Traffic

Rating:
Summary: Grim reality: the failure of the war on drugs
Review: As I look down this list of reviews I can't help but feel like some people missed out on the point of the movie. Yes it has brilliant cinematography and casting. Yes it is a complex and interesting story. Yes it has drug use and dealing in it. But the that is missing the point. This movie is a critique on the war on drugs.
The message of this movie is this: These drugs are harmful and life destroying, but the war on drugs makes these drugs more harmful while adding a fair amount of disaster itself.
If you walk out of this movie thinking you've just seen a "good drug movie" then I've got to say you've missed out. This movie shaped my view on the war on drugs. This is a display of how you can be adamantly against drugs and even more adamantly against the drug war. Because we may kid ourselves and say that we're "fighting drugs", but as in all wars, we're fighting people. Sometimes loved ones, sometimes friends, sometimes even ourselves. And that is a war in which no one can claim victory.
That is the grim reality.

Rating:
Summary: Good but...
Review: I liked this movie. The out of sequence telling is different and keeps your interest up from beginning to end.

What I really liked though was the USA Miniseries by the same team- it is longer and more detailed than the 2.5 hour film could be due to restraints of time and editing.

The film has a brilliant cast- Catherine Zeta Jones , Benicio DelToro , Topher from that 70s show are all great.
Well worth watching- just make sure you watch the whole thing- like another reviewer stated you miss the boat if you don't watch the whole movie.

Rating:
Summary: Hard hitting.. brilliant
Review: There is no doubt in my mind that Steven Sodeburgh's "Traffic" is one of the best movies ever made on underworld.
The director is on top of his form as he seamlessly weaves 4 different stories bound together by the deadly thread of narcotics.There is the naive but well intentioned Justice Depaartment officla (Michel Douglas) in USA fighting drugs on 2 levels.One as the official in cahrge of War on Drugs and other is fighting to save his daughter who has fallen in the trap of the deadly habit of drugs.On the other side of the battle is a wealthy couple where the husband is arrested on cahrge of drug traffic and his pregnent housewife whose quest for her husband's freedom descends her in to the dark world of drugs and hitmen.On the other side of the border in Mexico where the narcotic dealers rule there is the voice of consceince a mexican cop(Benecio Del Toro in his stunning Oscar winning turn) honest enought not to be involved in the traffic yet street smart enough not to take the drug dealers head on.
The pace is slow and the director makes a conscious effort to take a matured view on the drug war without sounding too righteous,also none of the stories end when the movies finshes thus leaves the intellegent viewer enought material to think over.
The all star cast includes Michel Douglas,Katherine Zeta Jones and the Oscar winner Benecio Del toro all give memorable perfomramce.Even the fringe cast of Dennis Quaid,Don Chedale pass the bill satisfactorily.
God father this movie is not but if you want to see a serious thought provoking movie then "Traffic"is your choice,it is my choice mainly because of Benecio Del Toro's incredialby charismatic performance.

Rating:
Summary: Traffic
Review: I had went to theaters to see this movie. Mainly because the previews said it was a knockout, brilliant, and in every critics top 10 list. I was a little skeptical at first, but once it starts it pulls you in. From begining to end, this film lacks nothing. The film interweaves three stories three stories with one basic link --- drugs. There's two undercover cops (Luis Guzman and Don Cheadle) who bust a dope peddler (Miguel Ferrer) who rats out his supplier (Steven Bauer) --- whose pampered housewife (Catherine Zeta-Jones) learns of her husbands dirty business. Then there is a newly-appointed Drug Czar (Michael Douglas) who is fighting the drug trafficking very well, but is failing with his increasingly drug-addicted daughter (Erika Christensen). On the Mexican drug-side, we have a cop (Academy Award Winner Benecio Del Torro) trying to clean up the streets, but on the other hand trying to help a crooked General (Tomas Milian) that he doesn't know he's helping. This film is really the definitive drug-film. Unlike most, which either deals with addiction (Requiem For A Dream) or the trafficking side (Scarface), this film succeeds in both area's. Academy Award winning director Steven Soderberg knocks this one out of the ball-park. Like most GREAT directors, you can tell when a director is going to be great --- great acting comes from good directing. The cinematography is outstanding. The Mexico scenes have a rich, but gritty feel to them. The Washington scenes are very dim, very dull. The San Deigo scenes are rich in color and have almost a blinding feel to it. All masterfully done. Benecio Del Torro really stole the show, successfully grabbing his first Oscar. I'm sure it won't be the last. He's also up for 'Best Supporting Actor' for his powerful performance as a born-again Christian in the hit film "21 Grams" (also a great film). For a great film, filled with magnificent performances and brilliant camera-work and directing, don't miss out on "Traffic".

