This is a great film and it will get you thinking about the war on drugs, how we are fighting it and if it is actually a war that can be won. The particular target is the U.S./ Mexican drug trade and reiterates the fact that as long as there is supply, there will be demand and throwing money at the problem won't make it go away.
The movie is in somewhat of a pan and scan format, with characters, story lines, and settings overlapping. Soderbergh cleverly changes the cinemagraphic hues in some storylines, which affects and sets the mood for the quandary that the character is facing. The movie centers around several key plots, including Michael Douglas as the U.S.'s new drug czar who is so busy combating drugs, that he is oblivious to what is going on in his own home. Bencio del Toro is an overworked, underpaid Mexican drug cop trying to stay good and honest despite rampant official corruption. Then we see Catherine Zeta-Jones as the unsuspecting wife who finds that her legitimate businessman husband is one of the largest drug dealers in the San Diego area. She is forced to manage the crisis while her husband awaits trial and turns from a helpless kitten to a vicious tiger to ensure that she maintains the La Jolla lifestyle to which she has become accustomed.
"Traffic" shows how the drug war is being waged from different fronts, and how the fallout affects all those involved and how it crosses socio-economic lines. This movie will make you think or rethink about the war on drugs. Can it be won? Is it already lost? Who are the real criminals, the sellers or the users? Should drugs be legal?
The only downside of this movie is that some characters, like del Toro and Zeta-Jones didn't get as much character developments as Douglas', but you still can determine what motivates the actions of these characters. No matter you how you feel about the war on drugs, or the usage thereof, this is a movie to see. It makes you wonder if the problem can be solved by just saying "no".
