Crash

I recently watched Crash again. I really don't like it, but as it was on TV I wanted to watch it again so that I could properly make my mind up. It seemed odd to me why I'm not a big fan of it while so many people are. Not to mention it won the Academy Award for Best Picture in 2005 (although people thought it would go to Brokeback Mountain, another film that I really didn't like).

Anyway, my dislike was clear to me from the first few minutes onwards. I just hate it how it is so in-your-face telling you what to think. The racial stereotypes to me seem so glued on and again, in your face that it just really annoys me. I'd quite like the story if it wasn't so bound to the race of the characters. Maybe it just shows that I'd rather close my eyes than see the way things are, if that's the case, then be it I don't care. I think that the movie could've been as appreciated and maybe even more so, if it was a bit more subtle and left the viewer to realise certain things. This is the problem with some Hollywood films, as they're usually viewed as movies that are meant to entertain, I feel that they sometimes explain everything so that people can go and watch it and come out of the cinema possibly feeling entertained but not having gained anything from it. If you know what I mean. I'm sorry for the generalisations.

I should've written this immediately after watching the film because I now find it hard to gather my thoughts and write anything coherent. I just feel like ranting about it.

Another thing about it is that when I first saw it in the cinema, my friend said it was kind of like 21 Grams but not as good. (I think that I should say here that also 21 Grams to me is over-rated, it's good but not amazing. Out of Iñárritu's movies Amores Perros is clearly the best one.) I can see where he came from with the comment, I feel like Crash tries to find a balance between being a Hollywood film whilst trying to be arty and stuff. I think it doesn't pull it off really well. Now I don't know much of actual cinematic terms and all that, but it does the annoying blurring of city lights a lot and I find it to be well pretentious. There are other things too, but that's the one that especially annoys me. The score is also rather sentimental, which I suppose supports the story, but it's the kind that is just telling the viewer what to think and how to feel all the time. This again adds to the film telling you what to think and feel rather than leaving you to think for yourself. And it is annoying.

When it comes to the story, as I said before, I think it has potential. And the story of the locksmith and his family is one of my favourites ever, the bit where his daughter gets shot (don't watch the clip if you've not seen the movie and intend to see it) is one of my favourite scenese ever, but then this is I suppose because it appeals to my emotions. Also, I somehow find it credible and I think that eventhough there are racial prejudice in play here as well, they're not as in your face as in the other stories. Altogether, I just feel that they don't have to emphasise the racial prejudices/roles as much. Pff, is all I have to say.