"Traffic"

United States, 2000
U.S. Release Date: 12/25/00 (limited), 1/12/01 (wide)
Running Length: 2:25
MPAA Classification: R

Cast: Michael Douglas, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Benicio Del Toro, Erika Christensen, Don Cheadle, Luis Guzman, Steven Bauer, Miguel Ferrer, Amy Irving, Dennis Quaid, Jacob Vargas, Albert Finney
Director: Steven Soderbergh
Producers: Edward Zwick, Marshall Herskovitz Laura Bickford
Screenplay: Stephen Gaghan, based on the min-series "Traffik" by Simon Moore
Cinematography: Steven Soderbergh

Another week… another movie. So, this week I decided to watch another intense - not to mention excelent - film Traffic. It was a good one that’s for sure.

The movie is based on the British mini-series “Traffik” which followed the lifecycle of heroin; however, for the US version of this popular series Steven Soderbergh stepped in and placed the film between the United States and Mexico and used the more localized drug - cocaine.

The main theme of the film illustrates the idea of chance and how one of our actions can affect a number of random people who may or may not be a part of the drug trafficking industry. It also makes sure to show “how far-reaching the drug trade is” (James Berardinelli).

The main plot of the film is that a new U.S. Drug Czar, Judge Robert Wakefield (Michael Douglas) is ordered by the President to diminish the increasing drug trade (war) in America. As the movie rolls forward, Wakefield finds out that what used to be his straight-laced, top-of-her-class daughter (Erika Christensen) has become a drug addict. As the drug war rages on, Wakefield’s daughter begins to turn toward prostitution and stealing to support her drug habit.
Benicio Del Toro plays a Mexican police officer, Javier Rodriguez, who opts to take small payoffs instead of running to the U.S DEA officials when he becomes trapped between two independent drug producers. His partner, on the other hand, wants different things and his greed drags Rodriguez into a bad – and extremely dangerous – situation.

On the other side of things, Helena Ayala (Catherine Zeta-Jones) finds that she is the wife of a drug lord after her husband Carlos (Steven Bauer) is arrested and she has to clean up his mess.

The cinematography in the movie was amazing, for the sole fact that it made the transitions of the movie much smoother than they would have been otherwise. Soderberg made it evident that when there was normal coloring and picture, is audience is to understand that the movement of that scene is taking place in San Diego. While there is a slight blue tint, the location is Cincinnati, and when it is a rough, yet bland colored picture, the audience knows that the current events are taking place in Mexico.

I thought that the film was one that definitely keeps its audience interested. This was one film that you wouldn’t want to miss a minute of. Definitely one to see.

Personal Rating: 4.5 out of 5

Further information can be found at iMDB.com