'Crash'

[Personal opinion upon watching Crash (Best Picture, 78th Academy Awards)]

2005 was a horrible year for movies. 2006 more than just made up for it. I'm talking about class, not cash.

Movies that were running for Oscars in 2006 were far, far better than their 2005 counter-parts. We didn't have any cliches like Million Dollar Baby. We did not have half-crack movies like Sideways. We did not have flicks like The Aviator that wish to cash on a good cast and crew. We did not have good movies like Hotel Rwanda that were in the list only to be rejected in the name of political correctness.

This year, all five nominations were superb movie. Each different in taste and content. Each carrying a hint of the indie flavor. I doubt if there has been any better a bunch of movies in the same year.

I liked this years movies because they all moved away from the 'portreyal mode' to 'question mode'.

Munich could so easily have been a pro-Jewish bashing of Palestinians, yet it stuck to the truth and asked us some deep, righteous, and morally absorbing questions. Brokeback Mountain pushed the religion-over-humanity policy to its limits. Good Night and Good Luck made us question the recently rejuvenated act of political witch-hunting and the justifications of sacrificing humanity in the name of security. Capote followed the footsteps of Dead Man Walking and asked us again if we have the right to take away life that we cannot re-instate.

I loved these movies. All of them to my heart's content. They challenged my soul, emotionally. They asked the questions that opened the windows and let in some fresh air in my mind.

Crash was a bit different. It didn't leave me with any feeling at all. It was brute and direct. It didn't bother windows, it just took down my mind. I don't remember watching a more engaging and manipulating movie. It was a crusade against prejudice, deceit, lies, and false nobility.

Till this day, the very though of Crash fills my heart with shame, makes it impossible to face the man in the mirror, and points out my slavery of stereotypes.

I loved it most. Mostly because it made me hate myself so much.