On the Big Board |
| Position |
Staff |
In Brief |
| 5/16 |
Reagen Sulewski |
You know what's bad? Racists. Also, two too-many coincidences in an otherwise well acted and plotted film. |
| 20/60 |
Les Winan |
A terrifically thought provoking movie. I could have done without the television drama-esque music selections. |
| 67/85 |
Kim Hollis |
Awfully preachy. |
| 94/125 |
Dan Krovich |
Good until it stumbles badly in the final third. |
| 95/166 |
David Mumpower |
Preachier than Pat Robertson, Al Sharpton and Reverend Lovejoy combined. |
From first-time feature director Paul Haggis comes this multi-layered story about the chaos of life in southern California. The movie centers around tensions that can tend to make a nightmare of the modern urban landscape - whether they be motivated by ethnicity, race or class. An all-star cast is used to exemplify the themes and tone of the story.
Sandra Bullock plays the spoiled wife of a district attorney (Brendan Fraser). Her life goes straight into disarray when she finds her luxury car being hijacked by two black thugs - young men who complain about being stereotyped by whites. Meanwhile, Matt Dillon is a racist cop who pulls over a wealthy black couple. In the process, he fondles the woman (Thandie Newton), humiliating her husband.
Others whose paths intersect in this tale include Don Cheadle as a detective whose mother favors his gangster brother over him. Making matters worse, the legal system seems to constantly make decisions in a racist manner even when it favors blacks.
Ryan Phillippe plays a rookie cop who attempts to defy the racial hatred that seems to run rampant in the LAPD. In another section of the city, an Iranian immigrant shopkeeper threatens a Hispanic locksmith. (Kim Hollis/BOP)
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