Traffic

Rating:
Summary: It took guts and courage to make this one
Review: It must have been hard to show the complexities of the world of drugs and drugs trafficking without wimping out and coming around to simplistic generalities and easy solutions. One strength of this film is that it doesn't reveal any one answer to the problem of drugs. What it does do is show the difficulty in enforcing the law and keeping tabs on drug users and sellers. It also shows how even those who consider themselves untouchable (like the U.S Drug Czar, played with admirable restraint by Michael Douglas) are just as vulnerable as those who seem easier prey for the drug pushers. When Douglas's daughter slowly becomes addicted to drugs, for instance, he doesn't find out until it is almost too late. There is so much fine acting in this movie that I'd be hard-pressed to choose one performance as being better than another. Benicio Del Toro gives the performance of his career and, Catherine Zeta-Jones is absolutely superb as a drug lord's wife forced to cope with the threat of financial ruin when her husband is suddenly imprisoned. Her obvious pregnancy makes her seem especially vulnerable, especially desperate for security. There are few truly moral or idealistic characters in this movie but I found myself rooting for many of them, anyway. You're likely to come away from this one with a new view of the drug marketplace and the way it affects us all, whether we think about it or not.

Rating:
Summary: Great Traffic
Review: This is one rush hour that you'll want to sit through. Steven Soderbergh's phenomenal Traffic, is a gripping and engaging film that keeps its audience in its gritty trance. The three interwoven stories are fascinating as we learn how the war on drugs affects each of the characters in each story. Without giving way large parts of the film, here are a few tidbits to wet any interested filmgoer's appetite. For Michael Douglas, drugs are eating away at his family; Catherine Zeta-Jones will do anything, and I mean anything, to keep her family together after the sudden arrest of her husband; and Benicio Del Toro just wants to do his job. If your still not sure you want to add Traffic to your library, rent it then decide for yourself. After I rented the film, I went out and bought it that same night. Trust me, it's good stuff!

Rating:
Summary: Gritty reality?
Review: Acting here was very good, and the direction was good as well. Annoying were the endless articles about the writer and his petty druggy childhood at the richest school in Louisville and the script he wrote based on that childhood. Gritty reality? Searing social commentary? Think about a scene where the DRUG CZAR violently drags a kid, one who hooked his daughter, into the ghetto to show him which crack den she's most likely to be living in, only to listen to the little creep lecture him about the socio-economics of drug-dealing in the absence of alternate routes of upward social mobility and then blow his mind with the idea that anybody, including the father himself, would definitely cash in if (to paraphrase) rich people started cruising around their neighborhood asking for drugs. Unbelievable. Jarring unbelievability. This was one egregious scene in a movie written from a soapbox rather than the gritty street the critics all claimed. Definitely worth seeing, though, if only because Soderbergh got all the stupid pol's to actually cameo on the Hill. Very surreal, that bit.

Rating:
Summary: Superb performances enhance a thought-provoking film
Review: "Traffic," directed by Steven Soderbergh, is an ambitious film that takes on an important subject: the phenomenon of illegal drugs in the United States. Steven Gaghan's intelligent script weaves together several interlocking stories that take us from the Mexican border to the halls of power in Washington, DC. We see the newly appointed U.S. "drug czar" dealing with political bigwigs; we accompany a conflicted Mexican cop as he encounters greed and corruption; we witness the personal suffering of a young addict. These and many other characters give us glimpses of a vast and controversy-ridden tapestry; their stories are further enhanced by some of the year's most striking cinematography.

In addition to the fine direction and screenwriting, this film is graced with many excellent performances by a very large ensemble cast. Don Cheadle and Luis Guzman, as a pair of U.S. agents, have some of the best screen chemistry I've ever seen; their relationship forms an important emotional touchstone in the film. Benicio Del Toro gives a superb performance (mostly in Spanish, with English subtitles) as the weary Mexican cop. Catherine Zeta-Jones is absolutely chilling as the amoral, materialistic wife of a major drug trafficker. But in my opinion, the film's finest moments belong to Michael Douglas as the chief of U.S. drug policy. He hauntingly portrays the determination and inner pain of a man who is fighting a war on two devastating fronts.

Some of the characters and situations may seem a bit familiar, but in my opinion these archetypes give the film the flavor of a modern morality play. Ultimately, Soderbergh and Gaghan do an outstanding job of tying together the large cast and interconnected storylines. "Traffic" has the feel of an epic, but it is an epic that is always in touch with each character at an intimate level.

Rating:
Summary: GREAT FILM
Review: I did't know what to expect when I decided to pick this up in the video store. But anything that was up for four oscars and had Don Cheadle in the cast, I figured I couldn't go wrong --- I didn't. I thought Michael Douglas was a little too Michael Douglas but the rest of the cast was excellent. I loved how the scenery was shot and how the story unfolded. I rented two movies today (this one and Dungeons and Dragons) and I experienced one of those all too rare moments where both choices were excellent.

I haven't felt this strong about a good film since Pitch Black...

Rating:
Summary: An outstanding, realistic movie
Review: "Traffic" is one of the most realistic portrayals of the drug war I've seen yet on the big screen. I am in law enforcement working in the Narcotics section. If anyone cares to see what drugs really do to a person, starting from the lengths drug addicts go to get their drugs to their behavior on drugs and the vicious addiction cycle, this is the movie for you. The movie achieves a good balance in portraying how supply and demand work together equally to further the problem. Without giving away the ending, "Traffic" depicts just how frustrating and complicated the drug problem is for both the addict and for law enforcement. This movie is a must see.

