Traffic * * * * out of * * * * Starring: Benicio Del Toro, Michael Douglas, Don Cheadle, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Erika Christensen, Luis Guzman, Jacob Vargas, Dennis Quaid, Amy Irving, Topher Grace, Miguel Ferrer, Steven Bauer, James Brolin, Benjamin Bratt, Tomas Milian, Albert Finney. Directed by: Steven Soderbergh Rated R: strong drug content, violence, language, sexuality, some nudity. Running Time: 147 minutes
Steven Soderbergh's "Traffic" is so good, that I don't think any word in my mouth could describe the perfectness of this film. In the style of "Nashville" or "Magnolia," "Traffic" is based on a miniseries that played on BBC in 1989. The gritty content, and the shaky camerawork will definitely turn off some viewers, but for the others, they will walk out of "Traffic" with their mind working overtime, thinking about what they just saw.
The film consists of different plots, each their own, and each brilliant and insightful, the first has Javier Rodriguez (Benecio Del Toro) and Manola Sanchez (Jacob Vargas), two cops out to bust a cocaine smugglers in Tijuana. After the plan is unsuccessful thanks to the General, they are hired to find an assassin who is linked to a wealthy drug dealer Carlos Ayala (Steven Bauer).
In the second plot, drug dealer Carlos Ayala is arrested by federal agents in front of his wife Helena (Catherine-Zeta Jones) and their child David. After her son is threatened by someone linked to the business, Helena who is six months pregnant with their second child, is forced to find $3 million dollars, to keep their son's life safe, and theirs as well. In an attempt to save their lives, Helena becomes the caretaker of her husband's business.
Michael Douglas is Ohio Supreme Court Justice Robert Wakefield the newly appointed Drug Czar for Washington, DC. Trying to crackdown on the drug war, his daughter Caroline (newcomer Erika Christensen) is a drug addict herself, and along with her boyfriend Seth (Topher Grace off "That 70's Show) tries to keep this habit a secret from her father.
DEA Agents Ray Castro and Montel Gordon, who's key witness in the case against Carlos Ayala, the two must keep an eye out on Helena, and her home. Not knowing she has taken over her husbands drug dealing business. The two here seem to keep the film's comic relief alive, and somewhat moderate throughout the film.
Steven Soderbergh has created an American Masterpiece, and there is so much going on in this film, that after it was over I was ready to watch it again to see if I missed anything. After his successful year last year with "Erin Brockovich" which to me was on par with this film, his talent continues to show, especially in this film. His use of different colors for each story is pure brilliance, and complete originality, the use of the camera, the graininess throughout the film, and the style to which he directs his fantastic.
The cast is another story all together, every single person in this movie is amazing in their own way, to start Michael Douglas gives one of his best performances to date and he graces the screen and shows that he is a true actor. As his daughter newcomer Erika Christensen is realistic and true to her role, as the tormented teen. Amy Irving has not been seen on the screen for a while, but she proves she is a great actress, and her performance is almost heartbreaking. Catherine-Zeta Jones gives her best performance, after her dreary performance in 1999's "The Haunting", she comes back with force and shows to be a beautiful, wonderful actress. Dennis Quaid although not seen throughout the film that much, gives a good performance, but to me isn't given enough to do.
Don Cheadle and Luis Guzman are equally great in their roles, and they provide wonderful comic relief for the audience, and for the movie as well. Their chemistry onscreen is natural, and two seem to be having fun with their roles. Possibly the best performance in the film comes from Benicio Del Toro, who after last year's flop "The Way of the Gun" gives an absolute excellent performance, his eye movements, his body movements, his dialogue and the way it comes out of his mouth, this is my pick for the best male performance of 2000.
The brilliantly written script by Stephen Gaghan is expertly crafted, beautifully thought out, and the dialogue is great as well. Stephen Soderbergh's "Traffic" to me can rank up there with mosaic's such as "Nashville" and "Magnolia", its study of the character's and their lives is that of nothing ever seen before. Prepare for Traffic, its going to be heavy today. One of the best, and most powerful films of 2000.
Reviewed by Brandon Herring, 1/5/01.
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