See "Crash" !

We laughed, gasped, and connected with the characters. I love movies that are intimately involved with characters, not special effects. There are many, many funny scenes. The writing is sharp. And, it’s NOT too violent; it has shocking moments, and you can’t predict what will happen next. The trailer at the official site gives you a good sense of the movie.

Here’s what a fan at IMDb said:

There is good and bad in all of us. This movie explores this like no other. It will make you think about the nature of bigotry and stereotypes. The characters switch from heavy to hero in a way that is deeply moving and exhilarating. It is TV drama style writing where several different groups of characters and plots interweave (Paul Haggis) but with none of the limits of TV, it reminded me of “Hill Street Blues” which from me is a big compliment. I am a Don Cheadle fan and he captures the role. Sandra Bullock plays against character and pulls it off with ease. The most impressive performance to me was Ryan Phillippe’s. Almost every nationality in LA was represented and they all were interesting and realistic. The ensemble cast and various plots blend together and keep your interest. Cast is great, music is haunting, writing is superb. Go see this movie…

The trailer at the official site gives you a good sense of the movie.

Here’s what Roger Ebert said — and I’m leaving out anything that would remotely spoil all the plots for you:

“Crash” tells interlocking stories of whites, blacks, Latinos, Koreans, Iranians, cops and criminals, the rich and the poor, the powerful and powerless, all defined in one way or another by racism. All are victims of it, and all are guilty it. Sometimes, yes, they rise above it, although it is never that simple. Their negative impulses may be instinctive, their positive impulses may be dangerous, and who knows what the other person is thinking?

The result is a movie of intense fascination; we understand quickly enough who the characters are and what their lives are like, but we have no idea how they will behave, because so much depends on accident. Most movies enact rituals; we know the form and watch for variations. “Crash” is a movie with free will, and anything can happen. Because we care about the characters, the movie is uncanny in its ability to rope us in and get us involved.

“Crash” was directed by Paul Haggis, whose screenplay for “Million Dollar Baby” led to Academy Awards. It connects stories based on coincidence, serendipity, and luck, as the lives of the characters crash against one another other like pinballs. The movie presumes that most people feel prejudice and resentment against members of other groups, and observes the consequences of those feelings.

One thing that happens, again and again, is that peoples’ assumptions prevent them from seeing the actual person standing before them…. Ebert