Crash

I've become really selective about the movies I watch. Not that it's by choice but with all the responsibilities tugging at my sleeve, I don't have a lot of time. Since Crash won this year's Best Movie Oscar, I figure it should be good. It wasn't just good. It blew me away.

If you haven't seen the film yet, I won't spoil the ending for you. But here's what I liked about it. The film doesn't tackle prejudice and racism as a national issue but as something deeply personal and encountered everyday by everyone. The story unfolds through life vignettes of the multi-racial characters in urban melting pot Los Angeles. The film acknowledges that racism and reverse racism exists in this day and age, even 51 years after Rosa Parks made a stand. Or rather, stayed in her seat. One difference lies between the racism of the past and the racism of today. Instead of being loud and violent -- it's repressed, polite and tight-lipped. This is the first film I've seen that depicts it faithfully as experienced in life. I felt oddly liberated after watching the film. My gut instincts and fears about living and surviving in America validated. It was the Significant Human Experience, shared.