First, I'm not a huge Denby fan. Anthony Lane, as frothy as he can be, is far superior. Something about Denby gets under my skin.

I didn't appreciate this review. In fact, I'm wont to disregard the entire article after reading the very first paragraph:

"If there’s an ill-tempered remark that has ever been uttered in the city of Los Angeles that hasn’t found its way into Paul Haggis’s “Crash,” I can’t imagine what it is. “

If he can't imagine another ill-tempered remark that has ever been uttered in the city of Los Angeles that hasn't found its way into Crash, well, then, he probably has no concept of racism, pedestrian or otherwise. What a foolish thing to say.

"Crash (opening May 6th) is about the rage and foolishness produced by intolerance, the mutual abrasions of white, black, Latino, Middle Eastern, and Asian citizens in an urban pot in which nothing melts. "

Eh? Asian? Please. Talk about a shrift. The only time any Asians appeared in this film were as goofy marble-mouthed comic foils. Any critic who makes a point of stating that Asians were involved in this story's mosaic is an idiot. Any critic who fails to pounce on this strange omission is missing out.

"I think it’s easily the strongest American film since Clint Eastwood’s Mystic River"

I have a hard time taking anything from here on in seriously. Crash and Mystic River are the two most recent great American films? Wow. Denby's asleep at the wheel.