There is an unseen war fought every day on the streets of America.
It’s not a war that grabs all of the headlines. Especially not
when there is some little Cuban boy in a closet in Florida that can
be talked about for months on end. May I ask a question? I guess I
just did, but I want to ask another one. What the Hell is going on
in this country?!? I know it's going down the proverbial tubes, but.....Why?!?
It's because we spend three months, or more, of our lives worrying
about some little kid in a closet who has no right to be here anyway.
That's why. Anyway. To get back on subject. The war I speak of is
the war on drugs. It is an important battle that this film chooses
to shed some light. It is a battle that will likely never be won (a
point made by some of the film’s characters), but it is most
definitely a battle worth fighting regardless of the likelihood of
victory.
If there ever could be such a thing as an "epic" drug film,
this is it. Through a fairly straightforward story driven by a large
number of characters (Ala “Magnolia”)
director Steven Soderbergh has put together a film with a strong message while
not being alltogether heavy-handed in delivering that message.
“Traffic” is about the war on drugs and how it is handled
here in the United States, as well as across the border in Mexico.
It is told through the actions and reactions of an incredible ensemble
cast. This film shows just how different our world is from a life
on the streets. Although that’s not to say that the rich and powerful are exempt
from their share of problems either. Drugs creep into the unlikeliest
(or the most likely depending on one’s viewpoint) of places.
I won’t get into much detail about the story, because it is a
fairly simple one. You’ve got a drug dealer who gets thrown in
jail. His wife is then faced with his enormous debts and has to take
matters into her own hands if her and her children are to survive.
Then there are the cops who are staking out her house. Elsewhere there
are a couple of cops in Mexico who are taking matters into their own
hands in order to get to the bottom of who is really in charge in
Mexico. There is also the freshly appointed drug czar who is trying
to get his agenda in order while his honor student daughter is doing
less than honorable things behind his back.
There are others involved, but these are the ones who are the main
focus of the film. Along the way you will run across the inevitable
crooked cops and protected witnesses, which feel fresh and reasonable
in this film whereas they oftentimes feel forced into most movies
of this nature.
The performances are all top shelf. With the most notable of them
coming from Benicio Del Toro as one of the Mexican cops and Erika
Christensen as the drug czar’s daughter. I have always felt that
Benicio Del Toro has been a major talent. In films like “Excess
Baggage” and “The
Usual Suspects” he proved his merits both in comedic and
serious roles. He overshadows anyone and everyone that he appears
onscreen with in this film. He brings a great amount of depth to a
character we have seen many a time over the years. Erika Christensen
is nothing short of amazing in, what I’m told, is her first feature
film role. I hope she is remembered at Oscar time for her brilliant
turn in a role that many have dubbed cliché.
One has to remember that there are reasons that things are considered
cliché. Her role is a cliché, because it’s something
that happens. I think everyone has known someone like her at one time
or another in their lives.
Other notable performances are turned in by Michael Douglas, his wife
Catherine Zeta-Jones, Don Cheadle and Luis Guzman. Guzman and Cheadle
do a fine job together as a the cops staking out Catherine’s
house. They are the brunt of the comic relief in the film and at times
reminded me of John Travolta and Samuel L. Jackson in “Pulp
Fiction”. Catherine Zeta-Jones finally proves that she is
more than a pretty face with her performance. She does a great job
of playing a mother who has been pushed a little too far. Douglas
delivers the strongest performance of this group. He is a man who
is oblivious to reality early in the film, but, by the end, has become
so immersed in the brutal truth that it seems unlikely that he will
ever look at things the same way again. There is one particular scene
between him and his daughter that stands out for me. It is the scene
where he catches his daughter free-basing in the bathroom. You can
actually see Douglas deteriorate before your very eyes when he is
finally confronted by his daughter’s other life. Gripping and
emotionally powerful, this is a scene that will not soon be forgotten.
Soderbergh’s direction is also top notch. He filmed the whole
thing, himself, hand-held so that it would make the viewer feel like
they are more involved in the film. Let me tell you this much: It
worked! During everything from car chases to shootouts you feel like
you are right there alongside Benicio and company. Another cool idea
Soderbergh implemented was to make all of the shots in Mexico look
very gritty and grainy, whereas the shots in the United States looked
very clear and polished. By doing this the viewer automatically knows
where they are after seeing one frame of film go by, which is very
cool to say the least. This helps to contrast the war on both sides
of the border in that it shows that things are handled in a very blunt,
straightforward manner south of the border and north of the border
things are handled in a professional political fashion. Hence, nothing
gets done north of the border and progress is made south of the border.
There is one great segment of the film that illustrates this point
beautifully. In Mexico a prisoner is being tortured to give up information
that can lead the police officers to some of the higher-ups in the
drug cartel. Meanwhile Douglas and a bunch of other rich people in
their $1500 suits are on a private plane discussing how they should
fight a battle that they can’t even begin to comprehend. It is
a beautiful moment in the film and a beautiful moment in cinema this
year.
“Traffic” is definitely one of the best pictures of the
year. It is one of those rarest of films that actually has a point
to it. It carries a strong message that demands, and deserves, to
be heard. If you can handle a good dose of reality in your viewing
diet I strongly urge you to see this film. You will see a side of
reality that you quite likely have never seen before.
