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Soderbergh successfully pulls off the highly ambitious Traffic, a movie with three different stories and a very large cast. The issues of ethics are gray rather than black-and-white, with no clear-cut good guys. Terrific acting all around.Read critic reviews
Watch Traffic with a subscription on Peacock, rent on Vudu, Amazon Prime Video, or buy on Vudu, Amazon Prime Video.
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Traffic videos
Traffic: Official Clip - A Drug Bust Shootout
CLIP 2:56
Traffic: Official Clip - Your Whole Life Is Pointless
CLIP 2:53
Traffic: Official Clip - Hi, Daddy
CLIP 1:48
Traffic: Official Clip - Assassination Attempt
CLIP 2:58
Traffic: Official Clip - Drug Economics
CLIP 1:53
Traffic: Official Clip - A Desert Killing
CLIP 2:30
Traffic: Official Clip - Conspiring to Conspire
CLIP 2:13
Traffic: Official Clip - Planting a Bug
CLIP 2:59
Traffic: Official Clip - General Salazar Pulls Rank
Mexican policemen Manolo Sanchez (Jacob Vargas) and Javier Rodriguez (Benicio Del Toro) face an ugly end.Michael Douglas (left) and Erika Christensen (right).Mexican policeman Javier Rodriguez (Benicio Del Toro) makes an arrest.Catherine Zeta-Jones (left) and Steven Soderbergh (right) on the set.DEA Agent Montel Gordon (Don Cheadle).Helena Ayala (Catherine Zeta-Jones).Michael Douglas (left) and Amy Irving (right).Erika Christensen (left) and Topher Grace (right).Luis Guzman (left), Miguel Ferrer (center) and Don Cheadle (right).Attorney Arnie Metzger (Dennis Quaid) escorts spectator Helena Ayala (Catherine Zeta-Jones) down courthouse steps.Erika Christensen and Topher Grace star as CarolineWakefield and Seth Abrahms.Don Cheadle and Luis Guzman star as DEA Agents Montel Gordon and Ray Castro.Benicio Del Toro (left) and Jacob Vargas (right) star as Mexican policemen, who get caught in a web of corruption.Topher Grace (left), Vonte Sweet (middle) and Michael Douglas (right).Robert Wakefield (Michael Douglas) has his life threatened while on a desperate search.DEA Agent Montel Gordon (Don Cheadle).Clifton Collins Jr. stars as Francisco Flores.Traffic (2000)Traffic (2000)
A contemporary thriller set in the world of drug trafficking. Traffic evokes the high stakes and high risks of the drug trade, as seen through a series of interrelated stories, some of which are highly personal and some of which are filled with intrigue and danger.
Rating:R (Some Sexuality|Pervasive Drug Content|Strong Language|Violence)
The sprawling nature of Gaghan's screenplay means that some characters are inevitably going to get lost in the shuffle but Soderbergh does his damnedest to make it work and for certain stretches the film comes together in remarkable ways (i.e the changing color plates, anytime Del Toro is onscreen).
Super Reviewer
Aug 25, 2016
Traffic was directed by Steven Soderbergh and stars too many people to list here. There are three distinct storylines, intersecting at times and all dealing with the war on drugs.
Soderbergh has, in my opinion, put out a LOT of solid material, and Traffic stands out as one of his finest movies and one where his creative touch is used perfectly. The three storylines are easily kept separate thanks to the different type of film used in the cameras (each storyline is either gritty, blue-hued, or normal), making its 2+ hour run time easy to digest. The cinematography is excellent as well - Soderbergh would commonly hold the camera, getting up close and personal to his actors. Speaking of the actors, everybody in this ensemble cast is terrific. From Michael Douglas to Benicio del Toro to Catherine Zeta-Jones, the whole gang puts on a show. While the storylines are dark and few characters are actually good people, the movie keeps your attention and interest thanks to excellent editing.
If you enjoy crime dramas or Steven Soderbergh, you have to see this 2000 hit. Traffic is a very entertaining and enjoyable(?) watch.
Final grade: A
-Ben
Super Reviewer
Apr 29, 2016
Excellent acting and a well-crafted script make Traffic a worthwhile watch, even if in retrospect the film's early-2000s-feel and film editing makes it feel dated.
Super Reviewer
Feb 19, 2016
Traffic did fairly well on the themes of drug abuse, and all the blurred lines separating good from bad, corrupt from principled, and love for family from call of duty when the former goes against the latter. I just didn't find it that compelling.
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