Landon J
I might be biased as a contemporary viewer but I see nothing too special about this. I think most people going into this will understand the premise, display of grey area morality and overarching themes of futility as rather routine and unfortunately underexplored. This watches as more of a exaggerated biopic into nitty gritty of drug trade/enforcement politics than anything resembling "thrilling" or "fresh", mimicking many tools of genre similar pieces. Often times invoking the feeling of, well, being in traffic...
Rated 2.5/5 Stars •
Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars
11/18/24
Full Review
Gabriel S
Traffic is a drama thriller that marks the new millenium by trying to send a messa about the war on drugs, the ever-going, never-ending war on drugs and their affects on teenagers. On the surface, it might feel convoluated, and in fact, it really is, but Traffic delivers a strong thematic, even though its concepts about Mexico might be out of touch in 2024.
The story follows 4 main characters, their stories intertwining as the movie progresses, all of them connected by the actions of drug cartels. They don’t really connect in the end, it is not like their plots lead to this ultimate showdown where each and everyone of them know each other, no, but rather, the movie shows the toll of drugs on different aspects of life.
We start with Javier Rodriguez’s story, a corrupt cop, even though the story protraits that as standard in Mexico, that works on the vicinity of Mexico bordering US. Javier, and his buddy Manolito, is about to score some big cash, but he gets in the eyes of the General and the Mexican Army. His story is perhaps the best one: heavy on thrill and suspense; and with him being the first character the movie introduces to us — oh, wow, and the last —, I believe that, out of all main characters, he is the protagonist. (Even though technicians place him as supporting character, well, shame on them.)
Robert Wakefield is a judge climbing to the peak of his career, so much that he gets the antidrug czaar position, whatever the f that means. He is now tasked with bringing down Justice to drug overloards and clease the streets from this evil that is destroying American Families®. Only he is an alcoholic, his marriage is going downhill, and his daughter is an addict. Robert’s storyline is full drama, a husband and father struggling with his own demons while juggling life on wary hands. He wants to succeed on all aspects of life, but is that even possible?
Helena Ayala lives a wealthy life as the wife of businessman Carlos Ayala, when the foundations of her seemingly undestructable status quo is shaken to the core with the arrest of her husband. The accusation: drugs, of course. Helena now has to learn to be strong and take matters on her own accords to save her family and, perhaps all the more important, her finances. Her storyline is also full drama.
Perhaps the minor of the main characters is DEA agent Montel Gordon who is building a case along with his partner Ray Castro against Carlos Ayala. His plotline is the simplest of them all: after an important arrest, he must make sure the key witness remains unharmed until the testimony date. He definitely has the shortest screentime, but his story is not to be taken lightly. Then, again, he has the flattest of arcs, regardless of its importance in the overall story.
The acting department here is top-notch, with mainstream actors and actresses playing the main characters. Benicio is definitely my favorite, but everyone else does a fine to great job portraying emotions and keeping their characters.
Traffic thrived on a hard period, competing spotlight with a number of other solid entries like Memento, Gladiator, American Psycho, Donnie Darko, Training Day. The list goes on, early 2000s where a golden time for movies. Yet, Traffic delivered and got what it deserved: 4 Oscars, not to name a number of other awards and nominations, a testament to this movie’s quality.
If you like complicated mixes of drama and thriller, this one is solid.
Rated 4.5/5 Stars •
Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars
11/09/24
Full Review
Jon G
A classic, mesmerizing movie
Rated 5/5 Stars •
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
10/05/24
Full Review
Dani G
Maybe the best film from Steven Soderbergh. Very good handling of a mega ensemble cast, telling 3 different, interconnected stories
Rated 3.5/5 Stars •
Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars
07/01/24
Full Review
Robert C
This interweaving of stories in the war on drugs is perfect. There is no wrong turn.
Rated 5/5 Stars •
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
06/23/24
Full Review
Connor A
This film is OK. It's long and dragged out and the acting is average, except for Michael Douglas and Don Cheadle. The weird color filting was distracting throughout.
Rated 2/5 Stars •
Rated 2 out of 5 stars
05/18/24
Full Review
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