Finally watched "Crash" last night.

[XNASA]

I thought it was a better than average made for TV movie with lots of people dropping the F-bomb.

I can't believe it won Best Picture. Fuckin' Hollywood :eyes:.

[Paladin]

1. I Agree Completely

Well-done, in a TV movie sort of way. "Brokeback Mountain" was much better.....

[jonnyblitz]

7. ALL of the other movies (I saw them all) were better...

I can't believe Crash was even nominated and considered..:shrug:

I liked both Clooney movies much better (though Syriana wasn't up for best movie)

and, between the two, I thought Brokeback was much much better.

[Skittles]

23. Good Night and Good Luck was better than both of them

absolutely

[applegrove]

2. I liked that it didn't follow the hollywood plot point format. There was

ambiguity - in lots of ways. That alone makes it a great film. You never seen that in Hollywood.

[sundog]

3. so i half expected...

sandra bullock to run over the korean immigrants on her follow up trip to the hospital for her wrenched ankle

her car is totaled, the iranian daughter is in the ambulance helping her in the stretcher... sandra lashes out in anger & frustration

later that evening she has a soul searching moment (curled fetal in the hospital bed) over her use of the term "raghead" - cue sarah mclachlan/lilith fair-esue theme...

later, after burning evidence/car, ryan phillipe buys a hot suv (previously stolen by ludacris) & picks up a hitchhiking thandie newton (who just got into another fight with her husband)... soon he runs suv front right tire into an open manhole on ventura blvd - suv flips trapping both inside

don cheadle (returning from the scene of his bothers murder) sees the accident & begins rescue... they are trapped with seatbelts, he can't cut them... matt dillon on a midnight stroll (trying to shake thoughts of his sick father) sees the accident & hands cheadle a penknife he has handy in his back pocket

deep slow motion moment regarding racial understanding

crash 2 coming soon


ugh - that movie had the sublety & insight of a banana hammock

"do the right thing" - now *that* was a movie that dove into race issues without compromise

[rockymountaindem]

4. The whole time I was watching that movie, I thought two things...

"Gee, what am I supposed to be learning here?", sarcastically. They certainly don't leave any room for personal reflection etc. "Crash" is pedantic and predictable.

Secondly, "who would say that?". Are people that overtly racist right in front of people of other races? I think not.

[sundog]

9. "Gee, what am I supposed to be learning here?"

uh, you're supposed to learn that "race" films with white directors & production teams that pander to white race guilt "issues" with spoon fed, sugar coated reasoning are rewarded in the hollywood studio system

quality movies -by- minorities are generally disregarded

just the way i see it - for all its "race issue" talk, crash is still a white movie

[rockymountaindem]

10. Interesting point n/t

[Ravenseye]

11. They damn well are

I've had people come into my house...arab art on the wall, my islamic style family tree framed (circular with arabic script), my name is arab....and to my face say that "well all arabs are horse theives anyway"

Putting aside the fact that someone in the 21st century just said that arabs are 'horse theives' I lit into her (she was the sister of someone who was invited to the party).."are you aware you're in an Arab house? That I'm arab?"

Plus I've seen multiple people degrading refer to the 'mexicans' right in front of housekeepers, gardners, whatever...I want to slap them.

Anyway yeah....people say that crap right in front of people's faces.

[LostinVA]

38. Agreed -- I've seen it time and time again

More than once by my SO's mom -- she used to hate blacks, now it's Mexicans, because "at least Blacks speak English, even if you can't understand them." She freaked out over a guy named BOBBY Gonzales... "Are you a Mexican?" OMG... I've seen and heard it in stores, at the beaches, on the street... in pretty liberal areas, too... thinking that so doesn't happen is not realizing that it's there.

Oh, and Matt Dillon stopping the car? My ex was a cop, and her partner LOVED to stop interracial couples for any little thing and harass them, try to get them to say or do something so he could arrest them... and guess what, posters? This happened in VERY affluent, very white beighborhoods.... in bad neighborhoods... in any neighborhoods.

[southlandshari]

5. SUNDOG!!!

I am so happy to see you - I forgot what I was going to say about the movie now!!

:hug:

[sundog]

8. hey shari

:pals:

gotta run, work calls :)

[AllieB]

20. "Do The Right Thing" is one of my favorite movies

It really was the definitive movie on the race issue.

[UTUSN]

6. Well meant, but it soytenly weren't "Lawrence of Arabia" n/t

[Ekirh]

12. I haven't seen Crash yet

I'm going to probably rent it tommorrow.

My favorite film of the year was still Good Night Good Luck. Brokeback was excellent but I prefered Good Night Good luck. "shrugs". I'm hearing very mixed things about Crash . . . but still feel like watching it so will probably still go rent it tommorrow. Finally got around to watching Capote . . . excellent viewing.

