Crash (2005)

Powerful Intense Compelling

Over the span of 36 hours, several people come in dramatic contact with each other and their lives are changed forever. These humans crash with each other in ways that make us all see how prejudice, ignorance, and misunderstanding affect our very lives.

A superb film to watch to study filmmaking, too -- fascinating juxtapositions, segues, camera angles, lighting, and nuances.

Outstanding musical score gives a real pulse to the story.

Cast includes: Sandra Bullock, Don Cheadle, Matt Dillon, Jennifer Esposito, William Fichtner, Brendan Fraser, Terrence Dashon Howard, Ludacris, Thandie Newton, David K, Ryan Phillippe, Tony Danza and Bruno Kirby's father.

Written and directed by Paul Haggis (who also wrote the fabulous Million Dollar Baby).

Rated R for language, sexual content and some violence.

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viewed Oct-2005

Empire Falls (2005)

Superb Cast

Miles Roby (Ed Harris) is a rather timid restaurant manager in Empire Falls, Maine. The restaurant is owned by the wealthiest woman in town (Joanne Woodward) who is heavily into power and control.

Miles is trying his hardest to get his life in order while also dealing with his ne'er do well father (a wonderfully scruffy Paul Newman) and his obnoxious ex-wife (Helen Hunt) who left Miles for an equally obnoxious gym owner (Dennis Farina). He's dedicated to his teen daughter Tick (Danielle Panabaker) who is trying to untangle from a controlling, obnoxious boyfriend Zack (Trevor Morgan). Zack's father is the controlling, obnoxious cop Jimmy Minty (William Fichtner) who is set to make Miles Roby's life uncomfortable. In the meantime, Tick befriends John, a sadly disturbed classmate (Lou Taylor Pucci) who is harassed constantly by Zack.

See a trend here about Miles and Tick's need to free themselves of controlling, obnoxious people?

Miles' ex-mother-in-law Bea (Estelle Parsons) and long-time waitress Charlene (Theresa Russell) are his biggest supporters while his brother David (Aidan Quinn) tries to support him but also has his own issues to work around.

Throughout the story, Miles' deceased mother (Robin Wright Penn) and her paramour (Philip Seymour Hoffman) appear in flashbacks that fill in details of Miles' life and the history of Empire Falls.

A two-DVD set; an HBO mini-series, directed by Fred Schepisi.

My personal rating: B

My September 2005 Viewings

Includes my personal ratings.
Recommended DVDs in bold.

Taxi 2:3 09/08/05 (B)
Sordid Lives 09/08/05
Six Feet Under 4:5 09/06/05 (C+)