"Crash" Sucked
for many reasons, but one of the most obvious ones is this -- falling down the stairs in one's Brentwood home and discovering that one's only friend is one's cleaning lady is in no way equivalent to discovering that one's problem child brother has been shot at point blank range and dumped roadside. The Magnolia imitation sound track and skillful use of montage does JUXTAPOSE these tragedies as if they coudl be weighed on the same scale -- "life is Los Angeles." The fact that Don Cheadle got behind this project is discouraging.
As I read on the Frankfurt School discussion list, Paul Haggis learned everything he knows about race relations from watching television. There is something irredeemable about the culture industry and the spectacle of its own redemption that it sells back to us.
Everyone in L.A., we are told by the film, is angry and alienated. It is a film full of false equivalences, false analogies and false equality. The cast gave a gripping performance, demonstrating once again that acting can be taken hostage at any time.
As I read on the Frankfurt School discussion list, Paul Haggis learned everything he knows about race relations from watching television. There is something irredeemable about the culture industry and the spectacle of its own redemption that it sells back to us.
Everyone in L.A., we are told by the film, is angry and alienated. It is a film full of false equivalences, false analogies and false equality. The cast gave a gripping performance, demonstrating once again that acting can be taken hostage at any time.
2 Comments:
I finally saw Crash this past weekend, and I hated it. I thought the script was obvious and contrived and smacked of the sign of an amateur. I thought Terrence Howard performed very well in a poorly written role, and the rest of the cast did their best with what they were given. But the usually grand Don Cheadle was smothered under the weight of his unbelievable character. As an example of how cold this movie left me, I found your blog by Googling "Crash sucked" to see what I'd come up with.
Hah I googled "Crash sucked" also. It was so cliche and unoriginal. The absurdity of script lead me to hope for the worst for the characters, so someone else would be tortured other than me.
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