[hobo_baggins]

13. Subtlety wasn't this films strong point...

I felt everything was so overblown and in your face that the meaning became more characature than human. But I thought the editing was excellent. I wouldn't have given it the best picture award though, not by a long shot.

[AmericanErrorist]

14. So you finally saw the

...1996 David Cronenburg film about a couple getting of on carcrashed, did you?

I'm here all week.

[AtomicKitten]

15. I thought Crash was an excellent film.

And apparently many people agreed with me.

I think those po'd about BBM not winning BP are victims of an emotional response to the movie, not a critical evaluation of the film. What happened to it was an honor to be nominated?

The Oscars are traditionally controversial. It's a completely subjective assessment that people shouldn't waste their time trying to dissect and justify.

IMO L.A. Confidential was better than Titanic and Elizabeth was better than Shakespeare in Love.
So what? I own them all.

[Guava Jelly]

16. I agree with you

the part when the little girl and the gunshot was like wow!
i was so pissed until well no spoilers here.
it was uncomfortable to watch but It was a very good movie..I won't buy it but none the less i loved it

[LostinVA]

26. I guessed that when (SPOILER WARNING)

The daughter bought the shells... but, that scene was so incredible searing... the anguish of the dad who gave up a rough life to hack out a better living for his child....

And, I wanted BBM to win... but I really liked Crash. Actually, except for Munich, I would have been happy with ANY of the films winning Best Picture...

[LostinVA]

25. I agree -- I thought it was very good

And, people don't get that it wasn't to be taken 100% literally -- it was SUPPOSED to be an allegory, a morality nplay... and it was very well done.

I agree with you about LA Confidential for sure -- even though -- like Ronnyk -- I like Titanic!

[leftofthedial]

17. I thought Crash was a great movie.

Many excellent performances.

[CanuckAmok]

18. Okay, here's the thing about the Academy...

Make ANY movie about Los Angeles, and It'll get at the very least a nomination.

LA Confidential, I'm talkin' to you.

The Academy is probably the most masturbatory, back-slappingest society on Earth.

I agree with you on the Crash review. It was basically a TV movie.

Paging Subtlety... Subtlety, please pick-up the white courtesy phone; you're needed in Crash.

[AtomicKitten]

21. L.A. Confidential was a wonderful movie.

So was Crash. Your point is not valid.

You may not like the movies, but their critical acclaim speaks otherwise.

[Puglover]

24. Just because you type "NOT" in bold script

doesn't make it so. You want links that trash Crash? I got plenty of them. Some people liked it others didn't. I enjoyed watching the flick but found it contrived and yeah, not in the least bit subtle. Nor the slightess bit groundbreaking.

As someone else pointed out. How odd that Crash didn't have any gay characters.

[AtomicKitten]

30. actually the point was not made

regardless of whether or not I bolded not or not. Both movies received critical acclaim, deservedly so.

Just because you didn't like them doesn't mean they were crap but rather speaks to your bad taste. And, um, since when did having or not having gay characters determine the quality of a movie? That's just proof positive that some of you BBM devotees haven't a clue about film critique. Kinda like the drippy emotional response to Titanic.

Life is not all things gay all the time. You one-issue folk are letting your tunnel vision spill over into unrelated areas.

As a subjective response you are entitled to like or dislike whatever you choose. However, don't even try to impose your untrained eye on the masses.

[Puglover]

39. Do you normally use intellectual dishonesty in your arguments?

Or do you prefer the ad hominen attacks that you seem fond of.

Show me where in my post I said that "Crash" was "crap". What I said was " I enjoyed watching the flick but found it contrived and yeah, not in the least bit subtle. Nor the slightess bit groundbreaking."

And the best you can come back with is that I have "bad taste".

"As a subjective response you are entitled to like or dislike whatever you choose." But but, according to your post if I wasn't overly fond of "Crash" I have "bad taste"?

"You one-issue folk" What exactly is "one issue" about reflecting that a film SOLELY addressing racism doe's not include one of the larger issues in America today which is racism against the GLBT community? And in LA for christ sakes. How you got "life is not all things gay all the time" out of that is bizarre to say the least.

"However, don't even try to impose your untrained eye on the masses." Now I'm intrigued, here I thought I was posting on a liberal board and suddenly I'm imposing my untrained eyes on the masses." LOL...alrighty then.

Scrutizing my post I don't even see where I stated what movie should have won the Oscar. You adding mindreading to your many talents?

