Crash (***1/2)

Powerful stuff. Written and directed by the Oscar-nominated writer of Million Dollar Baby, Crash is an incisive, heated, and very human drama dealing with race and racism in America. The script bristles with hard-edged truth and three-dimensional characterizations, and is as tightly plotted as a movie can get. It reminded me a lot of Magnolia and Traffic in the way it expertly weaves and ties together different characters and stories. The cast is one of the most diverse of its kind: blacks, whites, asians, persians, and latinos all figure prominently. Don Cheadle, Matt Dillon, and Sandra Bullock all do stellar work, as does everyone else. This is one of the best films of its kind. Challenging, entertaining, and unforgettable.