Crash, or a Very Bad Day in LA

We finally saw Crash, the film by Paul Haggis that was a surprise winner of many Academy Awards this year. There are three of us in the family and we had very different reactions. Laura thought it ended on a high note, leaving her "hopeful." Bonnie thought it was depressing and deemed the last action rather insignificant compared to prior action. I felt very confused, uncomfortable, and unwilling to offer an opinion until I thought for a day or two. We all were fascinated by the film.

We agreed that the ensemble of actors was impressive, as many took atypical roles. Brandon Frazier was not goofy, and Sandra Bullock was not bubbly. They were all convincing in their roles. Bonnie pointed out the film's similarities to works by Robert Altman, which I see. I felt, however, that it was all a little too clever how all the characters connected.

I was left shaking my head at some of the actions in the story. I think we were supposed to understand why some characters did what they did, but I was unconvinced that their actions were natural. The violence seemed senseless to me. Of course, I feel the same way every day when I read the newspaper.

We disagreed about the music. Bonnie and Laura thought it was very effective. I liked it as music but wished it had all been taken out. I felt the soundtrack was trying to manipulate my moods, which is what soundtracks do, of course, but I do not want to be directed thus. I want the actors and images to carry the movie.

The movie was loaded with content: crime, violence, guns, racism, public corruption, immigration, poverty, and more. With guaranteed viewer disagreement, it would be a great pick for a library film discussion.