"'Traffic' Jammed"
by Scott Mantz

"Traffic"
Michael Douglas, Catherine Zeta-Jones
Directed by Steven Soderbergh

I have a confession to make--I'm a movie addict.

Michael Douglas faces the grim reality about the war on drugs in "Traffic"

If you think about it, movies are like drugs. You pay your hard earned money, and for the next few hours, you indulge in a form of escapism that lets you forget about your problems. In a sense, seeing a movie is like getting a fix.

Last year may have seen some of the highest quality studio product to come out of the Hollywood processing machine since the early 70's (including "American Beauty," "The Insider," and "Three Kings"), but this year, it's been a decidedly different story. With a few notable exceptions ("Gladiator" and "Erin Brockovich" among them), out were the pure-cut studio films, and in were the tampered, second-rate ones. Thanks to movies like "Battlefield Earth," "Blair Witch 2," and "Little Nicky," moviegoers were subjected to the cinematic equivalent of a bad trip.

Just when it looked like movie buffs were in danger of succumbing to celluloid withdrawal, along comes "Traffic," a film that effectively examines the trials and tribulations of the drug trade from all angles. Hot on the heels of his commercial success with Julia Roberts in "Erin Brockovich," director Steven Soderbergh gets back to his artistic roots with what is easily one of the best films of the year. Jammed with multi-layered stories, stellar performances, and an intoxicating subject matter, "Traffic" is a riveting and powerful film that can best be described as "Nashville" on drugs.

Mexican policemen Javier (Benicio Del Toro) and Manolo (Jacob Vargas) are close to busting one of the country's biggest drug cartels, but they are held back by temptations of power and money to work for the other side. In the United States, ultra-conservative Supreme Court Justice Robert Wakefield (Michael Douglas) has just been appointed to be the President's new drug czar, but his naive and idealistic dreams to clean up the country come crashing down when he discovers that his own daughter (Erika Christensen) is an addict.

In San Diego, undercover cops Montel (Don Cheadle) and Ray (Luis Guzman) are working 24-7 to keep an eye on Helena (Catherine Zeta-Jones), the wife of a recently busted drug baron (Steven Bauer). When her kids are threatened, she enlists her attorney (Dennis Quaid) to do everything possible to keep a former associate (Miguel Ferrer) from testifying against him. She'll do anything to keep her family safe, even if it means running the "business" herself.

Both visually and structurally, Soderbergh (who also acts as his own cinematographer under the pseudonym Peter Andrews) effectively captures the chaotic world of drug trafficking by shooting the film with the same type of grainy documentary style that was used in last year's "Three Kings." By accentuating the look and feel of his surroundings--using sepia tones of brown, yellow, and rust to depict the Mexican setting and cooler tones of blue, gray, and black to depict the Washington DC setting--Soderbergh paints an accurate picture of how detached, dysfunctional, and opposite the two sides really are.

In the film's most provocative storyline, Wakefield walks into his new position with good intentions, but he faces opposition from all sides. His associates don't seem to have a clue, his wife (Amy Irving) is a former hippie who doesn't think that there's anything wrong with experimenting with drugs, and his junkie daughter is completely out of control. Talk about a conflict--how is he supposed to protect the country when he can't even protect his own family?

Just as much as politics get in the way of fighting the war, so they get in the way of causing the war. In Mexico, the cartels are marred by their own brand of political infighting and back-stabbing. With all the temptations of money, greed, and power, nobody knows who is really in charge, and everybody is waiting for just the right opportunity to get a piece of the action.

What ultimately keeps "Traffic" flowing is its outstanding cast. Michael Douglas handles his conservative role by portraying Wakefield as an overly idealistic, but still very vulnerable human being. Don Cheadle is the closest thing the film has to a bona-fide hero, while partner Luis Guzman solidifies himself as one of Hollywood's finest (and most underappreciated) supporting actors. Benicio Del Toro gives a dark and understated performance that gives weight to his inner conflict to do what's right, while Catherine Zeta-Jones makes an impressive transition from pampered cartel wife to tough head honcho.

"Traffic" is quick to point out that when it comes to the war on drugs, there are no winners--not the cops, not the dealers, not the Feds, and especially not the users. Wakefield's strung-out daughter Caroline (played with impressive conviction by Erika Christensen) sums it up best with one simple observation: "For someone my age, it's so much easier to get drugs than beer." Ouch. "Traffic" takes a gripping, riveting, and devastating look at what is easily one of the biggest threats not only to the United States, but to the rest of the world as well. It's an engrossing film to watch, as even at 2 1/2 hours, you can't take your eyes off of it.

Well, I guess that makes me a movie addict, but you know what? Thanks to movies like this, I'm damn proud of it.

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