Traffic (Review)
United States/2000
Netflix Streaming: Yes
Amazon Prime: No
Traffic
follows the United States War on Drugs through several perspectives:
the U.S. drug czar and his substance-abusing daughter (Michael Douglas),
a Mexican police officers (Benicio Del Toro), and a trafficker's
housewife (Catherine Zeta-Jones). The stories subtly interlink to create
a disturbing reality.
The story in this film is much too
complicated to explain in a brief review, so I won't go deep into
detail. The story revolving the drug czar and his daughter is very
disturbing and realistic aa it features excessive drug use and presents a
frustrating image of addiction; it's frustrating because of how
masterful the disturbing depiction is captured. The Mexico storyline is
also frustratingly realistic as it depicts the corruption within the
legal system and the many flaws; it's as relevant then as it is now. The
trafficker's story has less impact than the others, but manages to
entertain; the focus isn't completely clear as it jumps between the
housewife and the DEA, but it does conjure some interest with the
interesting conversations concerning the trafficking process. All of the
stories subtly interlink, although most of the main characters do not
interact directly. The ending of the film is compelling - it made me
think of my stance on the war on drugs and such, as well as contemplate
the consequences.
I really enjoyed the story in this film. Every
story blend together to create a compelling reality revolving around
the drugs and the war on drugs. The depictions of addiction, corruption,
and greed are incredibly frustrating because they are incredibly
accurate. In a way, I hated it, but I couldn't stop myself from loving
it; everytime the drug czar's daughter, Caroline, abused drugs,
disrespecting her father and degrading herself, I'd cringe or shake my
head; and it's sad knowing addiction happens to even the most privileged
people; scenes with the power to evoke emotion such as frustration are
spread consistently throughout the film. Ultimately, I think the story
is superbly effective because of how accurate the depictions are of the
drug war; accurate depictions of yesterday, today, and, unfortunately,
tomorrow.
The acting is fantastic. Benicio Del Toro steals the
show with a charismatic performance, delivering his dialogue with power
and fluency. Michael Douglas also delivers a great performance - I like
how he shows frustration and relief realistically, albeit
conservatively. Erika Christensen also delivers a fantastic performance
as an addict, her facial expressions really capture the feelings of
euphoria. Each story was shot in a different tint so the audience can differentiate
the stories. Personally, I found the tints to be distracting and too
overwhelming. The direction and editing were fine, so the cinematography
was an odd choice.
Overall, Traffic is a disturbing, haunting,
and realistic depiction of the war on drugs; a compelling,
though-provoking film. I strongly recommend a purchase for fans of the
genre, a rental otherwise.
Score: 9/10
Parental Guide: Some strong violence and blood, graphic drug use, and nudity.
No comments:
Post a Comment