Traffic [Universal]

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I think of recent Academy Award Winner for Best Picture, "Crash" and I see many parallels in the structure between that excellent film and Steven Soderbergh´s powerful "Traffic." Taking a deep and provocative look at the war of drugs through a series of interrelated stories, "Traffic" combines excellent storytelling with a wonderful ensemble cast. Michael Douglas, Don Cheadle, Benicio Del Toro, Luis Guzman, Dennis Quaid and Catharine Zeta-Jones provide the star power in this intricate web of corruption and perseverance. "Traffic" paints a picture that tells how far reaching the problem of drugs is and how complicated any attempt at solving the problem really is. "Traffic" is ambitious in the scope of its plot. Hence, one of its strengths may also be one of its greatest weaknesses. I can imagine a large number of viewers that can be lost in its convoluted scenes or lose interest at its detailed pace and miss intricate details important to understanding the plot as it evolves.

"Traffic" is the kind of story that is very hard to describe in the limited space of a DVD review. Essentially, Robert Wakefield (Michael Douglas) is appointed by the president to be the new Drug Czar. He is to spearhead the war on drugs and turn the tide in the losing battle. However, drugs find themselves invading his own household and he must face problems in his own home while he is looking into problems in Mexico and abroad. Javier Rodriguez (Benicio Del Toro) is a Mexican policeman who works above the law when necessary, but finds himself being pulled in by the DEA to help fight the problems of drugs. Montel Gordon (Don Cheadle) and Ray Castro (Luis Guzman) are DEA agents who are assigned to run surveillance on the home of a notorious drug runner. His wife Helena (Catherine Zeta-Jones) is struggling with the realization of her husbands problems and having to deal with them while he is incarcerated. Arnie Metzger (Dennis Quaid) is her lawyer and her husband´s friend.

The story is convoluted. It is deep. Compared to "Crash," "Traffic" is far more complex and where the Best Picture winner dealt with racism and how people handle racism based upon changing situations and environments, "Traffic" tries to tackle the ineptitude of the war on drugs. Where it may not be as socially controversial as the themes in "Crash," it is a more complex problem to bring to the screen. The amount of exposition and background information required to set up events and situations is enormous. You can´t simply assume that a Mexican police officer can be both corrupt and a good cop with one simple scene. You need a few situations to bring background and life to the character. It is far easier to show that a cop is racist with a simple highway pullover. I´m not knocking "Crash," I enjoyed that film tremendously, but I feel it is far more accessible to the general public and an easier pill to swallow than the deep and detailed "Traffic."

Characters develop as the plot thickens. Robert Wakefield must come to terms with his daughter´s addiction and it affects how he handles his job as the Drug Czar. Javier finds himself questioning his own role in policework and challenging himself to take a larger role in the war against drugs and putting him in a more distinguished crossfire. The largest character arc is that of Catherine Zeta-Jones character. She must move beyond being the pregnant housewife and start to run the business left behind by her husband. Where Helena is frantic and vulnerable when her husband is first nabbed by the DEA, she becomes perhaps even more brutal and vicious in her resolve than her husband. As characters are faced more increasingly difficult and painful situations, their attitudes change and their views towards their vocation and beliefs are challenged.

The actors of "Traffic" are the greatest asset of the story. Don Cheadle is among one of my favorite actors. The man is brilliant. Benicio Del Toro, Luis Guzman and Michael Douglas are all wonderful actors and their performances in "Traffic" are among the best in each of their careers. Not enough can be said about Catherine Zeta-Jones. She was pregnant with her husband, Michael Douglas´ baby and while going through the later stages of her pregnancy, she put forth a hell of a fine performance. The supporting cast is great as well. The young and lovely Erika Chistensen does a fine job as the troubled and addicted daughter of Robert Wakefield. Amy Irving, Albert Finney, James Brolin and Benjamin Bratt are other familiar faces. The always entertaining Miguel Ferrer is part of the film. I´m of the mind that every movie could use Miguel Ferrer in some role. The man is seriously underutilized by Hollywood. He is really good in his portrayal of informant Eduardo Ruiz.

"Traffiic" is a movie I have always enjoyed. The Criterion Collection release sits nicely among my favorites. With such great performances and a very interesting and detailed plot, it is a movie that is easily appreciated, no matter how many times you watch it. It is not a perfect movie and in some ways I feel it is seriously flawed. The direction and cinematography by Steven Soderbergh leaves a lot to be desired. Filmed in a documentary style and using heavy hues of blue and yellow to depict different locations and segmented components of the plot, "Traffic" is not the best looking film to swallow. It is not as visually stressing as "The Blair Witch Project," but I have always wished that "Traffic" had been made with a completely different visual style. The film can be visually boring and though Soderbergh brought a wonderful story to life, he did so with taste I question with each viewing.

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