Traffic
Ever since Steven Soderbergh arrived on the scene more than 10 years ago with his acclaimed independent film, Sex, Lies and Videotape, he's been touted as one of the most talented up-and-coming directors in the business. Those 10 years have been marred by inconsistency and inactivity, though, and Soderbergh's recent efforts -- The Limey and Erin Brockovich -- were ultimately disappointing, at least in my opinion. With the phenomenal Traffic, however, Soderbergh has finally arrived, firmly positioning himself as one of Hollywood's elite directors.
Directing aside, Traffic's script is worthy of mention in and of itself. The outstanding, Oscar-winning screenplay was written by Stephen Gaghan, himself a recovered drug addict. He modeled his sprawling, ambitious work after a five-part "Masterpiece Theater" series that ran in Britain 10 years ago and followed the movement of heroin from poppy fields in Turkey to the streets of Europe. In Traffic, Gaghan moves this setting to the mean streets of Mexico and the posh, upper class neighborhood of an Ohio judge. His nimble screenplay bobs and weaves effortlessly through four occasionally intermingling stories, making powerful points about the drug industry without stooping to preaching.
The four parallel stories include the saga of two undercover San Diego DEA agents (played by Don Cheadle and Luis Guzman), a Mexican cop (Benicio del Toro), a "businessman" who deals in drugs (Steven Bauer, back in form nearly 20 years after Scarface), his unsuspecting wife (Catherine Zeta-Jones), an Ohio judge who's appointed the new U.S. drug czar (Michael Douglas), and his drug-addict daughter (Erika Christenson).
That may seem like a lot to swallow, but it's made easy by Soderbergh's brilliant direction and acting performances that astound. The decision to shoot the Mexican scenes in Spanish is a bold one that pays huge dividends by giving the film a heightened sense of authenticity. That authenticity is further bolstered by a superb, Oscar-winning performance by Benicio del Toro (The Usual Suspects, Basquiat). Del Toro is mesmerizing as a working-class Mexican cop struggling with his conscience as he tries to figure out how to do the right thing.
Douglas (Wonder Boys) and Cheadle (Boogie Nights) could have easily joined Del Toro in the Supporting Actor Oscar race. Douglas, playing a role initially slated for Harrison Ford, segues effortlessly from reserved judge (chatting it up with politicians) to concerned father (check out the devastating scene where he weeps for his sleeping, drug-addicted daughter). As for Cheadle, his performance as a tenacious DEA agent who refuses to crumble in the face of mounting adversity is guaranteed to move you.
The female performances by Zeta-Jones (High Fidelity), Christenson, and an unbilled (but surprisingly effective) Salma Hayek are just as compelling. Zeta-Jones' lack of a Supporting Actress Oscar nomination (along with Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon's Zhing Ziyi) was a disgrace. Previously written off by this critic as a pretty face, Zeta-Jones delivers a rock-solid performance as a pregnant woman who will do whatever it takes to hold onto her millionaire lifestyle. It's a tribute to Zeta-Jones' performance that you both admire her resourcefulness and loathe her conniving nature.
Soderbergh, also responsible for the film's brilliant cinematography, has finally crafted his masterpiece with Traffic. It begs the question, "Why did Traffic win the Oscars for Best Screenplay and Direction (not to mention Supporting Actor and Editing) and lose the Best Picture award (the first time in more than 50 years that this has occurred)"? Answer: The hard-hitting subject material was too timely, too controversial and hit too close to home. Gutless Academy aside, look for Traffic to become a classic that we'll be revisiting years down the road.
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Erika Christenson's rapid descent from honor-roll student to strung-out junkie isn't likely to inspire you to indulge in ANY mind-altering substances.
Except for Catherine Zeta-Jones' desperate loyalty to her imprisoned husband, and Christenson's penchant for selling her body for drugs, there's not much focus on male-female relationships here.
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