Traffic

Rating:
Summary: Spellbinding! - Please Rate me...
Review: This is an effervescent mix of contemporary nomenclature and effortless acting at the hands of gifted autuer Benecio del Toro. Leading the star struck cast is husband-wife Vaudeville ensemble Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta-Jones. Indeed, this movie is a flaming tribute to the botched debacle of drug-fighting, American style. Douglas' character Robert Wakefield, shows stamina throughout the movie in his efforts to wrangle his drug injecting sex selling prepish daughter while trying to get much-coveted 'face time' with the President.

You can't help but wonder if Jones' character's husband had worse legal counsel, would he have done to jail and his shrewd, covetus assistant take over the business? Interesting query, eh? No, just a bit of sloppy scriptwriting in an otherwise fine piece. Indeed the drama played out in California was remarkable with Zeta-Jone's character trying to maintain a high society image all the while playing the role of the unsuspecting drama queen. I'm sure her fellow school board members are all in a tizzy...

In sum, this movie demonstrates excellent screenplay, and snappy cinematagraphy. Those reviewers who show a distaste for the Spanish dialogue would do well to watch a 1970's Kung Fu movie over-dubbed in English...give me a break.

Excellent Acting, A Top 10 Film of the Year, 5 STARS!

Rating:
Summary: good, but...
Review: This is a good movie. The movie tells the stories of different characters and families on the opposite sides of the drug war. The movie tells a comlex story in a very understandable manner. However; the story is not new. I think around 15 years ago, when I was still living in Montreal, BBC made a TV series with the same story line. The location has now been changed from London to Washington, from Pakistan to Mexico. I can still remember the series because it made a tremendous impression on me when it was first broadcasted. The way the BBC series was shot was more conventional, like a BBC series. It was very well done. The new movie now is shot with more updated technique. If I must chose between the two - I prefer the BBC series.

Rating:
Summary: Traffic.. good movie but not great. (theatre review)
Review: many people have rated this movie best of the year, or even as far as calling it a classic which i cant disagree with more. I like this movie, dont get me wrong.. but while i was watching this i just felt like i have seen it all before. I love this kind of movie hence the 4 star rating, but there isnt any new thoughts or opinions in this movie. even the camera work just seemed re-done. I liked a lot of this movie, because i like movies about drugs. So here is a list of what i thought was sub-par in the movie: there are 4 stories that take place in this movie: 1.michael douglas as the drug czar(and drug addict daughter) --this is jus the same old same old rehash of the leader of the fight on drugs totally uknowing that his daughter is a addict. done before.. most likely to be done again 2.bumbling cops that do nothing --i dont even know why they were there. they do nothing and add nothing to this film 3.wife of a drug lord(zeta jones) must take over business to protect/provide for son --yet another un-origional story that was too unrealistic 4.mexican cop --hmm... not bad here.. but nuthin exciting or eventfull really happens.. its just stumbles along without any real end.

---About the camera work: different colours used for the different regions seemed nice at first but then became a kind of insult to th viewer that without the colours we wouldnt be able to keep track of where we were in the movie.. i think i saw a similar technique used before as well...

Rating:
Summary: the Most Over-rated film of 2000! By Far!
Review: The acting was ok.....Catherine Zeta-Jones and Don Cheadle were the best, but Benicio Del Toro wasn't great.The film was pretty.... not very good, it was ok i guess.im really mad that Ang Lee didn't win Best Director...CTHD was the best movie of 200 hands down(with Billy Elliot and Almost Famous)...dont expect this to be great because it isn't!

Rating:
Summary: Disappointingly Vacuous Disc
Review: I was really looking forward to a director's commentary (and maybe even deleted scenes) for this particular film, but apparently it's not to be. Bronkovich lacks likewise. He must really be busy on Ocean's Eleven. Soderbergh's comment track on Out of Sight is one of the most insightful and entertaining I've heard yet on DVD.

Rating:
Summary: Not much to add...
Review: The people who have given this film three stars or less have said pretty much everything I'd want to say ("safe," "condescending," "mediocre," etc.) -- I'd just like to add that there's something REALLY self-important about the way the U.S. consume "issue movies." This was the dominant feeling I was left with, coming out of the theatre -- if something has flickered in the front pages of American newspapers long enough to leave some sort of vague impression in the brains of the masses, they'll love having it all laid out for them, thought out for them, and put in a self-flattering perspective in a movie -- which is all TRAFFIC does, re: the war on drugs. It's a pretty movie at times -- I actually liked the yellow tinting of the images of Tijuana, just because it was interesting to look at -- and the interlacing of plots won't be that much of a problem to any reasonably intelligent viewers, but there's still no reason to see this. Though hey, yeah, Benicio del Toro is shaping up to be one of the finest actors in the business. Fans of his MIGHT find the film redeemed by his presence somewhat. Still, I'd suggest not wasting your time.

Rating:
Summary: great Steven Soderberg film
Review: Steven Soderberg gives a tale about drugs in America. He shifts around in many differnt views f people. Michael Douglas is great. Benicio Del Toro(The Pledge) did a great supporting job. It was much better than OUT OF SIGHT.

Rating:
Summary: ummm? where are the features
Review: 1. Take off two stars for no commentary 2. Take off another star for not including the original television mini-series. The DVD format just begs for these kinds of extra goodies. Why are they not included?

Fans of this great movie deserve more than this. It's too bad. I guess we'll just have to wait for the "special limited collectors' edition".

Rating:
Summary: A classic
Review: Great! It almost captures all the angles of the drug problem.

I left the theatre depressed but thoughtful about this complex theme. It's one of those movies you enjoy watching many times and never get tired of it.

Traffic should have won the Oscar for best picture... No question about it.

Rating:
Summary: Without providing any spoiler...
Review: I must say Traffic had one of the most beautiful and touching endings I have ever seen. A powerful movie, one that is well worth the last shot.

Del Toro is incredible in this, with his lost eyes and tired face - he is extremely convincing as a jaded Mexican police officer.

The opening shot completely took me with its grainy, high-speed look, but from there you become accustomed to it. Fabulous hand-held action through-out, this is one not to miss.