Crash (2004)

I fully expected to hate this film but was more than pleasantly surprised by it.  There was a huge outcry when it won Best Picture at the last Oscars over "Brokeback Mountain" (which I have not yet seen) with accusations of homophobia and the like, but I think it was in fact probably a worthy winner.  Writer and first-time director Paul Haggis has created a mosaic of Los Angeles life with all facets of racial prejudice on display and has coaxed memorable performances from most of his large cast.  While possibly some of the situations were contrived for solely dramatic ends, this in no way detracted from the overall force of the film.  Standout performances from Matt Dillon, Thandie Newton, Don Cheadle, and Terrence Howard were particularly strong in contributing to the multi-layered story, and even a lightweight actor like Ryan Phillippe had something to add to the mix.  Only Brendan Fraser seemed somehow out of his depth.  It is not possible to outline the complex and inter-relating story lines here, but they were woven with brilliant dexterity making this a movie well worth seeing.  Some of the tale may be considered sad and depressing, but so too is real life occasionally.