Traffic

Rating:
Summary: want 2 hours of boredom? RENT THIS MOVIE, infact buy it
Review: Ok i rented it because 5 dsatrs 5 stars, loads of oscars etc. Its really bad do not bother

Rating:
Summary: Well directed indeed
Review: This is the director's movie all the way, with no single character
being the chief protagonist, and three stories running in parallel.
Steven Soderbergh does a great job of it, and in my opinion fully
deserved the Oscar he got.

This was definitely one of the best movies of 2000, and not
surprisingly, bagged several nominations and 4 Oscars.

The 'traffic' is that of drugs, more specifically the drugs mafia
in Mexico & America. The movie approaches the problem from several
angles : the cartel in Mexico, their 'gang wars' and the efforts
of the law to curb them; the 'respectable' among the high society
in the US who act as channels for the cartel, the kids in the US
who turn to drugs as a result of alienation, and American
law-enforcers waging a frustrating battle against the drug cartel.

Benicio Del Toro plays a brave Mexican cop, who's very well informed
and wages his own little war against the cartel. He has the biggest
role and does full justice to it in an excellent performance, which
fetched him the Oscar for best supporting actor.

Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta-Jones are expectedly competent,
but not really remarkable.

Michael Douglas is a 'drug czar', ie he heads the American effort to
clamp down on the 'traffic' at the highest level. Ironically, his
own daughter is an addict, which brings home the fact that it is an
extremely difficult and frustrating battle he's fighting.

Catherine Zeta-Jones plays a rich housewife, whose world suddenly
colapses one day, when the cops come and take her husband away.
Her grief is compunded by the horror of discovering that he actually
deals in drugs. However, she then takes a u-turn and takes over the
business while her husband is under trial, arranging for the murder
of the key witness against him.

Dennis Quaid is wasted in a pretty small role.

The support cast is good, especially Cheadle & Guzman, who play the
wiretap specialists investigating the drugs scam in San Diego, the
guy who plays Del Toro's friend and the one who plays the Mexican
general invloved in a diabolical game.

The movie doesn't have an 'ending', in the sense it doesn't resolve
all the issues, but i don't mind thinking for myself :-)

So why does this movie get such mixed reviews ? Well, for one, the
different 'shooting styles'(colors, angles etc) used for different
places may not appeal to everyone - Mexico is yellowish, Ohio is
blue, and San Diego is colourful & glossy. Secondly, the editing
is swift, and very good in my opinion, but may seem abrupt to
some. Then there is the so-called 'documentary style' employed by
Soderbergh, who does the camerawork as well.And of course, many
people like their movies to have 'proper endings'....

So if you want a 'feel-good'/glossy movie, this isn't for you.

However, if you want a well-directed movie with solid performances,
which tackles a story from various angles and leaves it to you to
draw your own conclusions, 'Traffic' should be worth your while.

Rating:
Summary: Great movie... but worth the price?
Review: I love this movie, and this dvd is a great representation of what I saw in the theatire with clear picture and sound, as well as a few nice extras... The only reason i gave it a 4/5 is that I still feel kind of weird about laying down ($) for a 2 hour long anti-drug commercial. Its a really REALLY good anti-drug commercial, but basically an anti-drug commercial nonetheless.

I felt so weird about it infact that I wasn't able to buy it for myself (especially after laying down ($) to see it in the theatre). But I was given it as a gift and am very grateful... Sorry for the sort of mixed message but this is a very thought provoking movie and it tends to bring that out in people.

Rating:
Summary: Recent Terrorism Increases the Importance of "Traffic"
Review: The tragic events of September 11 dramatically remind us that too much time and energy have been wasted fighting the so-called war on drugs. We now have a real war against terrorists who perceive the United States as the "Great Satan" who must be destroyed at any cost. Director Steven Soderbergh has created a masterpiece that demands the attention of all thinking citizens. We are provided a front row view of our futile efforts to prevent drug users from acquiring mind altering substances. Michael Douglas portrays the newly appointed U.S. drug czar who quickly learns that the task is hopeless. He can't even keep his own daughter from drugs, forget about complete strangers. Steven Bauer and Catherine Zeta-Jones are convincing as a man and wife team of major drug lords who hide behind the facade of normal yuppie respectability. Miguel Ferrer stars as a mid-level drug seller who long ago realized that he is easily replaceable. Guys like him are a dime a dozen, and his possible elimination would ultimately be rendered as meaningless.

