Crash

I'd seen this movie once before and possibly given it short shrift. On second viewing this course of thought was hard to understand. The reason being that this is an incredibly powerful tale that deserves all the praise and acclaim it received. It was especially fitting that it should pick up so many awards for best screenplay. The writing in this is tight and heartfelt. There isn't any cheap dialogue or protracted prose clogging up the runtime, just what is necessary to convey the conflicted feelings of the characters on screen. Sometimes a look is enough, such as that between Dillon & Newton on his rescue of her from a car accident. The theme is one of racism and prejudices, the sort we all casually engage in without ever wishing to understand fully the end consequence. There is that element of luck intertwined with the aforementioned themes and how that plays out when chance brings them together. It's a small world after all and every action has an equal and opposite reaction. Other Directors have used the stream of seemingly unrelated incidents to knit a story, most notably and successfully Inarritu in the brilliance of Amores Perros and 21 Grams.
Haggis gets the most out of his cast, most notably Howard & Dillon. The characters manage to portray powerfully the isolation and loneliness that must come from being ostracised as a result of racial prejudice. Ryan Philipe's character seems to be above the prejudice inflicted by his partner because it doesn't sit comfortably with him. Ultimately, however, he falls victim to the preconceived fears and notions we all hold. Are these right? No and Haggis is ultimately preaching a cautionary tale, one that we can all learn from.