Reviews

One can only sit in utter amazement at this mess of a film and be amused at some of the raves people have bestowed upon it. The biggest problem seems to be the director's inability to make up his mind as to whether it's black comedy, farce or a combination of both. It meanders all over the place in search of direction and has some utterly embarrassing performances that might be better suited to bad sitcom. What a shame to see the talented Dianne Wiest's comic talents squandered and the ever annoying Jane Birkin is so over the top she's more bothersome than usual.

Perhaps a lot of the positive criticism is due to the "quirky French" nature of the film - therefore, it's labeled "smart" or "genius." It's neither. Instead it's bad tripe that leaves a rather rancid after-taste. Merchant-Ivory should stick to the serious stuff as they certainly have no comprehension of comedy.

It's been quite interesting to view all the diverse opinions of the film and felt I had to add my voice to the discussion.

The world of film is a rather tricky medium to tackle the subject of racism and no one film can encompass all the diverse complexities that prejudice entails. Let's not forget that a movies's first job is to entertain and enlighten an audience. Crash succeeds at this exceptionally well.

Paul Haggis has constructed a wonderfully involving movie that allows the viewer a glimpse into various lives that are touched by both economic and race issues. True, some of the characters may be stereotypical, but the core premise seems to be one of examining racism and the hope of redemption. The interweaving nature of the story and the surprises the characters face within themselves makes for a very entertaining ride. That's why we go to movies and a film like Crash is a good example of Hollywood doing it's job right for a change. Crash would have been even better had the characters been fleshed out more with a running time that was longer. This reviewer would have been more than happy to sit through another hour of material.

So if you want to see something that is both emotionally and entertainingly involving check out this great movie.

Steven Spielberg's third 'from out of this world' opus is just one big mess. It's difficult to understand how the man who gave us the charm of E.T. and the humanity of Close Encounters could deliver such pathetic junk. The biggest problem in this film is a script so lacking in coherency that it's writing seems better suited to one of those bad 50's B sci-fi movies. (I think I just heard H. G. Wells roll around in his grave for the umpteenth time.)

The other big problem is the lack of empathy one feels for the characters. Cruise's daughter is so annoying I almost wished one of the tripods would put that screeching presence out of her misery. And what's with Tim Robbins? His hammy performance was the only true bit of humor to be found anywhere.

Granted, the special effects are great and one should not expect any big statement on the human condition from big budget sci-fi, but we're talking Spielberg here. One anticipates not only a good show but a superior narrative from a good storyteller. On the positive side, the director goes for a much grittier look (a la Saving Private Ryan) which is appropriate for the subject matter. However, maybe the movie would have worked better had it expanded the story to involve more characters and encompassed more the broader effect of the invasion outside of Cruise's family.

All in all, a total waste of talent and an even clunkier mess than the marauding invading aliens.