Rating:
Summary: Great Movie.
Review: This movie is great, the lighting and story line seem to be thought out very well. The actors did a wonderful job, there happened to be quite a few stars in this movie. I had one problem though... How realistic is this movie? The shoot out seemed over-exaggerated. I've never seen a shoot out in San Diego before. The movie made it sound like drugs are all over the place here. They are probably right somewhat, but you don't notice it too much. What city doesn't have drug problems? This is nothing new. Otherwise, this movie is great. One of the points of the movie that I like is that drug use can effect anyone in any city at any time.

Rating:
Summary: An argument for decriminalization?
Review: A little background first. Mexican President Carlos Salinas de Gortari from 1988 to 1994 was sent in exile to the United States after he lost the election to Ernesto Zedillo in 1995; wherefrom, the FBI discovered an enormous recycling of drug traffic money that belonged to the ex-President. It was subsequently discovered that the one running this trade was the President's brother Raul. All this and more is lurking behind the film "Traffic", a mind-boggling intrigue of drugs, dirty money and politics. It is a very difficult cinematic job to combine these elements along with the social degradation, which results, especially in terms of the teen-ager population that is affected, without resorting to moralist and dogmatic messages. The results of "Traffic" are undeniably high and the film shows Soderbergh's talent in treating political subject matter. However, the reason I did not give this film the full five stars is because I prefer the British original film that sets the events in Pakistan. This film eerily discussed the issues surrounding the drug trade along the Pakistan - Afghanistan border and the difficulty that authorities of all stripes - the Taliban had actually been the most successful even if their methods were very crude - at reducing the cultivation of poppies. That being said, this film along with the book "Reefer Madness"' by Eric Schlosser will help you undertand the gravity of the drug problem as well as the infectiveness and injustice of the methods employed by governments to restrict the tarde and use of narcotics.

Rating:
Summary: Riveting
Review: The movie version Traffic was released to a cavalcade of critical praise and also a large amount of controversy. While critics and other left of center scribes praised the move for its intense realism and its challenging political commentary, others saw it as a damaging assault on the national effort against the drug trade. The beauty of Traffic is that is can be seen as all of these things. It is a very challenging movie, forcing the viewer to examine their own views while being sucked into an extremely absorbing group of storylines that, more or less, meld into one by the end of the movie. The stories examine the war on drug from numerous viewpoints, which aid the viewer into realizing the scope and diversity of the war and its combatants. While I do not feel Traffic is a masterpiece by any means, I do feel it is a very poignant movie and is extremely well crafted by director Steven Soderbergh.

In Traffic, we see the world of drugs from various angles. Near the top of the chain is Michael Douglass' character, who plays a federal judge about to be nominated for the nations drug czar. He quickly realizes that the job poses an almost unimaginable amount of challenges, challenges he doubts he is ready to take on. At the same time, his daughter is experimenting with substances, as many American teenagers, especially those with money, are want to do. As Douglass struggles to find a solution to his countries addiction, he manages to ignore his own daughters abuse. On opposite sides of the war is the story of Catherine Zeta Jones, a pampered wife of a vastly powerful drug dealer. Her world comes apart when her husband is arrested by the DEA. She is forced to come to terms with her spouses own source of income, and then understand how the power he wields can be used in his own defense. Down the totem pole are the actual soldiers in the war. The two DEA agents who put the cuffs on Jones' husband are played smartly by Don Cheadle and Luis Guzman. They are extremely dedicated agents, but doubt begins to creep into their own minds as they are faced with an ever rising amount of drugs and arrests. The bond between them is a joy to watch though, and they pose a very interesting contradiction to the discerning viewer. On the other side of the border is the remarkable story of Javier Rodriguez, played brilliantly by Benicio Del Toro. Rodriguez is a Tijuana police officer who has managed to stay clean. However, his life is changed forever when he becomes embroiled with powerful drug kingpins and corrupt government officials, including the notorious General Salazar. Watching Del Toro attempt to survive and keep his virtue is really a treat to see.