Rating:
Summary: Traffic can be a rush, although often frustrating.
Review: Traffic was exquisitely done, and the directing job was top-notch. It was not the BEST directing job of the year, but that aside, it was done very well.

Believe it or not, the major problem with the movie is the script. Yes, it is undeniably dense and compelling, yet scenes with particular interest were cut short, uninteresting scenes were elongated, and the ending - well, let's just say that the "tagged-on happy ending was MORE than unnecessary." The script was not nearly as effective as other drug-related films this year like "Jesus' Son" and especially "Requiem for a Dream," the most effective film in years that despite its graphic intensity and personal depiction of drugs, should be shown in every high school.

Therefore, Traffic's directing is what saves it. The editing is also superb. And the ambient music that accompanies every scene accurately augments the emotional mood. That I loved. But the script, although it was hailed on virtually every level, was what ruined it for me. For a shallow, yet visually gripping picture of the drug battle, watch this. But if you are looking for something that will disturb you for days and touch you in a way that is so chilling and empty, you will be forever in debt to its excellence - rent "Requiem for a Dream."

Rating:
Summary: Burt from netherlands has no idea what hit him
Review: Well there are people who enjoy good films. Then there are others who look for the action packed blockbusters. I personally enjoy movies with good writing, directing, and cinematography. Which Traffic contains all of. This is one of the most well put together films of all time, not to mention classics such as Citizen Kane. Don't mind the individuals who have no idea what a good movie is when it hits them.People need to realize a movie doesn't need to have action to make it good.Traffic is an outstanding movie, i suggest many people purchase it.

Rating:
Summary: Great film
Review: With its frank depiction of drug use and its gritty down to earth feel, I enjoyed Traffic and expect to see director Steven Soderbergh walk away with an Oscar come Academy Award time.

There were 5 or 6 different story lines, a few of which came together at different points. One involved Michael Douglas as Robert Wakefield, an Ohio State Supreme Court Justice turned United States Drug Czar having to deal with not only the national and international drug problem, but with the fact that his 16 year old daughter was a drug addict. Another story line involved Benecio Del Toro as Tijuana police officer Javier Rodriguez caught between the corrupt Mexican police system, and his moral obligation to make Mexico drug free for future generations. Another story line had Catherine Zeta-Jones as Helena, an unsuspecting wife of a suspected drug dealer named Carlos Ayala (Steven Bauer), having to cope with her husband being carted off to jail, and having her child threatened unless she pays off her husband's debts. Mixed into that story line were undercover DEA agents Montel Gordon (Don Cheadle) and Ray Castro (Luis Guzman) who are trying to protect the chief witness again Carlos, while trying to get information against Helena.

What I really loved about Traffic was the documentary-style feel it had. Every location was shot differently, from the blown out yellow grittyness of Mexico, to the rich upper class color of Cincinnati. Along with the graphic depictions of drug use and the corruption of the Mexican military and police, it all had the feel of a real life drama, and not just a movie. All the acting performances were wonderful. Usually a great director can bring out great performances from his/her cast. It's no surprise that Julia Roberts from the Soderbergh-directed Erin Brockovich is a front runner in the Best Actress Oscar race, and Benecio Del Toro is a front runner in the Supporting Actor race. Standouts from this movie in my view include Zeta-Jones as a woman who is slowly transformed into the complete opposite of what she was by circumstances beyond her control. Don Cheadle, who is one of the best hidden talents in Hollywood, and is just one big role away from breaking through to mainstream. And the girl I thought had the toughest role in the movie, Erika Christensen as Caroline, the 16 year old drug addicted daughter of the new drug Czar. I think her performance deserves more recognition than it's gotten.

The feel of the movie is really what makes this film a cut above others. It doesn't pull any punches in its portrayal of what life is like for some people. We get to see the inner workings of a corrupt Mexican military, abusing its police power to steal the lucrative drug trade for itself. We see how even if a police officer is on the moral straight and narrow, he has to bend to the facts of life to survive on the streets. Back in America we see that even the drug Czar of the United States can have problems in his own life that are bigger than the country. And we see how a woman will go anywhere and do anything to protect her children and her family. Director Soderbergh has taken us inside the lives of these people without glossing it up Hollywood style.

Traffic is a hard hitting film that may be too much for some people. The scenes of drug use are hard to deal with at times. Seeing what a 16 year old girl will do just to get a fix is troubling. The only part of the film I guess I didn't believe(?) was watching the drug Czar comb the streets looking for his daughter, instead of calling out the National Guard or something to track her down. I understand he had his reasons, wanting to keep the whole situation quiet and away from the press, but it still seemed odd that a person in his position would be willing to wander the streets looking for her. The other problem I had was that some of the story lines and people got confusing to me, and made parts of the movie hard to follow. Luckily most of it all came together near the end.

Overall I enjoyed Traffic and I would recommend it to people looking to get out of the Hollywood-style movie scene we're all used to seeing.

Rating:
Summary: Movie-making at its finest
Review: Steven Soderbergh doesn't miss once with this thought-provoking, highly entertaining ensemble thriller.