"Crash" with Sandra Bullock and Don Cheadle et al

[Chichiri]

Who here has seen this movie? Can you recommend it?

[Debbi801]

1. I thought it was one of the most moving movies I have seen...

I was spell bound through out the entire movie. It is not a feel good movie, but it is amazing. Bring tissues, there are parts where I felt like my heart was being ripped out.

If you see it, let me know what you think.

Debbi

[shoelace414]

2. is that the one

where they get their jollies by crashing cars?

[Debbi801]

4. No. Different movie.

This is about racism.

[Booster]

3. I saw it and I do recommend it, but it's no comedy. Prepare

yourself to be disappointed in mankind, and each character will remind you of either yourself or someone you know. I think everyone should see this movie.

[Merrick]

5. Its very good despite being something of a Magnolia knock off

multiple intertwined melodramatic stories of people facing crisis and ultimately gaining enlightenment in Los Angeles punctuated by a freak metereological event accompanied by a pretty song.

I'd still highly recommend it, but think Magnolia is still better.

[wryter2000]

6. I haven't seen it

Two people have recommended it to me highly.

[Kraklen]

7. I didn't like it. very minor spoilers.

I've posted this before, but i'll repeat it.

It promotes the same negative stereotypes it claims to fight.

Here's the "spoilers" but they happen at the beginning of the film, so they're not really spoilers.

For example- two black guys are walking through a nice white neighborhood talking about how white people always treat them like criminals for being black. They then immediately carjack a white couple.

There's a scene in the beginning where a white cop rapes a black woman. The cop ends up being the hero of the movie.

[leftofthedial]

9. quibble--Dillon's character is not the "hero" of the movie

he ironically saves the woman later, but even then, his previous near-rape of her is baggage that neither of them can confront. I don't think the movie shies away from nor excuses his racism. There are no "heroes," except perhaps the latino locksmith, the Persian healthcare worker, or the carjacker who frees the Asians, and everyone is a bit of a villain. That's part of the point.

(too) many black guys DO carjack. Is it racism? Reality? Considering the dialog between the two young men and what happens to each of them in the story, I see nothing at all racist. To shy away from the economic and legal realities of their lives would have been pandering.

[Kraklen]

10. Persian health care worker?

The only health care worker I remember was the black woman with the afrocentric name that they played up for laughs.

The only middle eastern I remember was the guy who went crazy and tried to murder people.

Again with the stereotypes.

"(too) many black guys DO carjack."

:eyes:

[leftofthedial]

11. BIG SPOILER WARNING

--the storeowners' daughter, who helped him buy the gun at the beginning. They made comment about being Persian when the store was vandalized with anti-Arab grafitti--"But we are Persian." See, Persians "hate" Arabs probably more than we honkies do.

Their daughter was the woman at the end in the morgue with Cheadle's brother--it wasn't clear whther she was a nurse or a doctor or other morgue staff, hence, healthcare worker.

So you claim that any movie with a black character who commits a crime should be panned for perpetuating stereotypes? You aren't claiming that no black people commit crimes, are you? Or that portraying black crime *causes* black crime? Do you remember the extended, pivotal scene with the carjacker and the black TV director? Did that have any meaning to you beyond perpetuating stereotypes?

The two carjacking characters were central to the film's irony and to the eventual theme of redemption and to the message about the ultimate pointlessness of racism. But I guess you don't remember that part either.

Plus, all the white people were corrupt and rich. Fucking stereotypical bullshit. I'm never watching a movie or a TV show again.

[Kire]

13. now why would you go and to that lotd?

I friggin' hate spoilers, and it's usually okay with a warning, but this in a thread whose OP is asking whether they should see it or not

I would thank you very much if you could self delete your post

[leftofthedial]

14. that's why there is a big spoiler warning in the subject line

GO SEE THE MOVIE

[Kire]

15. shenanigans!

I call shenanigans on you!

[leftofthedial]

8. Frigging GREAT movie

one of the best I've seen in years.

moving, intelligent, compelling.

terrific ensemble acting, including some actors cast against type

I can't recommend it highly enough.

[Kire]

12. it's definitely worth seeing

it's very cerebral, not a blockbuster action flick - it helps to think of it as a fairy tale