"This intricate and searing drama is full of angry characters and vicious dialogue as it attempts to explore the “melting pot” of disharmony, hate and a distinct lack of tolerance that is L.A." Gavin Bond INFILM AUST "Crash is hyper-articulate and often breathtakingly intelligent and always brazenly alive. I think it’s easily the strongest American film since Clint Eastwood’s Mystic River, though it is not for the fainthearted." David Denby NEW YORKER "I think this is the kind of film that starts arguments and stimulates passionate discussion about topics that still make most of us cringe." Richard Roeper EBERT & ROEPER "In Crash, no one gets off easy, and no one is immune to prejudice." Paul Doro MILWAUKEE JOURNAL SENTINEL "One of the finest American movies to engage our diverse richness and our casual and not-so-casual ethnic hostility." Lisa Kennedy, DENVER POST "It's simultaneously shocking and riveting, but what makes this movie so mesmerizing is that it's never apparent where the actions of these characters will take us." Louis B Hobson JAM! MOVIES

"A crash course in unmasking the racial and class divisions in American society that make every stranger into a potential enemy." Frederic and Mary Ann SPIRITUALITY AND HEALTH "...surprisingly funny and touching..." David Nusair REEL FILM REVIEWS "Haggis turns the screws on a nation’s anxieties and helps light the way of personal responsibility through conversation and, if need be, a little divine intervention" Erik Childress EFILMCRITIC.COM "Destined to turn up in many critics "top ten" list at year's end, this effective, affecting tapestry of everyday racism is scintilating. Efficient, powerful and memorable." Ben McEachen THE ADELAIDE ADVERTISER "Beautiful, intense, powerful and memorable... " Edward Douglas COMINGSOON.NET "One indication that a movie is REALLY good is being unable to stop thinking about it." Jeanne Kaplan KAPLAN VS. KAPLAN

The Inside Story

"An ambitious and often wonderful movie, an expansive look at urban life -- the fractious, noisy whole of it -- filled with witty, biting and insightful writing." Eric Harrison HOUSTON CHRONICLE