You make statements like "your point was NOT made", "speaks to your bad taste", "haven't a clue about film critique", "one issue folk" which are all assumptions and attacks and yet you offer nothing to back them up except of course your opinion. Which is fine, we all have one. Which was exactly the point of my previous post. It's all a matter of opinion. And the opinion of the majority of the Academy was that "Crash" was the better movie of the 5. I happen to disagree.

edit to add last paragraph

[AtomicKitten]

41. I know it's tough to digest.

Let's just say I was in the film critique business for a time in my career. Like I said, appreciating art is subjective. However, summarily dismissing films based on inappropriate and irrelevant criteria is absurd.

[Puglover]

42. "Summarily dismissing films based on inappropriate

and irrelevant criteria is absurd." <sigh> Where oh where Atomic Kitty did I summarily dismiss the film?

And "irrelevant and inappropriate" according to whom? Oh yeah, that would be you who was in the "film critique business for a long time."

I can see we aren't communicating nor do I foresee us arriving at a consensus.

Therefore, do have yourself a swell day.

[Shine]

19. Well, I personally thought it was deeply moving.

I cried and I'm not ashamed to admit it. Of course, I could cry at a Hallmark commercial. heheheh. :)

[Skittles]

22. it was not Oscar worthy at all

entertaining enough but certainly not Oscar worthy

[Tsiyu]

27. I got to watch half til my DVD player pooped out

What I saw was nonstop bigotry, but it seemed realistic in the manner it was portrayed, if a bit blatant. But I know very blatant racists so it didn't seemed farfetched.

SOmeday i'll see the rest of it. Seems like as with any movie it sparks a variety of reactions.

[Placebo]

28. I know, it was so wholly mediocre.

'Brokeback Mountain' deserved to win, dammit. That film was a triumph.

Decades from now, few people will remember 'Crash', but 'Brokeback Mountain' will be watched and appreciated for a long time.

[queenjane]

29. The best movie wasn't even nominated for Best Picture

I'm still haunted by "The Constant Gardener", which resonated even more strongly with me because I work in the clinical research industry. I rented both "Constant Gardener" AND "Crash" the same weekend, which made "Crash" look even more amateurish by comparison.

That said, I really enjoyed Ludacris' performance. I hope he does more acting.

[AtomicKitten]

31. I loved The Constant Gardner

[WilliamPitt]

32. Funny. I saw it recently, too, and wrote a review

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=105&topic_id=4941650&mesg_id=4941650

I think we agree.

[LynneSin]

33. I so totally disagree

The scene of the car accident where Matt Dillon has to pull Thandie Newton out of her overturned car was very powerful - especially knowning that Dillon was the same person that sexually assaulted her the night before.

[LostinVA]

36. That scene and when the Iranian store owner ... well you know

Even though I suspected they were.... you know.... it was heart rending....

And, the scene you mentioned: when Matt Dillon realizes this woman will die because he was such a total prick...when you see that realization, and that he feels shame, panic, anger, at it... and when you finally see her let go and trust him with her life... just brutal, amazing feelings... great scene...

[JohnKleeb]

40. Summed that scene up great

And as usual the music set the tone well too. The scene that moved me the most however was with the locksmith and his daughter. I am guess I am a minority here on the baord but I not only liked Crash but thought it was Best Picture worthly.

[underpants]

34. (haven't seen it) seems to me though like "Grand Canyon" or

"Magnolia"

Stories that really don't have anything to do with each other but are really sorta intertwined. Six degrees and all that.

Something like that?

[LostinVA]

37. A gritty "Grand Canyon"

[huskerlaw]

35. I just saw it last weekend

I will say right out that I haven't seen BBM, so I'm not going to comment on which was more deserving of the Oscar, but I do have certain expectations of an Oscar-winning movie...and Crash didn't cut it.

I thought the movie was farfetched bullshit. Let me put it this way. If you're going to film a movie on race relations in Los Angeles, particularly one that focuses on police brutality and issues between people of multiple ethnicities, do NOT film it in the most white bread, suburban, upper-middle class section of the city.

I mean, seriously? Studio City? I basically live there (in a bordering community, anyway). I have friends who live ON THE STREET where the police pull over the TV producer and his wife and proceed to...you know. At least film the damn movie in a part of the city where that could actually happen. Like Compton. Or Watts. Not on a dead end street that has million dollar family homes on one side and CBS Studios on the other. Yeah, that's right. They filmed that scene right in front of the That 70's Show set. Gimmie a fucking break.

And it's not like they thought they could film it there and nobody would notice. They reference their location in the film "Nobody jacks a car and takes it to Studio City," "They won't shoot us on Ventura Boulevard"

To those of us who know the area, it makes an illogical, contrived movie even more stupid. Ugh.