Crash

Rating:
Summary: Well made but lack of intensiveness on the main issue
Review: Even though Mr. Cronenberg signs everyone of his movies with that special touch of irony of life & confusion of where you are standing; In CRASH I found that he "hangs around" the story of crashing as a material fact instead of enfatizing the fact of the enigma between people that experience and accident and feel attracted fisically and spiritually to each other. I have to say that sound was excellent as well as photography on the DVD version. Is is a great movie but is NOT Cronenbergs best. Spader worderful and smooth as always & Hunter incredibly sexy.

Rating:
Summary: A One Note Theme.....Beaten to Death.
Review: I did not find Crash shocking or challenging. I did find it sad and depressing. If that was Cronenberg's intent, he succeeded admirably.

What I could not find in the movie was any human motivation anywhere in these characters. Their joyless couplings become repetitive and are meant to express....what? That they are so alienated and jaded that only by the severest forms of sensation (car crashes, injury, mutilation) can they become sexually arroused? Well, that was conveyed in the first 30 minutes. And then is repeated ad nauseum until the final scene, with neither growth or any further insight for the characters or the audience.

We live in an age where people do disfigure themselves, often in some sort of sexual expression. And that our car culture has sexual undertones is no new revelation (just look at the advertising). But this movie neither explains nor offers any insight into any of that. It just observes their motiveless self-destructive behavior, turning the audience into voyeurs.

I like many of Cronenberg's other efforts. I admire the cast, though I would love to hear them explain what they think these people are doing and why.

At some point observation of alienation and depravity crosses the line and becomes that alienation and depravity. This comes uncomfortably close to that. Maybe I'm just weary of this kind of new age existential despair. If your worldview is this bleak, I pity you.

At any rate, I give it 2 stars because it is well-made and a curiosity piece. It obviously will stimulate some thought. But, it is empty, cold and heartless at it's core and offers no great insight into the human condition. Matter of fact, there isn't a recognizable human being anywhere in sight.

Rating:
Summary: Cronenberg at his best...
Review: Which is not exactly a glowing recommendation if you aren't a fan of his. The reaction to this movie is strong because Cronenberg takes away two things: A) any sort of moral benchmark (in other words, there's nobody who thinks anything the characters are doing is wrong in any sense) and B) as much eroticism as possible. If you're looking for softcore, don't bother; Cronenberg takes away any prurient interest that might distract us and focuses us with laser accuracy on the events unfolding. I personally don't find said events that hard to take, but a lot of people don't agree with me.

Basically, the lives we see are those of car crash fetishists, people who see the crash as a sexual release. But, as I said, Cronenberg strips it of as much eroticism as he possibly can. He really does make you look at exactly what these people are doing and exactly who they are, and there's not a pleasant (let alone sympathetic) person in the lot. This is not an exercise in Hollywood filmmaking, I can't emphasize that enough.

I would certainly recommend it if you've read the book by J.G. Ballard. If you're on the fence, I would read the book first and then decide. But it is worth seeing, if for no other reason than to see a great filmmaker at work.

Rating:
Summary: A totally pointless movie. Extremely boring.
Review: I rented this movie because I like Holly Hunter. But it almost ruined what could have been a nice video evening.

First of all, there is almost no story. It starts with a sex scene, then there is a car crash. After that is another sex scene (by no reason) and another car crash. This is pretty much what this movie is about. It started as a not very good movie, and after that, it only gets worse and when it was over, I could tell it was one of the worst I have ever seen. The last half-hour is just a number of quite unnecessary scenes. It is quite sad that such a good actress as Holly Hunter is in such a bad movie.

This movie was in the Thriller section in the video store, but I wouldn't call it a thriller. It is very slow and extremely boring. It felt very much longer than it actually was. Some people try to explain the deeper meaning of the movie, about alienation and so on, but we get no explanation to the character's actions. It's not thrilling and it's not the least entertaining.

I have seen quite many movies and quite many bad movies, bot never ever have I seen a movie that is so detestable as this is. It gets you in a bad mood and makes you want to throw the TV out the window. There is one reason to see it, however: No matter what bad movies you see during the rest of your life, you'll be able to say "I've seen worse, I've seen 'Crash'".

Rating:
Summary: Well made, interesting premise, but too redundant.
Review: Crash has been derided for gratuitous sexuality and the lack of a conventional story arc. But beneath the "repelling" qualities is a compelling movie that sadly suffers from a few artistic excesses that hurt the experience. I'm a casual fan of Cronenberg's work, but Crash is definitely unusual and weirdly fascinating (and certainly disturbing at times). The amort color scheme (think noirish and dreamy) augments the passionless nature of the characters, who are deliberately acted with a lack of emotion, with sparse dialogue. The gloomy soundtrack is good as well. These qualities are all effective, as they accentuates the unhappy nature of the characters.

