Category Archives: Could Be Hard To Watch

Crash (2005)

From NetFlix:

A 36-hour period in the diverse metropolis of post-Sept. 11 Los Angeles is the theme of this unflinching drama that challenges viewers to confront their prejudices. Lives combust when a Brentwood housewife and her D.A. husband, a Persian shopkeeper, two cops, a pair of carjackers and a Korean couple all converge. Director Paul Haggis’s Best Picture Oscar winner stars Sandra Bullock, Brendan Fraser, Don Cheadle, Matt Dillon and Jennifer Esposito.

Recommended in “1001 Films to See Before You Die”, this film seems to be the gold-standard for films that offer multiple seemingly independent threads that ultimately come together before the film ends. Sometimes those relations are a bit forced.

Racial predjudice (and whether it can be overcome) is the theme of the film. I have reviews that rave and reviews that rant about how well this theme is treated. At least it is not a boring film. What I remember most is the heroic car scene with Matt Dillon.

Traffic (2000)

From NetFlix:

In three interwoven vignettes, Traffic offers disturbing snapshots of America’s drug war. Drug czar Michael Douglas sees his life turned upside down when the drug problem hits home, while Tijuana cop Benicio Del Toro tries to keep his hands clean — and stay alive. Meanwhile, Drug Enforcement Agency operatives arrest a major dealer, forcing his wife (Catherine Zeta-Jones) to take over the family business.

Recommended both by “1001 Films to See Before You Die” and “NY Times 1000 Best”, this film is in the “Crash” tradition of many separate interrelated plot threads. As such, the film can be confusing.

Besides violence (e.g. torture) there is much ugliness (e.g. The U.S. drug czar finally tracks down his cocaine-addicted daughter as she is prostituting herself to an old man in order to get drug money). Another main theme is governmental corruption. This film, which won 4 oscars, is not an easy watch.