Traffic (2000)

Directed by Steven Soderbergh. Starring Michael Douglas, Benicio del Toro, Erika Christensen, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Don Cheadle, Luis Guzmán, Miguel Ferrer, Jacob Vargas, Tomas Milian, Dennis Quaid, Clifton Collins Jr., Topher Grace, Amy Irving, Steven Bauer, D. W. Moffett, Marisol Padilla Sánchez, Peter Riegert. [R]

Honest, intelligent, and (necessarily) pessimistic drama chronicling several different sides to the so-called “War on Drugs,” an unwinnable war despite the promises made by the United States’ new Drug Czar (Douglas), whose own daughter (Christensen) is an addict herself, spiraling out of control. Other storylines include a Tijuana police officer (del Toro) trying to make a difference in a dangerous political climate, and DEA agent Cheadle trying to put Bauer’s drug kingpin behind bars, but they’re all afforded well-balanced shares of attention so that there’s never a sense of frustration when the settings change. Lays it on a little thick at times with the moralizing and racial profiling, and some of Christensen’s scenes (especially the early ones with her school friends) resemble deadpan parodies of after school specials, but it’s still a potent message being delivered, and the film is rarely anything short of engrossing. Photographed by director Soderbergh himself (under his customary pseudonym of Peter Andrews), using differing techniques of grain, color grading, overexposure, filters, etc. to create distinct looks for each of the narrative threads. Aside from Zeta-Jones lacking credibility in her transition from pampered housewife to ruthless shark, and Grace’s awkward sarcasm doing no favors for an out-of-place soapbox rant, the performances are all on point. Oscar winner for Best Director, Adapted Screenplay (Stephen Gaghan, taken from British television series, “Traffik”), Supporting Actor (del Toro), and Editing; in fact, the only nomination it lost that night was Best Picture, which went to Gladiator. Albert Finney, Salma Hayek, Benjamin Bratt, James Brolin, and several real-life lawmakers all cameo; Viola Davis has a minor role as well.

88/100