Crash

not seen it
involves sex with road accident victims i believe
probably wont see it
sorry to be so negative
but glad you enjoyed it

Steve, you're thinking of Cronenberg's film Crash.

yes I was thanks
I should get out more

On my definite "to see" list but not sure whether it's imperative to see it on the big screen. May wait for cable or DVD.

I thought it was a very good, very emotionally intense film. Was a little disappointed with the number of coincidences necessary to make the plotline work.

that movie is wierd for sure

Just saw it today. Great film. A MUST SEE.

A little melodramatic at times but it works well. The coincidences are part of what makes it work. A couple of other films like this where all the characters interact in some way over the course of the film. Fascinating in the way it deals with racism in present society.

I can't recommend this movie.

Sure, it was "good." I'm not going to tell anyone to avoid it, for example. But words like "amazing" and "spectactular" and "Best Picture" are nowhere near this film.

I'll grant the notion it's groundbreaking in its depiction of race-relations in the United States, but aside from that, what's the big deal? Imagine Boogie Nights, Magnolia, or Short-Cuts, add the theme of racism and racial stereotypes, and you have Crash. The trouble is, Crash isn't nearly as good as any of those films.

Acting is okay, script is marginal (better than average, but certainly nothing to drool over), and overall movie-going experience is average.

Final thought: 5/10: Good, but I have no desire at all to see it again.

I haven't seen Shortcuts yet, but will consider giving it a go. I wasn't that impressed with Boogie Nights, but found Crash to be really fresh and compelling. I thought the acting was wonderful (who knew Ludacris was not a only an actor, but a really good one at that?) and the writing tight and fearless. I spent the bulk of the movie in a tense coil with my hands never far from my eyes. The scene with Matt Dillon and Thandie Newton in the car alone was a well-executed and enthralling one. It's been a long time since I've seen a movie where I've talked back at the screen and felt like I could actually argue with the characters cause they were so real. In a year that's featured nothing but below-par films, it was nice to be assured that someone in LA is still thinking with something besides their wallets.

I agree, Shazzer. As a former Angelino I was so happy to see a portrayal of the dynamics of its ethnic heterogeneity. It is a very complex place, and I liked so much how the characters were shown to be complex, neither all good or all bad with respect to race relations. I strongly recommend the film. A major experience. It was amazing, spectacular and perhaps the best picture I've seen this year.

JLN,

Maybe it would just depend on your personal view of race-relations that would dictate whether you thought this film in any way thought-provoking?

I found it generally shallow and stereotypical, shedding no light at all on solutions regarding the problems posed in the picture aside from "color doesn't matter." Wow, that's a deep one. We didn't all learn that in the second grade.

As the actual Nietzsche would have put it, in the long run we are both wrong. It DID have some great moments, I'm sure you'll concede.