"Where Movie Critics Get A Taste Of Their Own Medicine!"

Will "Traffic" make you stop and think?
by Herb Kane

March 22, 2001


out of 4 stars (R)

CRITIC DOCTOR EXAMINES: Steve Rhodes (internetreviews.com), Chuck Rudolph (matineemag), Todd Anthony (Sun-Sentinel), Desson Howe (Washington Post), Ron Wells (filmthreat.com), Roger Ebert (Chicago Sun-Times), Owen Gleiberman (Entertainment Weekly)

If you've ever gotten caught in traffic during rush hour, you know how extremely frustrating it can be. However, when you get stuck in the movie "Traffic" for 2 ½ hours at the theater, you won't be frustrated. If anything, you'll get a bit of a rush.

"Traffic" is a contemporary movie about the underground world of drug trafficking. Michael Douglas plays a U.S. Drug Czar who has a hard time dealing with the drug war and his daughter's own addiction. Perhaps "Traffic" should be called "Freeway Accident," because it offers three lanes of stories involving cops and dealers and they all eventually collide together.

What will catch your attention immediately is the movie's use of different film stock for each location. It allows you to know where you are at without having to be told.

Steve Rhodes (internetreviews.com) said, "Mexico is filmed in warm yellows and browns, reflecting the land's heat and poverty. A cool blue, like blue suits reflected off of marble columns, is used for the seats of power in government. And bright primary, like from an expensive decorating magazine, are used for the settings of the wealthy. Even before the characters speak, Soderbergh's color scheme alone has already told us much about them."

The film is pleasing to the eye, making it easier to enjoy the stories that unfold before us. But not all critics are pleased with the plot. Chuck Rudolph (matineemag) said, "Damaging the film the most is the unnecessary third story, which revolves around two California policeman played by Don Cheadle and Luis Guzman. (It's like the joshing porn wannabes of 'Boogie Nights' stuck doing their day jobs.)"

No way, Chuck. Ray (Guzman) and Montel (Cheadle) give us the needed comedic elements and they are a lot of fun to watch. I especially remember the part where Helena (Catherine Zeta-Jones) offers the two cops lemonade while they have her under secret surveillance. It's hilarious!

Benicio Del Toro, however, is one actor rises above the pack in this movie:

• "Del Toro is magnificent; this could be the breakthrough role he richly deserves. Todd Anthony (Sun-Sentinel)
  
  
• "But as Javier Rodriguez, a Mexican policeman caught between overwhelming corruption and his granite-encased integrity, Del Toro's the best reason of all to watch the movie. Desson Howe (Washington Post)
  
  
• "The true standout here is the soulful and versatile Del Toro. His characters always feel like whole beings, complex and contradictory. Equal to any actor working today, he requires the minimal expression to communicate the difficulty of his path. Of all the parts, his is the true warrior roaming this film's vast and crowded landscape." Ron Wells (filmthreat.com)
  
  

"Traffic" doesn't give us any solutions to the anti-drug effort. It merely gives us a view into this high stakes and high-risk trade. Though filmed in varied tones of color, the message is gray - offering no black and white solutions. Steven Soderbergh made a wise decision by remaining neutral. Why?

As film critic Roger Ebert (Chicago Sun-Times) said, "This movie is powerful because it doesn't preach."

People will pay more attention to the movie without the prejudice of opinion - allowing us to ponder solutions. Many critics gave their opinion on the anti-drug war effort, but I digress. I prefer to stay within the spirit of the movie and allow you - the reader - to make up your own mind. I'm here to talk about movies, not politics.

Owen Gleiberman (Entertainment Weekly) summed the movie up best: "It tells many stories at once, and each of them is supple and layered and observant and gripping. The film doesn't just juggle characters -- it zigzags among sinister pockets of addiction, violence, and power, revealing, in its very structure, the hidden yet interlocked levels of a vertically integrated drug society."

The movie has a weak and somewhat somber ending. Regardless of how "Traffic" ends, you will be driven to pay attention to one of the most controversial issues in society.

I give "Traffic' four stars - and a green light.

--CRITIC DOCTOR

© Copyright 2001 by Herb Kane
All rights reserved.

FILM CREDITS

CAST:

Robert Wakefield: Michael Douglas
Javier Rodriguez: Benicio Del Toro
Montel Gordon: Don Cheadle
Ray Castro: Luis Guzman
Caroline Wakefield: Erika Christensen
Arnie Metzger: Dennis Quaid
Helena Ayala: Catherine Zeta-Jones


DIRECTOR: : Steven Soderbergh
PRODUCERS: Edward Zwick, Marshall Herskovitz Laura Bickford
SCREENPLAY: Stephen Gaghan, based on the min-series "Traffik" by Simon Moore
U.S. DISTRIBUTOR: USA Films
RELEASE DATE: 12.25.2000
RUNNING TIME: 147 minutes
MPAA Rating: R (Violence, drug content, profanity, sex, brief nudity)