Crash (2004)

Crash is an exercise of self-aggrandizement and hollow morality. It wants to be something so edgy and different, yet profound. To put it in another way, Crash thinks its woke. Like, super woke. In reality, it's in a coma. It's message is irreparably bungled. 

Everyone in this movie is a racist. The cop, the actor, the criminal, the district attorney and his wife, the shop keeper, et al. Their racism, so to say, is unrealistically performed. How overt racism is in our society depends on certain discrepancies such as wealth and intelligence (though, not always mutually exclusive to that). Here, everyone is an out and out bigot, and proud to be one at that. To that effect, we aren't emotionally invested in anything that's happening onscreen. It's hard to take any of these characters seriously when they all sound like Archie Bunker. 

Which makes the film's most significant moments all the more perplexing. For two scenes in particular, Crash suddenly becomes a riveting, deeply moving drama. The car crash rescue scene comes to mind. In this moment, the film explores the complexities of humanity when a predator cop, who sexually assaults Thandie Newton's character in another scene, comes to her rescue in a fiery car crash that nearly takes her life. The confusion, disgust and desperation that Thandie Newton conveys here is a truly incredible acting feat. This scene alone nearly redeems Crash in every capacity. Crash, in the end, would have worked much better as a slice of life ensemble piece, similar to Magnolia. It doesn't work as a film about race. Not even a little bit. Should you want to watch a better film on that topic, Do The Right Thing does the trick every time. 2 and 1/2 out of 5 stars.