Film Review: Crash (Paul Haggis, 2004)

Although the isolation and interconnectedness of automobiles and traffic are (forgive me) one of the driving metaphors of Crash, the experience of the film's characters is more like a roller-coaster, where random strangers are thrown together through twisters and turns of a journey out of there control. A harrowing travail for them, but an impressive thrill for the audience. Equally impressive, perhaps, is the way the large cast quickly and completely inhabit their roles. This film isn't perfect. Haggis relays a bit too aggressively on coincidence, and the over the top emotionalism of a few key characters is a bit grating, Nevertheless, this is a ride that you won't want to miss.