Crash? I'm kinda disappointed. I mean, it was a pretty good movie, but not great. I didn't even see Munich, and I would have preferred it win over Crash. I mean, we all know there's racism in the world. If it would have been released in, say, 1964, it would have been a truly groundbreaking film and deserved some recognition. Plus, it made everything so obvious. "Ooooh! Racism is bad!" If a film is going to tackle some social issues, don't spoon-feed us the message. Make it a challenge.
Speaking of movies, immediately after the Oscars, I headed up to Ogden to catch the late showing of Dave Chappelle's Block Party. Not only was it entertaining, but it was a total feel-good documentary of a party I wish I could have attended in person. I think a lot of people are expecting it to be merely an extension of his show on Comedy Central, but it's not. It may not be as funny, but it's definitely more fun.
Basically, in September of 2004, Mr. Chappelle organised a giant free concert in Brooklyn, paying for all expenses with his own money. The result was filmed by Michel Gondry (videos for Bjork, The White Stripes, and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind). Half the film is Dave making preparations, talking to locals, and rehearsing. The other half is footage from the show, which includes Mos Def, Jill Scott, Kanye West, Erykah Badu, Common, Dead Prez, The Roots, and The Fugees, among others. The whole thing explored a usually hidden side of hip-hop culture. It was full of great political and social commentaries, and it just made me feel excited about the future of our country and hopeful of better times for its citizens. The film wasn't shy or apologetic, and captured a great state of mind. This was the challenge I was looking for.
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