Swing... and a Miss

Crash (2005):
What’s It About?: A dozen or so individuals of different races and ethnicities come in and out of each other’s lives over the course of a day and a half in LA. In the process, they (hopefully) learn a little about themselves, each other, and the world in general.
How Good Is It?: Here’s the problem. Although there are a few racists in the midst, that’s really not the problem here. The problem is that the characters are impatient, egotistical, vengeful, and in general, assholes. Racism is really just the tip of the iceberg. The people may wax philosophical about their own ethnicities and biases, but it’s just a cover for the bigger picture: There are far too many people in the world who have lost the ability to communicate with each other, live with each other, and step outside their own aimless, miserable lives. Writer director Paul Haggis makes a well-intentioned swing with the premise, but he was in the totally wrong ballpark.
Was It Best Picture?: Nah. The big hoopla was between this and Brokeback Mountain, but neither would have been my choice. Both Munich and Good Night and Good Luck were exceptional pieces of work, and in my opinion, both were better than either of the two front-runners. Crash was the easiest, most generic of the options, and that’s why it took the prize.

Comments

[Adam Fiedler]

Agreed. Though, as a side note, I know people much like the characters in crash... I weep for mankind.

[John S.]

I know they are out there (I talk to them, but rarely meet them socially), and it's pretty scary.