Traffic is such an attractive movie because of its powerful reality, be it genuine or imposed. The cinematography, the settings, the angles and lighting, all create a sense of both impending doom and dour real world view. The Mexican sun speaks of hazy political shades and distant violence, while the inky blue tints of official Washington point to a world of official gleam but subterranean rust. The storylines are very well crafted and are synergistic to such an enjoyable degree. Their origins and their conclusions are fluid and tight, never meandering or losing theme. Performances are impressive all around, with standout Del Toro really taking the lead. Traffic does have a heavy political message, but it also shows that drugs and their consumption alone lead to horrible evil, resisting the urge to blame all the negatives of the drug trade on those that fight it. It's a good movie that can be enjoyed and marveled by those of really any political bent.

Rating:
Summary: Dramatised, Sobering Look at Drug Traffic
Review: This very well-done film intertwines three separate stories depicting the impact of illegal drug business both on the people and the society as a whole. Michael Douglas stars as a newly-appointed US drug czar -- a presidential aide, who nevertheless loses the battle with drugs in its own family. Catherine Zeta-Jones is believably transformed from a pampered housewife of a drug mogul, who suddenly gets into custody pending a court trial, to a woman fighting on her own and for her kids. Oscar winner Benicio Del Toro shines as an uncorrupted Mexican near-border cop who loses any illusions about who's good and who's bad in this whole mess. "Traffic" works both as a thriller and documentary. It's fabulously acted, the screenplay is brisk and enthralling and the stamp of Academy-awarded director Steven Soderbergh makes sure that this is not a common Hollywood fodder. Of course, it would be naive to think that even a film like this will significantly elevate public awareness about the drug plague -- after all, it just barely hints at the huge scope this thriving traffic encompasses -- but at least it's something that makes the perceptive viewers think.

Rating:
Summary: A masterpiece of cinematography.
Review: This film can easily be classed as one of the best films in past few years for style, script and stars.

The look of the actual film is clearly defined through the use of different colours of scenes (e.g blue for Micheal Douglas's subplot and yellow for the Mexican scenes). This not only helps the film to set out the different stories but it also marks a diffenece to boring cinematography, which has become standard in Hollywood of late.

The script is not only engaging and interesting but also provides a gritty realsim. The scene with the bratty, drug using teenagers about the problems with society reminded me so much of the conversations the "rich kids" at my university used to have.

Finally the stars. They ALL do a fantastic job but most interesting is the performance by Catherine Zeta Jones. This film helped her gain a credability she so richly deserved. I love the fact that her and Micheal Douglas aren't in any scenes together.

This film is a class act.

Rating:
Summary: Drug trafficing in America
Review: Did you ever wonder why the government is losing the war on drugs? "Traffic" offers one explaintion. "Traffic" has an ensamble cast with Benicio Del Toro, Cathrine Zita Jones, and Michael Douglas as the leads of the three stories that occasionally intersect. Del Toro is a Mexican cop being wooed by a militery general who is also Mexico's top drug lord. Jones plays the wife of an upper class drug dealer who is busted by DEA, and she turns into a vicious crime figure in her own right. Douglas plays a federal judge who heads up a new task force on the war on drugs, while his teenage daughter becomes increasingly more hooked on crack. All the actors do an excellent job, all above and beyond the call of duty. Director and cinematographer Stephen Soderberg has a blast with the lights and hand held camera work. All three stories have their own distictive color, dry brown for Mexico, deep blues for Washington D.C., and regular filters for southern California. All of the great aspects of film making come together to tell an important story of how the drug buissness is conducted, from making it in Mexico to distribing in Washington D.C. and elsewhere. It shows the level of curruption all over the map. This is a great movie.