Starz
A lot of shows glamorize Los Angeles and the people who live there. Rest assured that Crash doesn’t do that. I don’t live in L.A., so I have no idea what life there is truly like. But I’m guessing it’s more like Crash than Paris Hilton’s My New BFF.
Like the 2004 movie that inspired it, Crash follows the lives of several L.A. residents of various ethnicities and backgrounds. Dennis Hopper plays record producer Ben Cendars. He lives in a fancy home with a live-in doctor-friend who takes care of all his drugs and personal needs (I keep harking back to Hunter Thompson’s “attorney”). Ben lives on the edge and seems ready to explode at the least provocation. In the first two episodes alone, he pulls a knife on a business associate in the back of a limo, threatens his live-in friend with a gun, and exposes himself to his female driver, prompting her to quit. That opens the door for a new driver, a street-smart black guy named Anthony Adams, played by Jocko Sims.
Crash is the epitome of an ensemble show, with several storylines running simultaneously. There’s sexist cop Kenny (Ross McCall), who’s always one second away from a sexual harassment lawsuit; his cop partner Bebe (Arlene Tur), who’s having a secret affair with fellow cop Alex (Nick Tarabay); former gang member-turned-EMT Eddie (Brian Tee), who finds himself smack in the middle of gang warfare; and Brentwood-based couple Christine (Clare Carey) and her real-estate developer husband Peter (D.B. Sweeney), who are struggling financially while trying to care for her ailing and difficult dad.
The stories are intense, dealing with racial issues, sexual harassment, renegade cops, mental instabilities, dysfunctional families, you name it. It’s rated TV-MA, and viewers would be wise to take the show’s advice that it’s not intended for viewers under the age of 18. There’s a good amount of drugs, raw language, nudity, and fairly graphic sex.
It’s clear that many of the movie’s helmers are present here, too, including Paul Haggis, Mark Harris and Don Cheadle. The production is feature-film quality, with a Tangerine Dream-like soundtrack interspersed with edgy metal. I love the music and look forward to seeing what happens next in the lives of these people. In particular, I appreciate the pairing of Dennis Hopper and Jocko Sims. Their relationship has a simmering, explosive quality to it, and you can feel the intensity coming through the screen. Part of that is because of the ever-present maniacal look in Dennis Hopper’s eyes, making you believe that anything can happen at any time.
Crash premieres Oct. 17 at 10 p.m. on Starz, but you can watch the first two episodes here. If you like gritty dramas, it’s definitely worth checking out.
Clacked by Jane Boursaw 
on Oct 12, 2008 @ 13:00 EST5EDT