"Crash" is a remarkable piece of cinema and a joy to watch thanks to writer, producer and first time director Paul Haggis who penned the short story "Rope Burns" which many will know went on to become the Academy Award ® winner "Million Dollar Baby". The basis for this story comes from a real life experience. Haggis revealled how he was "carjacked at gunpoint coming out of a video store in Los Angeles. He went home, changed all the locks in his house and then started to wonder about the men who stole his car; how long they’d been friends; what they did for fun; whether or not they considered themselves criminals; how they justified their actions." The story didn't come for several years, but it did come and what a powerful tale it has turned out to be. "By then I’d lived in LA for twenty-five years and had been witness to our own subtle brand of race and class warfare," says Haggis. "I’d seen the many ways we discriminate against each other in everyday life. I’d seen how we rationalize and excuse it, how we organize our lives so that we don’t have to deal with it, and how we deny that racial problems exist. But it wasn’t until after 9/11 that I understood how to write this piece. Because the movie isn’t really about race or class, it’s about fear of strangers. It’s about intolerance and compassion; about how we all hate to be judged but see no contradiction in judging others." Co-script writer Robert 'Bobby' Moresco sees racism having a far broader effect. "I think that on some level everybody in America is touched by the question of race and racism." Producer Cathy Schulman describes the film as a mixture of life experiences. "This is a film about real life. It's also something of a fable and a morality play. And it's a story of hope. There's levity, heartbreak, tragedy, beauty, comedy," she explained. Haggis says his film isn't about bad guys affecting bad guys. "This isn’t a film about someone else, about those bad people on the other side of the hill," he said. "This is a film about good people. People you know; people like us, people who think they know who they are. Then they are tested and realize that they have no idea. None of the characters escape unscathed." Actor Ryan Phillippe sees "Crash" as "a little bit of a morality tale" as well as "a cautionary tale. You see how fragile humanity is in general and how the slightest choice you make, which may not seem that important at the time, can end up having huge ramifications, a ripple effect way beyond yourself," he says. A lot of credit must be given to Haggis and Moresco for sticking with their vision, after all, a story of racism, set in the home of Hollywood, could have been a hard one to sell. Thankfully it wasn't. "We thought, 'Let's just write this and the hell with everyone since nobody's ever going to make this.' Many people gave us good suggestions, and we just kept digging at the truth," says Moresco. And there is an irony about the location of Los Angeles as 2005 Academy Award nominee Don Cheadle notes. "Los Angeles is one of the first places where whites will become a minority very soon, so I think it has its own unique sort of makeup." Making "Crash" became a labor of love for Producer Mark Harris who said "We knew it wouldn't be easy, but the script was just brilliant," says Harris. "It's something that's different, well written. And I think people would like to see something they haven't seen before." The one thing viewers will see is a truly superb cast headed by Golden Globe winner Cheadle who was the first actor on the production teams wish list. Credit for bringing such a brilliant ensemble of actors and actresses together must go to the team of Sarah Finn C.S.A and Randi Hiller C.S.A who joined forces in 2000 to form the Casting company, Finn/Hillier. "Don was the first person we approached and the first person who said yes," says Haggis. Cheadle, who is in big demand these days wasn't bothered by which part he got, he just wanted in. He told Haggis, "I love the script and I'll do any role. Just pick a part, I'll do it. I just want to be a part of this." Cheadle's also signed on as one of the film's producers and helped to get the film cast and made. "Because of Don's involvement, we had actors on every level reading a script without an offer, just to see if they were interested," says Moresco. Actress Sandra Bullock was one of those very impressed by the powerful script. "When I read the script I was in New York and I was absolutely blown away by it, absolutely blown away," Bullock recalls. "And by the time I finished reading it, I put in a call and I was like, I don't care what part I play, I just would love to be a part of this film." She got her wish and her performance is very, very, solid indeed. One actor who really does make a huge impression is rapper turned actor, Chris “Ludacris” Bridges. He plays car-jacker Anthony. A young black man with a 'white' chip on his shoulder. "I was the freshman of the group," says Bridges. "So, basically I am soaking it all in. I just try to absorb everything that's going on and learn from these talented actors and actresses that are out here doing their thing on this movie." Chris Bridges really stepped up to the plate for his role and has progressed well beyond the 'freshman' tag he gave himself. Thandie Newton turns in a brilliant performance as Christine, a young black woman who is molested by a police officer. "I have four scenes in the film, and what happens in those scenes and what they force me to consider hasn't been easy," says Newton. "I think I felt more exposed and more vulnerable in this film than in just about any other film." But the actors and actresses aren't the only ones who will feel exposed and vulnerable. Those sitting in the audience will find themselves exposed scenes which will run them through an emotional maze. It does force you to question just where you stand. "If you leave this film and don't see a piece of yourself, you're a liar, an absolute liar," insists Bullock. "It may not be your time to see it yet if you don't see a piece of yourself and just acknowledge it." Actress Jennifer Esposito believes "everyone will have an opinion about this movie. Whether they love it, or they hate it, they will have an opinion. It will bring up conversation. It will entertain. It'll make people mad." It will also make many, laugh and cry too. Some who see "Crash" will echoe the thoughts of actor Terrence Howard who said, "This story shows me that I'm a block away from falling apart. Just a block away. If you're honest, that's how it is for a lot of us. Just a block away from crashing...." In todays pressure cooker, stress filled society, it's not hard to see why! Crew Bytes "CRASH" was .......
directed by Two Times EMMY Award winner and recipient of the The Humanitas Prize, Columbia Mystery Writers Award and SIX Times Genie Award winner Paul Haggis ["Crash"]; screenplay by Paul Haggis ["Million Dollar Baby"] and 1997 People’s Choice TV Drama of the Year Award winner Bobby Moresco ["One Eyed King", "The Dinosaur", "Million Dollar Baby" anf TV'S "Millennium"]; original story by Paul Haggis; casting by Sarah Finn C.S.A and Randi Hiller C.S.A ["Terminator 3", "Life As A House", "Crazy/Beautiful" and "Coach Carter"]; production design by Laurence Bennett ["Men vs Women", "Thinner" and "Modern Girls"]; edited by Hughes Winborne ["Employee Of The Month", "Curtain Call", "Nobody's Baby" and "Sling Blade"]; director of photography James 'Jimmy' Muro ["The Abyss" and "Open Range"]; original music by Mark Isham ["October Sky", "Blade", "A River Runs Through It" and "The Cooler"] the producers include Cathy Schulman ["Tears Of The Sun", "Godsend", "Employee Of The Month", "Gangs Of New York" and "Sidewalks Of New York"] and Bob Yari ["Agent Cody Banks I & II", "Perfect Fit", "Laws Of Attraction", "Hostage" and "Employee Of The Month"]. Casting About "CRASH" stars .......
1996 NATO/ShoWest Female Star of the Year and winner of the Blockbuster Entertainment, MTV Movie and People’s Choice Awards Sandra Bullock ["While You Were Sleeping", "Speed", "The Vanishing" and "Miss Congeniality 2"]; IFP Spirit Award winner Matt Dillon ["City Of Ghosts", "To Die For", "Drugstore Cowboy" and "There's Somrthing About Mary"]; Jennifer Esposito ["Breaking All The Rules", "Don't Say A Word", "Made" and "Taxi"]; William Fichtner ["Drowning Mona", "Contact", "Black Hawk Down", "Armageddon" and "Albino Alligator"]; Brendan Fraser ["The Quiet American", "The Mummy", "The Mummy Returns" and "George of the Jungle"]; Independent Spirit and Chicago Film Critics Award winner Terrence Howard ["The Best Man", "Dead Presidents", "Angel Eyes", "Hart's War" and "Ray"]; Chris 'Ludacris' Bridges ["2 Fast 2 Furious"]; Thandie Newton ["Beloved", "The Truth About Charlie", "Mission Impossible 2" and "The Chronicles Of Riddick"]; Ryan Phillippe ["White Squall", "Cruel Intentions", "Gosford Park" and "Igby Goes Down"]; NAACP Image Best Actor Award winner Larenz Tate ["Love Jones", "Dead Presidents", "Biker Boyz" and "A Man Apart"] and Golden Globe Award winner Don Cheadle ["Devil In The Blue Dress", "Boogie Nights", "Ocean's Twelve", "After The Sunset", and "Hotel Rwanda"] as Graham. What It's All About