This is a strange, sad flick about a group of people who cannot experience pleasure, and find ways to vicariously heighten their zest by enjoying a unique fetish revolving around bloody car accidents. These neurotic people try and rationalize their woeful lives, but by the film's end it becomes clear that they cannot be truly liberated from their distressed condition. Note how the (many) sex scenes are not remotely titillating, because the characters engage them in such a torpid manner. Even the car accidents are calm little smashes. Thematically, the film asks what gives us pleasure, and where is the line between pleasure and pain?

While it's interesting to ponder, in the end I was left with more of a love-hate feeling. The film waxes the artsy elements a too much and feels boring and redundant. Beating a dead horse is no fun, and there's many scenes that just seem to repeat each other. About half of it is genuinely effective, but the rest is plodding. I know that's the point, but I think some more attentive work could have made it more effective in the end.

Rating:
Summary: Strangely dreamlike and compelling
Review: I'm not a big fan of Cronenberg's work, and this film sounded like something I'd want to avoid at all costs, but at the urging of a friend I watched it, and I'm glad I did. There's a lovely, dreamlike quality to the film which might not appeal to those who like a little more action. But it works here because the people involved in this strange pathology are individuals living in a kind of dream of mechanical mayhem in which soft bodies and hard metal come together in increasingly erotic ways.

The pacing is perfectly suited to James Spader's somewhat mannered acting style, and he comes across well here. Deborah Unger and Holly Hunter fare less well, turning in performances which seem strangely flat. However Rosanna Arquette is wonderful, and Elias Koteas is brilliant as Vaughn. If you carry away any indelible memories from this film, it will be of their characters.

While the film itself isn't really for the squeamish just because of the themes, the potential for in-your-face gore and mutilation is never really fulfilled. Much is implied here, but like the emotions, the violence is usually one step removed from the viewer's reality. I think if you're prepared to view this with an open mind, you'll find it compelling.

The DVD contains both the R and NC-17 rated versions.

Rating:
Summary: James & Holly as you¿ve never seen them before ¿
Review: Hard to describe, but at only 100 minutes long, it's worth watching even if it's just for the controversy surrounding the movie. I do feel NC-17 rating was a bit harsh. Based around a car crash victim, his wife, their supposed marriage and their new found love of car crashes and victim disfigurements ... this movie leaves the door wide open to interpretation. Don't try to think too hard while watching this movie ... you're better off enjoying the scenery. As for James Spader & Holly Hunter, they certainly surprised me with the erotic roles they portrayed.

Rating:
Summary: Cronenberg attempts a David Lynch transfusion
Review: Okay, living in one of the more conservative sections of the world, I've only had the chance to see the "Blockbuster Cut" of "Crash," which is shorn of 10 minutes of footage. I have a feeling if I saw the NC-17 cut my view would change, because this version just feels incomplete. In an interview Cronenberg said: "[the R-rated cut] will probably run an hour and make no sense", and he's pretty much on target there.

In my eyes, David Cronenberg is one of the most talented directors in the industry because of his unique, uncompromising visions and the ability to give his films a dreamlike logic. But with "Crash," he's ultimately too grounded in 'reality' to show us anything overly shocking (or thought-provoking). This movie has the same icy characters, sparse dialogue, and blatant extremity that puts it closer to David Lynch misfires like "Wild at Heart" and "Lost Highway."

In the R-rated cut, scenes seem to bump into each other rather than flow. For example, after James Spader and Holly Hunter do the nasty in a car for the first time, we then flash to Spader having sex with his wife, and so forth. There isn't a whole lot of substance to absorb here.

But that's not to say "Crash" doesn't have its moments. There is a brilliant scene between Spader and Elias Koteas (as a creepy freak who gets his jollies from car wrecks) where Spader says, after looking at some B&W photos of crashes, "It's all very satisfying...I don't know why." And for a second you can remember the Cronenberg of "Videodrome" and "Naked Lunch." Also, the musical score by Howard Shore is excellent. As for the rest of this movie, there isn't much to stimulate the intellect. I'd call "Crash" a noble failure, seeing how Crone would redeem himself with 1999's "eXistenZ."

Rating:
Summary: stimulating, both intellecual and primal
Review: This movie is either a love it or hate it kind of thing. I thought it was interesting, but the acting and the plot a bit ackward. If strange things excite you, you can easily be pulled into this movie. It keeps me guessing at the how and why certian things can become arousing, and just what the message of JG Ballard's writing really was.

Rating:
Summary: Stunningly provacative!
Review: This movie is so lavish, different, and exotic that it will make your head spin!! It has a good script with good acting by all! Very steamy, if you get easily offended by lots of nudity, don't wach it, you will be shocked!! a pretty typical Cronenberg-feelin' flick! Reccomended, but not for all, more for a fan of more exotic and eccentric movies!