“Crash”

(Lions Gate)

Director: Paul Haggis

Staring: Sandra Bullock, Matt Dillon, Don Cheadle

Run Time: 113 minutes

Rating for Extras: 2 out of 5

Featurettes: The 10-minute behind-the-scenes featurette starts off interesting, with Haggis explaining the impetus of the film and his desire to tell a story about “how strangers affect strangers.” Unfortunately, this quality of the feature quickly degenerates as none of the cast or crew are given enough interview time to give any true insight.

Commentary: This is where the “Crash” special features section truly shines. Haggis, actor Don Cheadle and writer Bobby Moresco give enlightening insights into not only the movie’s acting performances and interweaving stories, but also technical aspects such as set design and cinematography. Haggis, Cheadle and Moresco also add moments of levity to the film’s often serious subject matter.

Deleted Scenes: none

Others: In addition to the featurette and commentary, the DVD includes a five-second introduction by the director and ill-advised music video for a song featured in the film. Both of these features are an exercise in pointlessness and add nothing whatsoever to the viewing experience.

The Bottom Line: It’s a shame the year’s most provocative

mainstream film is accompanied by a rather lackluster special features section. Although fans of “Crash” will enjoy the director’s commentary, the rest of the CD’s features are far from rewarding.

– Josh Haun