In it's two weeks in theater, I have seen it twice, and loved it. An amazing film that everyone should see. Yes, the trailer was amazing, especially with the "Platoon" music used.
Letizia: I'm not sure what your friend was expecting, but the film is about rascism. The word crash is a metaphor for the different races that crash together in the course of two days. And plus, Don Cheadle explains the other side of the word in the opening dialogue. I like Matt Dillon too, and this is by far his best performance. If this film was released later in the year, he would definetely get an Oscar nomination and might even win. Amazing. He still might have a chance by the end of the year.
TIS: How have you been? "Crash" is an independent film, so it's not gotten the coverage it deserves. But hopefully if more people see it, it will get a wider release and greater acclaim. And as a resident of L.A., you should definetly see it.
LLC: This is definetly not a "gangbanging" film. Yes, two of the characters are 'gangbangers'. Their dialogue is almost as fresh as that of Tarantino, and their character's moral changes and actions are VERY important to the story.
