most ensemble films, Traffic doesn't bring together the characters for a
dramatic finale. In fact, for the most part the diparate plot stories do
not criss-cross. Traffic illustrate the aspects of the far reaching drug
trade. The stories follow the the men who police it on both sides of the
border, the goverment officals who carry out the so-called war on drugs,
the people who get rich distributing it and the victims who debase
themselves to get the money for their next fix. For some, drugs equate
to greed, but, for others, they represent survival. Traffic's anti-drug
message is not as in-your-face as the visceral one presented in Requim
for a Dream, but, at times, it comes close.
Although there are a large number of parts, the action centers around
four major characters. Benico Del Toro turns in a great performance as a
Mexican police officer who is caught in the power struggle between
cartels in Tijuana. Rather than play one off against the other or sell
insider information to the US DEA, he is content to take small payoffs,
do his job and stay alive. However, circumstances change quickly and he
has to adapt to an increasingly dangerous situation. The biggest name in
the movie is Micheal Douglas, who suprisingly delivers more than a smirk
and glib one-liner performance. He play the new US Drug Czar whose
personal life is thrown in turmoil due to the drug addiction of his
daughter. The standout of the movie is actress Erika Christensen who
portrays the troubled teen-aged daughter. She evokes a forceful
acknowledgment of the wasteful and destructive power of drugs.
Christensen is effective at capturing both the innocence and, later, lost
innocence of her character. Finally, Catherinze Zeta-Jones (who doesn't
share a single scene with Douglas) is the wife of a San Diego drug lord
who is ignorant of her husbands role until he is arrested and she is
forced to clean up the debris. She has to become a survior and cope with
threats to her life and her husband's collasping business. Of the four
major roles Zeta-Jones gives a credible performance, but definately is
the least likely to be singled out for special notice.
Soderbergh does a superb job of direction, he manages to give each story
line a different flavor pertinent to its locale. His approach quickly
gives the audience a reference to figure out the shifts in story lines
during the film. With Erin Brockvich and Traffic, Soderbergh has given
movie-goers at least two good reason not to abandon theaters at a time
when so many offerings argue for staying at home, renting a video. It is
almost a shame that he has both movies up for Best Picture, as that will
certainly split the votes and allow Gladiator to win.
The narrative pallet of Traffic is rich, tightly woven and consistently
involving, with characters that are as well developed as their
necessarily limited screen time allows. Traffic offers a glimpse into
the world of drug trafficking and gives a sense to the vast scope of the
battles that are waged every day. Without ever becoming preachy (well,
almost never), Traffic shows the folly of believing that facile slogans
like "Just say no" mean anything when faced with real-life problems.
Rating: 3 1/2 stars (out of 4)