Yes, Crash is a moving drama that is simply dripping with excellent actors. Gracing the PSP?s widescreen are Matt Dillon, Sandra Bullock, Brendan Fraser, Don Cheadle (who also is a co-producer), Chris ?Ludacris? Bridges, Thandie Newton, Ryan Phillippe, and on and on. Each actor plays their part perfectly and really works to draw you into the story. Ryan Phillippe is excellent as a rookie cop who is shocked by the racist behavior of his partner, the thoroughly abusive and disgusting Matt Dillon. Brandan Fraser plays a liberal D.A. who feels he is ?Mr. P.C.,? but really has no clue, while Sandra Bullock plays his selfish and elitist wife, constantly looking down her nose. Ludacris is especially enjoyable as a highly opinionated car-jacking thug.
The story is set in Los Angeles and surrounds a 36-hour period of time wherein people from all ethnicities and walks of life will affect one another in various ways. Prejudice and intolerance are the focus here. When I first started watching, I thought this may be a West Coast attempt to preach to the masses about the ugliness of intolerance. While Crash manages to get its point across, it makes you laugh and cry along the way, and never manages to feel preachy.
The story begins at the scene of a crash and then backs up to the previous day where events begin to unfold. To completely explain the plotline would be an injustice, as it truly needs to be seen. However, it all boils down to one premise ? everyone, no matter how tolerant they believe they may be, or how oppressed by others they feel they are, is at some point intolerant or oppressive of others.
The scenes range from funny to heart-wrenching to enraging, and the story wraps up beautifully by the end. It?s always shocking to see the lengths people will go to harm and also to help one another, and Crash illustrates this point very well. See this movie.
