Art and Architecture have one key thing in common: both need foundations. The bigger the building, the deeper and stronger the foundations it needs. Crash is like a complex set of card houses: eight overlapping linked structures are fashioned with great skill into a neatly integrated structure. But it has no foundations and therefore no real substance: all that it is, is visible, above ground. There is nothing in it that reaches down to give it depth and a solid base in reality. Many films are like this and it creates no problem. The trouble with Crash is that the socially conscious heart it wears on its promotional sleeve, is supposed to be its serious minded raison d’etre. It offers and promotes itself as a slice of real-life LA, if that is not an oxymoron, that addresses issues of endemic and institutionalised racism towards ethnic groups of all colours and races. There is enough talent and apparent sincerity of purpose in Crash to treat these claims seriously and examine whether they stack up. For me they don’t, but Crash is still a very well made movie and worth seeing.

Parallels with Altman’s Short Cuts are understandably being drawn. They share many similarities: a linked episodic structure; an urban LA setting; and a sombre visual tone. But, though I am not a great fan of Short Cuts, not only is the unreality of Hollywood at the aesthetic heart of Altman’s film, but typically, his stories precisely use this as counterpoint to the ugly, ragged, open-endedness of non-Hollywood LA. Crash ties all its ends into a neat little narrative bundle and parades its essentially stereotyped Hollywood values, as unflinching, in-your-face social and racial realism.

The sheer quality and style of the writing and direction almost bring this off. But the fatal sign of plot driving character recurs throughout the movie. This is most blatant when Ryan Phillippe’s idealistic young cop, Officer Hanson, intersects with another of the story lines and proceeds to behave in ways that contradict the picture drawn of him up to that point. Plot necessities have him commit a stupid, totally unconvincing murder in order to set up a carefully fashioned ironic denouement. Such jarring notes recur throughout the film and squander the credibility engendered by some excellent, frequently very funny, writing.

Truth be told, the so-called, in-your-face unflinching social and racial realism of Crash is deeply sentimental. These are cleverly drawn stereotypes attacking the practice of stereotyping racial and social groups, in snappy, witty dialogue that flatters to deceive. It seems perverse that with Hollywood, except unconsciously, usually an ‘irony-free’ zone, Crash piles irony upon irony to the point where it implodes on its own pretensions. This is social and racial conflict as product. Powerful emotional impact sells.

Steadicam specialist cinematographer James Munro creates a consistently brooding, sinister visual tone and a prowling sense of movement and pace. Haggis’s own screenplay creates a stylish apparent credibility one would expect from the writer of Million Dollar Baby. Technically, the film is beautifully put together with an unusual, highly effective musical soundtrack.

Playing cards each have their distinct identity and place in a conventional general hierarcy. They can be shuffled into different roles, groups and significance according to the rules of different games. The variations are infinite and absorbing. But a card house, is still a card house, however painstakingly and intricately it is put together. The slightest real shake of the hand or actual breath of a draught, and the whole edifice falls. In the end it is just a game. Judged by the claims of its own pretensions, Crash has no more substance than a neatly constructed whodunnit, despite its strenuous efforts to convince us otherwise. It has Oscars written all over it.

Zettel 2005

Good review as ever, Z. As for the film, for me it felt like watching a car crash that I could do nothing about. So everyone in LA (apart from Maria the saintly Mexican maid) starts out or becomes racist, whatever their own race, and they're all incredibly angry. I can't imagine I'm alone in not being surprised by that, even though I've never been to LA. At the end of the film I felt let down that the filmmaker having shown a toxic situation made no attempt to suggest a solution. But I guess that's a job for the (ass-grabbing) politicians...

Adele.

<Added>

PS - the little girl with the "impenetrable cape" is my tip for the most beautiful child Oscar.

Hey Ad - thanks

One of the few areas where Hollywood has improved over the years - is better kids. My implacable movie rule was always: no kids, no animals (having at some unspecified time discovered that the no women rule was a good one to get shot of). But though you still get 'cutsie' kids in the old Hollywood mould (see We Don't Live Here Any More)some great natural, performances keep popping up, especially Freddy Highmore in Finding Neverland. The invisible cape girl is delightful - however as my model is just setting up in her first flat, the late night story deal makes me broody. Nice scene though.

My ambition is to make a disaster movie where the bloody dog gets it right between the eyes in the first 15 minutes. Then you don't get distracted thjoughout the movie wondering how the stupid mutt is going to miraculously escape a richly deserved immolation.

