Film’s impact no accident

Watching Crash brings to mind an old Yiddish proverb: "Man makes plans and God laughs." Paul Haggis’ powerful new film reminds us that we are but specks in the universe, at the mercy of the fates every hour of our lives.

If you see Crash expecting a spectacular all-the-bells-and-whistles automobile accident, you will be sorely disappointed. If it’s blood and guts you want, the multiplex has several other movies to offer. However, if you’re ready for a beautifully realized film that touches on everything from fate to racism and beyond, then stay put.

Crash follows the lives of a group of disparate Los Angelenos over a 36-hour period. Officer Ryan (Matt Dillon) is a racist cop who harasses an affluent African-American couple (Terrence Howard and Thandie Newton) as his partner (Delaware’s own Ryan Phillippe) looks on. Somewhere else in town, Rick (Brendan Fraser) and Jean (Sandra Bullock), an affluent white couple, are carjacked by Anthony (rapper Ludacris) and Peter (Larenz Tate). In the meantime, Graham (Don Cheadle) and Ria (Jennifer Esposito) are homicide cops investigating the murder of an African-American undercover officer by a white undercover cop. Each character is connected to the others either directly or indirectly.

In case you were sleeping during the symbolism part of your Introduction to English Literature class, Haggis uses the image of a car crash to represent the randomness of the universe. At any time, the film seems to say, our lives can change and we don’t have a lot to say about it. Fate chooses us, not the other way around. You can survive a carjacking only to encounter another calamity in the safety of your home. Or you can be a career criminal who has been given another shot at life, only to find death just around the corner.

But Crash is not all gloom and doom. Haggis, along with an amazing cast, explores both sides of humanity. As rife as it is with tragedy, the movie is also full of wonder and second chances.

Crash is aptly named because, like an accident, the film blindsides the audience with its many ideas. It is also a brutally honest discussion of racism on all sides. Haggis, who cowrote the screenplay with Bobby Moresco, handles the debate honestly and avoids the pontification that plagues some similar attempts to deal with the issue.

The cast, with the exception of a slightly miscast Fraser, is exceptional. But it is Howard who gives the film’s best performance. As the successful TV director who is harshly reminded of whom he is, Howard is a picture of simmering indignation.

Despite the depths it might visit, Crash is ultimately a celebration of the human spirit and a stern warning to live our lives with purpose. It is also one of the best movies of the year.

Crash
R (for language, sexual content and some violence)
Starting tomorrow at area theaters
Four reels out of four

RECOMMENDED RENTAL

In Good Company
PG-13
Available Tuesday

Featuring one of Dennis Quaid’s best performances in a long, slightly uneven career, In Good Company is a decent if not flawless film about what happens when a man turns 50 in corporate America. Dan Foreman (Quaid) is the well-liked director of advertising of a Sports Illustrated-type magazine who has to adjust when his company is bought by a flamboyant media tycoon (an uncredited Malcolm McDowell). He is immediately replaced by Carter (Topher Grace), a real go-getter in the business world who is having his own problems in his personal life. When Carter starts dating Dan’s daughter, Alex (Scarlett Johansson), Dan is none too thrilled.