Wednesday, March 29, 2006

"Crash" - as believable as Sandra Bullock actually hugging her maid

I watched "Crash" last night, mainly out of guilt. I was one of the most vocal fans of "Brokeback Mountain" and like much of the movie-going blogosphere I was flabbergasted by the Best Picture nod going to Paul Haggis's directing debut. And after watching "Crash" I must admit that I'm even more stunned. I wouldn't even put it in my Top 10 of last year. This is moviemaking by committee, as best evidenced by the fight over Producing credits that have landed the funding folks behind the movie in court. There are bright moments - Terrence Howard is singularly powerful, Ryan Philippee (that guy needs to lose a vowel or two) is surprisingly strong and Ludacris is purposely yet truly enigmatic. But there's way WAY too much lumped into this turd. Actually, it's not a turd. It's a B Minus. Matt Dillon didn't deserve even a nod from Johnny Drama (his brother's impressively fake character on "Entourage") for his turn as a racist cop with a heart. Contrived in the most extreme sense. Still, I suggest that everyone should check it out. But don't believe the hype. This movie was a safe choice for an industry scared straight away from embracing the much better "Brokeback Mountain" out of fear that the so-called "culture war" initiated by FOX (faux)News and its ilk might spill over into the mainstream.

Heading up to Seattle tonight for a concerted handful of house-hunting daze in preparation for our impending move this summer. Expect some upcoming pics most likely featuring some of our old haunts - Maya in thriftstore flannel, Maya sitting on Eddie Vedder's lap at the Croc, Maya passing the ball to Shawn Kemp at Key Arena, Maya buying beans at Espresso Vivace, Maya walking around Queen Anne. Hope your own trips down memory lane today focus on the good and look forward to the future. Rock on.

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