In fact they say that in the event of a nuclear holocaust, only the cockroaches will survive: no way - there'll be a bloody doe-eyed labrador there somewhere. (not that I don't like dogs you understand).

Thanks for the comments as ever.

regards

Z

Freddy Highmore is adorable in Neverland, but one of my favourite screen kids is Bobby Henrey as Phillipe in Carol Reed's 1948 film, The Fallen Idol. As for dogs, I'd watch what you say or this thread will be pulled...

A

Great review as ever. I am still undecided whether i want to go see this or not.

Fantastic writing.

JX

Jewels

Thanks for the comment. I think you gotta be in the mood to go with it and put up with the blatant product placements etc. Its just a bit of mayhem fun. Clincher is probably if you like Ewie baby. I was sat between a daughter, who despite setting up home with her long-time boyfriend shortly (no capital S please note) has a crush on Ewie, and a slightly younger son who has the hots for Scarlett - frankly my dear a do give a damn.

Have to say as the meat in this adoration sandwich, Scarlett does it more for me than Ewie. I just wish they would stop wasting her as mere eye-candy. Thou as candy goes.....

Ad - its only movie dogs - so don't send round the balaclava mob. Anyway a slightly off-the-wall fellow philosophy student at university with me liked animals more than people so gave all the people she knew, an animal identity - turned out I was a labrador - maybe it was the tongue out and the panting....which brings us back to Ms Johanssen. Now I will stop before this gets pulled for different reasons.

Thanks for reading the review guys - long live the movies.

Z

Erm, Z, I hate to suggest that you've lost the plot, but are you talking to Jewels about Crash or The Island?

As for dogs, my life is, and always has been a canine-free (indeed pet-free) zone. I prefer people. I was thinking, though, of this site's unofficial censors...

A

Jewels

As AlT has pointed out I'm going punchy.(No there isn't an 'a' missing from that). Sorry for the minsunderstaning.

As for Crash - I think its worth seeing but just wasn't convinced by the hype about how good it is.

Ad. Do you reckon you could keep an eye on my ramblings and make sure I'm not losing the plot? What did you say your name was again? I agree about Fallen Idol. Now let me see, released 1948, you probably wouldn't have seen it till you were about 14, so the maths puts you at 71 - can that be right? (My dad told me about the film by the way).

Gallantly yours

Zettel

<Added>

PS

Sorry about the typos. Like most men of course I am misunderstoodnot minsunderstaned.

Z

Z, how spooky. I recently had a dream in which someone who has helped me with my book was busking and I had 71p in my hand, which I was about to give him before deciding that he didn't deserve it all and only handing over 21p. I had wondered where that number came from. I thought it might be his age (he's old enough to have done National Service, so that's possible), but now, thanks to you, I realise that it must be my age, which, due to the gallantry of others, has never been revealed to me before...

Keep on taking the medication

A

<Added>

I hate it when people misuse only, yet I seem to do it so often. Of course I meant handing over only 21p - slap on wrist for me.

Hey Ad

Spooky numbers is a spooky topic (how's that for fractured grammar?). 23 haunts our family - in a good way. Great book on it 'The Magic of Primes'. Having beeen born on the 13th and my son on the 23rd (different years) - I love primes.

On that basis - if you are 71 then you are clearly in the prime of your life...... Is that enough sucking up or do I need to go to Pretty Woman levels?

Wouldn't have noticed the 'only': well below my grammatical radar but then that has trouble picking up even a low flying 'hopefully'.

Hope the book's going well.

regards

Z

Z

Thats great i read one review and you start on about another. This is fantastic help in deciding what i want to see. A kind of read one get one free.

Brilliant stuff.

I do kind of like Ewie myself. I just watched Moulin Rouge on DVD last night and i think he is very talented, along with providing something pretty to look at.

All the best
J

Jewels

If Ewie's your man - then Guys and Dolls is your show. Really excellent. The females in my family 'enouraged' me to go and it was great fun: full of life and zest and what seems like a very happy cast. And Jane Krakowski from Ali MacBeal is simply superb.

Regards

Z

Z, those prime numbers keep turning up. Today I found Mr 71 on p7 of the Sunday Times - spookier and spookier...

A

Ad

Wait till you meet the 7th son of a 7th son - now that is really spooky.....


Z 23 13 19 17 29

Lotto!

Z, have you heard that Paul Haggis has joined the script team for Casino Royale?
http://www.mi6.co.uk/sections/articles/bond_21_paul_haggis_to_write.php3?t=bond21&s=bond21

Should add some interesting colour.

A