'Traffic' is a film of epic proportions, tackling the U.S./Mexico drug trade from multiple perspectives. Featuring well over 15 main characters, and at least 5 different storylines, director Steven Soderbergh seamlessly weaves together both good and bad masterfully, but the apparent lack of any careful consideration of the motivations of the characters in the film is its downfall.

There really is no main storyline here - instead we are presented with many small ones. The first is that of Tijuana cops Javier Rodriguez Rodriguez (Benicio Del Toro) and Manolo Sanchez (Jacob Vargas). As corrupt as most of the rest of the Mexican police force, they try and eek out for themselves a position that they know is unattainable. Another key plot is that of newly-appointed U.S. drug czar, Robert Wakefield (Michael Douglas), who is apparently too busy in his own work to notice his daughter, Caroline (Erika Christensen), turning to the exact substance he is working to get rid of. The third plot is that of Helena Ayala (Catherine Zeta-Jones) and her recently busted husband, Carlos (Steven Bauer). Apparently after living in La Jolla (a very wealthy suburb of San Diego) in a large mansion for 20 years, she had no real clue as to what her husband was doing (drug traffiking of course). And lastly, we have the story of DEA agents Montel Gordon (Don Cheadle) and Ray Castro (Luis Guzmán), instrumental in the take-down of Carlos Ayala, and protectants of the key witness against him, Eduardo Ruiz (Miguel Ferrer). Lost yet?

All of these plot lines are woven together with an accuracy that is mind-boggling - and to that I give a lot of credit to Soderbergh, but while he was so interested in the lighting, hand-held camera look, grainy picture, and different hues for different scenes, he seems to have forgotten key elements throughout the film that take away from this masterfully crafted film. There's elements that come up that make no sense in the storyline, that seem to have been thrown in for the furtherment of the plot. And while this is common practice, the oversight of such large fallacies really hurt the credibility of the film.

'Traffic' no doubt was meant to be a harsh look at the effectiveness of the drug war that is being wages in the United States, along with a disobliging look at the down-side to the same thing the drug war is fighting for. There's no doubt that Stephen Gaghan's screenplay is quite possibly the best of the year, but the political message is portrays is hammered down on us time and time again. Quite a few people know that the drug war is a futile struggle, and quite a few people believe that drugs should not be illegal, and it's quite easy to show this to the movie-goer, but the fact that it is done time and time again seems to be a bit more than 'just part of the movie,' but rather, politically motivated. The audience knows drugs are bad, and in scene after scene, we are reminded of the horrible effects. But also in scene after scene, we are told there's nothing that can be done. At a meeting at the border, Wakefield is told that about 25% of high schoolers use drugs on a regular basis, and that if he could get that down to 10%, it would be a great accomplishment, but there would still be 10% out there.

While it does have its shortcomings, 'Traffic' is not a bad movie, quite the contrary. 'Traffic' is a brilliant combination of multiple storylines and magnificent direction. While I found the acting stiff at times, and never really understood who Zeta-Jones really was, or the impetus behind her character, 'Traffic' achieves its goal. Had 'Traffic' not had the few stumbles along the 2 1/2 hour journey, it might have gotten my nod for best film of the year. As it is, 'Traffic,' while preaching too much, and not providing enough background, is still a very good movie, one that deserves attention, and acclaim for Soderbergh's still-innovative directing and cinematography.

Genres: Drama, Crime
Rated: R
Runtime: 147 minutes
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