Writer/director Paul Haggis’ Crash (A-) tells its tales of race and social tension and relationships in modern-day Los Angeles through the multi-character interlocking storyline format that Robert Altman made so famous. Don Cheadle, Michael Peña , Sandra Bullock, Thandie Newton and Matt Dillon are among the standouts in this passion project that turns a mirror up at society and shows its characters how each becomes a situational racist when threatened by unsettling environments. It is a challenging and provocative work.