Traffic (2000)

REVIEW
Based on the BBC mini-series "Traffik," this explosive look at the internatonal drug trade is extraordinary filmmaking, marking a career high for director Soderbergh (and a potent 1-2 punch for 2000 with his earlier success Erin Brockovich). Several story lines are skillfully woven together to examine the war on drugs -- the complete arc from distribution to drug use to enforcement on both sides of the border. Among an outstanding ensemble: Douglas is the newly appointed drug czar fighting his own war at home; the exceptional, Oscar-winning Del Toro is a Mexican cop out to stop a cartel; Cheadle and Guzman are his American counterparts; Zeta-Jones is the wife of a drug dealer about to receive a quick lesson in business; and Christensen is Douglas' addicted daughter. Soderbergh brings an almost documentary-like feel to the movie, contrasting film stocks for different locales, and giving the film a tense, fly-on-the-wall perspective. It is masterful story telling, told with authority, intelligence and a sense of immediacy. There's no moral indignation, no polemic at work here; conclusions are all subjective, characters are all three-dimensional, and the film is all the better for it. If it's "just-say-no" morality you're looking for, watch another "Afterschool Special." Traffic is set in an adult world, and is a mature and sobering wake-up call for not only parents and children, but our ineffectual government as well. Winner of 4 Academy Awards including Best Director and Best Screenplay Adaptation.