Full Movie Reviews
Rating of
3/4
"Traffic" by Yojimbo
Yojimbo - wrote on 03/25/2012
Steven Soderbergh's intelligent attempt at an expose of the many links in the chain of drug culture can be seen as the Crash of narcotics. It's a worthy and well made film, but at times is very contrived; the way certain characters unknowingly pass each other in the streets is gimmicky at best and the fact that the US drug Czar's daughter makes the transition from preppy to crack whore overnight stretches credulity to breaking point. In fact it's Michael Douglas' section that (unsurprisingly) lets the film down, as it is 50% dry docudrama and 50% soapy melodrama. This is most definitely made up for by the sections on the streets, particularly Benicio Del Toro's Mexican State policeman and Don Cheadle's undercover narc. Soderbergh is also a little filter happy, but the direction is …
Rating of
4/4
Traffic review
Daniel Corleone - wrote on 08/05/2011
One of the better films that deals with drugs. It has a very good cast, cinematography was pleasant, soundtrack was catchy and the pace of the film never drags. Benecio Del Toro played his character Javier Rodriguez really well which earned him an Oscar for his stunning performance. My favorite story would have to be for Catherine Zeta- Jones character Helena Ayala. Michael Douglas was solid as Robert Wakefield and in his words: “If there is a war on drugs, then many of our family members are the enemies. And I don't know how you wage war on your own family.” The plot was effective and it didn’t confuse the viewers from the multiple story lines. The film delivers with magnificent direction (even beating Gladiator's Director) and compelling story telling. I felt this was just …
Rating of
3.5/4
Ranks among the top five films of 2000.
filmfan09 - wrote on 02/14/2009
Traffic takes on the complex issues involved with the war on drugs in the United States and Mexico from the view of these nations as a whole to the very personal level. In the film, three stories unfold to illustrate the near impossibility of ever stopping the drug trade, despite the billion dollars that the US spends each year for just that cause. While the tales are related, the characters rarely, if ever, cross paths with one another. This is one of the elements that allows Soderbergh to deliver his message so effectively.
This film has an amazing ensemble cast where everybody is working at the top of their game. However, Benicio Del Toro definitely stands out with the breakthrough performance. Michael Douglas is also terrific, adding another strong performance to his gallery of …
Rating of
4/4
Hard Hitting
chiggles - wrote on 05/31/2008
A modern day look at America's war on drugs told through four separate stories that are connected in one way or another. A conservative politician who's just been appointed as the US drug czar learns that his daughter is a drug addict. A trophy wife struggles to save her husband's drug business, while two DEA agents protect a witness with inside knowledge of the spouse's business. In Mexico, a corrupt, yet dedicated cop struggles with his conscience when he learns that his new boss may not be the anti-drug official he made himself out to be.
Traffic takes the drug problem around the Mexico/US border and puts it into extreme microscopic view. As the film shows the hard hitting scenes where a young daughter becomes involved in the use of drugs, we get extremely detailed drama which all …
