has a role - which made me wonder "Where has Sandra Bullock gone lately?"). Once again my belief that any movie Don Cheadle is involved in (Ocean's Eleven, Hotel Rwanda) will be excellent was proven correct.

This movie deals with racism and how we are forced to interact with each other, even if we don't intend to or want to. But as the movie suggests, maybe we so desperately crave connection that we will "Crash" into one another, if it's the only kind of connection that we can get. I can see why this movie was nominated for various Oscars (fantastic directing and acting, deals with a powerful subject head on and in a convincing and engaging way), but I am having a hard time thinking that it is a great movie. I know that it is an attempt to portray real life, but I still felt like I needed some more closure on some of the various story lines. Also, the style of the story telling is old hat - it is in the same vein as movies like Magnolia, 13 Conversations About One Thing to name a few (both of which are excellent movies). It starts out with seemingly unrelated people in seemingly unrelated situations, and they converge with each other in the end. The style has been done, and you can see things coming from way off. I hate when I can see things coming from way off. It ruins the movie/story experience for me because I have "figured it out".

Anyway, I would still recommend it as it is a wonderfully real portrayal of people and life, and how we truly need each other, even if we don't want to believe that.

J