"Traffic" is held together by Benico Del Toro who eventually earned the Academy Award for this role as the Mexican undercover police officer committed to doing his thankless job. He is surrounded by corruption, and must exercise extraordinary virtue to prevent being likewise seduced by promises of great wealth and power. Del Toro interacts with virtually all the characters in this story. The war on drugs compels him to cooperate in torturing suspects, kidnapping an alleged killer in the United States and transporting the individual illegally over the border into Mexico, and many other violations of basic civil rights. This police officer is caught between a rock and a hard place, and opts to subscribe to the dubious ethic that the end justifies the squalid means. There is no way to combat the easy availability of drugs if one abides by standard police procedures, and the minimal dictates of Western Civilization.

Everyone should see "Traffic" at least once. This is especially true for our elected officials and legal scholars. The most recent terrorist attacks upon the World Trade Center and the Pentagon have only highlighted the absurdity of our war on drugs. "Traffic" will force everyone to ask themselves if this pseudo on-going conflict is worthy of continuation. I think many will be converted over to my negative position on the matter.

Rating:
Summary: Traffic is powerful and effective
Review: I had a hard time deciding whether Traffic or Crouching Tiger was the finest film of 2000. I decided that Traffic was #2 ONLY because it's difficult to watch it multiple times, and the impact is not as powerful the second time around. That being said, this is an amazing film. Traffic explores 3 distinct sides of the drug problem in the United States: Trafficking, Use/Abuse, and Control. It's amazing to see this topic portrayed even handedly. This film certainly does not support the current method of drug control, but additionally, does not suggest legalization. It does show what a negative impact illegal drugs have had on our society. Some may be disturbed by the disjointed narrative: 3 distinct stories that abut each other, but do not intertwine. The film is well worth the attention required to appreciate it though. The image on the DVD is superior, but it lacks special features that would be welcome. Certainly a commentary from Soderbergh would have been welcome. Perhaps we'll see a special edition at a later date.

Rating:
Summary: Well Done, but Pedestrian
Review: Traffic is most commendable for its cinematographic and actorial ability to create the hot, arrid, and hopeless feel of Mexico, the calm but uneasy nature suburbia (possibly the worst job it does), the striking and multi-faceted world of the upper class addict, and the torn morality of a drug cop. Most notable is the performance of Benecio Del Toro, who continues to emerge as one of the most dynamic actors in the business. But beyond it's solid fundamentals, Traffic is a bit too ambitious and simplistic. In a rush to assert a pro/con format, the film forces its points, most egregiously when Topher Grace's Seth bursts out about the reasoning behind drugs in the "ghetto," an important point that was merely brushed over by his speech. Grace does well in his first role in a major film and there are really no complaints to be made about the acting, but each character is so audaciously allegorical that the story becomes a tough pill to swallow. Moreover, with two hours of screen time to force ideas into the viewer's mind, Traffic is without a new idea (except for the dolls made of cocaine perhaps). The "social relevance" of this film is capitulated and expanded upon in a single page in Charles F Levinthal's texts and the story is otherwise without any great appeal. If you are curious about the world of drugs and truly a novice on the subject, then this is a fine introduction, otherwise you will be able to stay awake and commend the film for its production, not much else.

Rating:
Summary: Why did i rent this ?
Review: I am so glad I rented this move instead of just buying it.
I felt like I was reading a book, not watching an award winning movie.
The coloring of yellows and blues through out the movie were an eye annoyance.
The characters were unreal and showed no or little emotion for something as large as drug trafficking and teen / family usage.
I think the movie had a good plot idea but needless to say was played out very poorly.
I had to struggle to stay awake and I kept telling my self it would get better ... but never did.

