CRASH CONTROVERSY - part deux

I noted in my last post how the Academy doesn't exactly have a perfect record deciding their best picture winner. I used this to excuse the selection of Crash as the best picture of 2005. After noggining about it a bit more, however, I think this year's selection really does have some differences from past choices. Frankly, Crash might just be the worst film ever selected as best picture. In fact, it might be the worst by a sizeable margin. Given this, I've been interested enough to peruse the web on the subject. I've found quite a few bits of interesting commentary the past few days regarding the big win by Crash at the Oscars.

By far the best researched and most in depth is by Jim Emerson, the editor of Roger Ebert's website:

http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060307/SCANNERS/60308001

There's much interesting material to be gleaned here including how many Academy voters (notably Tony Curtis) vowed not to see the gay cowboy movie much less ever vote for it as best picture.

Perhaps my initial reaction after seeing the surprise victory for Crash was correct: That there really was some degree of bigotry and voting politics at play in this decision. Most interesting to read about, however, is how the voting turns out winners in practice. Winners. Not necessarily 'the best' film, simply the winning film. To quote Emerson:

"If you believe in democracy in any form you know that the decisions of the voters are not in any way connected to choosing the "best" outcome (or selecting the "best" candidate for an office), but the most popular or generally acceptable ones."

Conversely Roger Ebert himself gives an essay on the reaction to Crash by it's haters (include me in there) and his personal choice of Crash as the best film for 2005. I will note that Mr. Ebert has in the past made some pretty tenious claims on best pictures. My 'favorite' of his unusual choices was Dark City, his pick as the best film of 1998. He apparently saw more than just an episode of the 'Outer Limits', which is all I saw in that movie.

http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060306/OSCARS/603070301


Finally, I include my original review of Crash where I applaud the films goals, but lightly lambast its execution.

CRASH (DVD)
Director: Paul Haggis ( writer/producer Million Dollar Baby, long list of TV work)
Starring: Ensemble incl. Matt Dillon, Don Cheadle, Thandie Newton, more

I think that this broad, vaguely cheesy movie about racism showed some worthwhile ideas on screen. The film portrayed a dozen characters each confronting and practicing racism (like we all do in some way or another). It showed these characters lashing out at others because they have so many other struggles to deal with, and how it’s just easier to lash out.

Well, the screenplay has this right in some ways - maybe not without fault, and it’s definitely not a comprehensive study of racism, but it got its little part right. For that I applaud the film. Detractors of the movie will rush to shout down the awful score, the absolutely, unbelievably, unabashedly simple characters, and the absurd coincidences that bring the dozen or so characters of this film together, and they may be right to do so. These were not particularly effective aspects to this film. It’s a pet peeve of mine, however, how critics will particularly ravage an idea that dares to reaches high and may fail in some way. If you dare to attempt to write a screenplay on racism, you damn well better not give us any broad strokes. Well, screw you Mr. or Ms. Cowardly Low Self Esteemed Reviewer. If you can’t handle someone having the balls to tackle a difficult subject and fail then you’d be best to quietly go work in your garden and shut up about art because you don’t have the slightest idea how it works.

So yeah, this movie missed in a lot of ways, succeeded in some others, but was pretty much watchable throughout. So, to concisely sum up: Uneven but with some to recommend.

Standouts: Effective acting by Matt Dillon, Thandie Newton, Don Cheadle and others.
Blowouts: Horrible score, silly plot coincidences, and ridiculously broad characters.

Grade: B-