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ChicaDificil
Reviews
Crash (2004)
Sophomoric and Heavy-handed Treatment of Racism
This movie is extremely annoying due to its self-satisfied tone and heavy-handed treatment of racism. The characters don't seem like real people but rather stereotypes constructed with the aim of drilling in the main thesis of the movie, that racism is bad and all people are horrible racists. (And in case you don't get it the first time, this is pointed out again and again in the movie.) The dialogue is exasperating because it comes across as unnatural and lacks any subtlety whatsoever. For example, characters will often launch into preachy, long-winded speeches about their views of race in America during a casual encounter with another character. Characters also have the annoying habit of providing too much information about their personal backgrounds to each other; such self-disclosures ring false because they are tangential to the conversation at hand and seem included mainly to force the viewer into an understanding of the roots of that particular character' s racism. Whatever happened to the notion of show don't tell or allowing viewers to piece together things on their own? The movie is also melodramatic in a bad way, relying heavily on coincidence in order to connect the main characters in the different plot lines. In the end, the movie comes across like the effort of an overly-zealous adolescent who is eager to tackle big issues but lacks the subtlety or maturity to execute it.
Before Sunset (2004)
Romantic film that leaves you pensive and nostalgic
I found this movie to be absolutely delightful. I remember seeing its predecessor, Before Sunrise, about nine years ago when it came out on video and being pleasantly surprised by that little gem of a movie. I was slightly younger than the main characters, Jessie and Celine, but their dreams and the questions they were struggling with at the time resonated very much with my own. When I heard that Before Sunset was being released, I was somewhat hesitant about seeing it, fearing that the follow-up would not measure up to its predecessor or that I would find the characters' conversations to be annoying and sophomoric. But Before Sunset turned out to be even better than Before Sunrise. Though just as idealistic and romantic, there is a stronger current of nostalgia in this follow-up. Celine and Jessie are more aware of their own limitations and of the sacrifices they had to make for their chosen paths in life. They are giddy to be around each other but also fearful about confronting the unrealized possibilities of the relationship they have so deeply idealized. Yes, the movie is very much conversation-driven, and the conversations sometimes veer into the realm of pretentiousnessbut then again, who hasn't come off as slightly pretentious when they are trying to impress someone they really like? I felt a strong compassion for these characters who are smart, idealistic, but flawed in ways that are endearing and human. There is a real urgency in their interactions as they try to make up for lost time. Richard Linklater is a talented director who has genuine interest in and empathy for people who are adjusting to the difficulties and demands of adulthood.