Rating:
Summary: Good work
Review: Make no mistake - whatever you've heard about Traffic - this a very well-made movie. It has good directing (Oscar), good editing (Oscar), good acting (Oscar) and solid script (Oscar). Overall, you can sense the smell of quality written all over.
Some of the critics (and previous reviwers) compared this one to be 2000' L.A.Confidential. Well... Everyone and his opinion.
I'll try to explain mine. This movie tells you in edgy manner three stories connected to drug business, quite succesfully weaving them together. I won't discuss the plot, because everyone else on this site already've done this.
There's nothing truly shoking or original you haven't seen actually - it covers the same territory as other "drug" (and also very good) movies. But it also can't be original - it's adapted from the British mini-serial Traffik. And according to the "misterious" internet rumours- from the superior one.
But that's not my problem with this film. Originality is a very rare quality (and not only in Hollywood!) but i happened to notice - also a very overrated one. What actually important to a viewer at home is not the novelty of the plot. It's the acceptability of the story and the way you tell it.
L.A.Confidential has the story about people, not about 50's LA corrupted police department.
Traffic tells us about drugs, not about people - just as every Evening News programm on TV (just not in the very fresh mode). I doubt you'll watch tomorrow today's news - it'll be outdated.

Rating:
Summary: Superior film
Review: I once asked my mother, who's a recovering alcoholic, why people become problem drinkers. She told me that there's no easy answer to that question, that the reasons are as numerous as the people who drink. That simple response told me more about the complexities of alcoholism than any ten books could have.

It's this objective, non-judgmental look at the drug problem that makes "Traffic" a superior film, and an excellent example of how to make a movie about a social or political issue without preaching. Rather than supply us with pat answers or preachy solutions, accompanied by a soupy Hollywood score, director Steven Soderbergh simply presents the problem as it is, and lets us take it from there.

Many other recent films about social or political issues have been notable as bully pulpits for their makers' political views. "Dead Man Walking," "The American President," "Bulworth," and "Philadelphia" all come to mind, and while none are bad films per se, the political/social commentary in each becomes tiresome.

However, after watching "Traffic," I defy you to tell me where Soderbergh stands politically on this issue.

It doesn't hurt that "Traffic" is also one well-made, well-acted film, with great characters.

In particular, Benecio Del Toro stands out as an honest Mexican policeman trying his best to save his town from drug dealers, with the overwhelming corruption of the Mexican justice system fighting him every step of the way.

In America, the corrpution is less obvious, but it's there. Newly appointed national drug czar Robert Wakefield (Michael Douglas) talks tough on drugs publicly, but his own daughter (Erika Christensen) is addicted to crack. Helena Ayala (Catherine Zeta-Jones) is a upper-crust socialite living the good life in San Diego, and she has no idea that her lifestyle is bought by drug dealing. Two DEA agents (Don Cheadle and Luis Guzman) are hell-bent on busting Ayala's drug dealing husband, knowing full well it won't make a bit of difference in the long run.

If drugs have caused overt corruption in Mexico, the corruption they've caused in our country is far more insidious and tougher to fix. "Traffic" brings this point out in standout fashion.

"Traffic" is powerful stuff, and its power comes largely from its absolute refusal to give the audience easy answers. If nothing else, the realization that there's no pat answer to the drug problem - such as declaring "war" on it - will do anything to solve it may just be the key to really ending it.

Rating:
Summary: Watch at your own risk
Review: Technically, the film was well done. It did a good job of portraying the many facets of the drug problem. But I had come off a streak of seeing several films that left me saying - wow! - now that was a good film, and telling friends about it. THIS ONE WILL LEAVE YOU THINKING - THANK GOD I DIDN'T WATCH THIS WITH ANYONE. I WILL NOT RECOMMEND IT TO ANYONE. I WILL HIDE IT FROM THE KIDS. If you want to go to bed depressed - this is your film.