5 of 13

Write now Article Tools

Page 2 of 3

the lives of its diverse social network of characters. The players are many: There is, first, the morally insensitive district attorney (Brendon Fraser) overseeing the investigation, and his equally chilly wife (Sandra Bullock, showing excellent range); there are two cops (Matt Dillon, Ryan Phillipe) who are partners, and one of whom (Dillon) is a racist; and there's the amusing duo of Anthony (Rap star Chris "Lucacris" Bridges) and Peter (Larenz Tate), a pair of good-natured hoods who spend a lot of the movie pointing out the many stereotypes faced by the young black man, but who also find the time to steal cars, ride them around town for awhile, and then sell them back to chop shops for cash. There are also Cameron (Terrence Howard, doing the finest work), an upscale black television director, and his chic wife (Thandie Newton), a Latino handyman (Michael Pena), and the modest Persian family who hire him to fix a lock in the small convenience store they own, and then try to blame him when the store is burglarized and they lose everything. Even Tony 'who's the boss' Danza joins in on the fun (why not?), appearing briefly as an airhead TV exec who feels that his sitcom's young African-American lead has "been talking a lot less black lately." Ah, Tony.

All of these many characters, clearly fashioned with careful thought by Haggis and Bobby Moresco (who co-penned the script with the director), seem to exist in a kind of melting pot of stereotypes and mistrusts, and all are guilty of stirring that pot with their prejudices. The DA's wife mistrusts her locksmith (Pena) for looking too much like a "gangbanger," but it's later revealed that he's actually a kind-hearted father and family man. A gun store owner, still in full-fledged post-9/11-Muslim-paranoia-mode , thinks that an Iranian man trying to buy a gun (who he thinks is Arab and calls "Osama") is going to use it for a Jihad against America, but he's really just scared of people who would call him Osama. The racist cop seems to have no redeeming qualities until we are allowed to have a closer look, and see the hurt that he feels for his dying father. And so on it goes through most of the film's many interlocking scenarios. From chance must come disaster, and only when opposing racial points-of-view crash against each other can some understanding be reached.

Okay, now I know what you're thinking. Well not really, but maybe I can guess. You're thinking that that's a lot of characters, right? I know, I know it

• << previous page
• 1
• 2
• 3
• next page >>

Add your voice

Know something about Movie reviews: Crash?
We want to hear your view. Write now!