Gripping, exciting, and tension-filled are but a few words to describe the film.  Using a hand-held camera, Soderbergh captures the film with a "documentary" style look.

The Mexico scenes are filled with lots of yellows, while the scenes in the US are drenched in blues.  As a side note, the scenes taking place in California are shot "normal".

The cast is about as first-rate as your going to get.  No one stands out because everyone involved gives such great performances.  One surprise is the job Catherine Zeta-Jones does.  She proves here that she's just more than a pretty face.  This woman can act.

Douglas, Cheadle, Del Toro are all solid in the lead roles.  Del Toro's performance has been the most talked about.

This is a film that has zero glamour.  It goes to great depths to tell its story without any Hollywood smoke around it.  Hard drug use, lots of violence, and crude/dark humor are sprinkled throughout the entire production.

Soderbergh has proven once again that he's going to be around for a very long time as a director.  He has a style all of his own, which puts him ahead of the pack as far as young directors are concerned.  This guy could be another Spielberg or Huston.