"This is the rare American film really about something, and almost all the performances are riveting. It asks tough questions, and lets its audience struggle with the answers." Stephen Hunter WASHINGTON POST

A Brentwood housewife and her DA husband. A Persian store owner. Two police detectives who are also lovers. A black television director and his wife. A Mexican locksmith. Two car-jackers. A rookie cop. A middle-aged Korean couple. They all live in Los Angeles. And in the next 36 hours, they will all collide. Action and reaction will mould each one of them. Jean and her D. A husband are victims of a car-jacking. Anthony is a young black man with a white chip on his shoulder. Christine is molested by a police officer after she and her husband Cameron are pulled over by Officer's Ryan and Hanson on their way home from a function. Det Graham is trying to care for his mother, look out for his little brother and share a releationship with fellow officer Ria. Officer Hanson wants a new partner. He thinks his current partner is unethical. His supervisor, Lt Dixon, has struggled to make it as a black officer in the police force. He's not about to let Officer Hanson jeopardize his career. A persian shopkeeper is robbed. The insurer refuses to pay. He blames the young black man who refused to fix the shops rear door. He wants to kill the young man. LA is a melting pot. A cauldron of hatred, fear, love and discovery. When people crash into each other in a big city, it creates a ripple effect. One that will bring some closer together and tear others apart. The Verdict "The most powerfully constructed story so far this year. A superb ensemble cast delivers a most watchable film. Director/Writer Paul Haggis, who penned the story "Million Dollar Baby", has done it again. A masterpiece in story-telling. You'll laugh. You'll cry. You'll be shocked. You will be entertained. What ever you do, do not miss "Crash". It's a film that must be seen. Most Highly commended." The Cast

Sandra Bullock Don Cheadle Matt Dillon Jennifer Esposito William Fichtner Brendan Fraser Terrence Howard Chris 'Ludacris' Bridges Thandie Newton Ryan Phillippe Larenz Tate Tony Danza Keith David Shaun Toub Loretta Devine Michael Pena Bahar Soomekh James Haggis Karina Arroyave Dato Bakhtadze Art Chudabala Jack McGee Beverly Todd Kathleen York Paul E Short

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Jean Graham Officer Ryan Ria Flanagan Rick Cameron Anthony Christine Officer Hanson Peter Fred Lt Dixon Farhad Shaniqua Daniel Dorri Lara's Friend Elizabeth Lucien Ken Ho Gun Store Owner Graham's Mother Officer Johnson Officer Stone

The Crew Directed by Paul Haggis Original story by Paul Haggis Screenplay by Paul Haggis & Bobby Moresco Produced by Don Cheadle/Paul Haggis/Mark R Harris/Robert Moresco/Cathy Schulman/Bob Yari Original Music by Mark Isham & Shani Rigsbee Cinematography by James Muro Film Editing by Hughes Winborne Casting by Sarah Finn & Randi Hiller Production Design by Laurence Bennett Art Direction by Brandee Dell'Aringa Set Decoration by Linda Sutton-Doll Costume Design by Linda M Bass Production Manager Betsy Danbury Production Supervisor Mads Hansen Run Time 113 minutes Rated MA 15+ [AUST] Copyright ©2005 - Icon Film Distribution - All Rights Reserved Copyright Protected © 2005 - Impact Internet Services & The Movie Pages- All Rights Reserved