0
0
Rating: 4.5 out of 5
I will start this by talking about one thing and trying to bring it back to the movie. One of my favorite Netflix series is Narcos. If you have yet to see it, jump on it. Narcos follows the rise and fall of some of the world’s most powerful and ruthless drug dealers, with the likes of Pablo Escobar, the Cali Cartel, and even coming over to Mexico. Escobar was the wealthiest criminal in history, having amassed an estimated net worth of $30 billion by the time of his death, which is around $70 billion today. Dude didn’t just own a Brinks truck but the bank that it came in. These men were the bosses of Scarface, and we all know how iconic that film is. What is fascinating about this series is how the DEA tried to catch these powerful men. Trying to capture men that have everything at their disposal is quite a feat, and no matter what they do, there is always someone to take their place.
The reason I bring this up is that if you want to see a movie that is like the processor of this film, then it has to be Traffic. As I watched Narcos, it reminded me of this film as it was a quick 2-hour movie. I wondered if someone sat back and said, let’s make Traffic in a series and expand on all the crazy drug cartel stories. Boom, five years later, Narcos dropped up the world. Sadly, it stopped at season 3 because there are probably so many other stories to tell.
Okay, getting off schedule, Traffic is directed by Steven Soderbergh. It explores the illegal drug trade from several perspectives: users, enforcers, politicians, and traffickers. Each story is intertwined until everything comes ahead. The story happens during the failed War on Drugs campaign. That is a laughable campaign. Sorry, back to the review. Conservative Ohio Court judge Robert Wakefield (Douglas) is appointed to head the President’s Office of National Drug Control Policy, taking on the title of drug czar. His new position is hard enough, but life soon gets complicated when he learns that his teenage daughter Caroline (Christensen) is a cocaine addict and is spiraling out of control. During this time in San Diego, DEA agents Montel Gordon (Cheadle) and Ray Castro (Guzmán) are pursuing Helena Ayala (Zeta-Jones), who just learned that her husband has been arrested and is a drug kingpin. She works to get him out of jail and keep the business afloat. In Mexico, dedicated cop Javier Rodriguez (del Toro) is struggling with his own ethics and views as he learns that his new boss preaches being tough on drugs but might be in the same bad as the ones he needs to stop.
First, the story of this movie is fantastic. It’s one of those slow movies at the beginning that you really have to pay attention to what is going on. Once you get through the first twenty minutes, then shit gets real. Each storyline is very distinctive, but I love how one storyline is affected by the other because something went on. It is an excellent way to see how everyone deals with one primary issue. The War on Drugs is a shit campaign, and it was crazy to see how each side deals with it.
First, you have a conservative judge who becomes the nation’s drug czar. He wants to be tough but soon realizes that his perfect and innocent daughter is deep in cocaine. As Rick James used to say, “Cocaine is a hell of a drug.” Watching the daughter spiral is like watching Requiem for a Dream. A perfect world destroyed by drugs, and homegirl is selling her ass left and right to get that fix. Also, you were dating Topher, who actually made a good point when the father was looking for the daughter. It is telling when the judge realizes that it is not the dealers who need to be the focus but also the ones who do rehab. Yet, his case really explodes when a General in Mexico gets arrested.
The DEA story was pretty good. How the hell are you going to wiretap someone, and they bring you lemonade. This story is intense because you see a woman trying to save her kingdom and get her husband out of jail. You are a bad bitch when you take cocaine as a doll that dissolves. This story exemplifies the ground troops trying to stop the drugs and what it takes when the justice department fails.
Finally, the Mexican cop is a little corrupt. It seems like all cops in these films are either corrupt or try to be honest and then put their toe in the water and become semi-corrupt. You think he is doing justice when he stops a drug transport and does the right thing. His commanding General soon shows his true colors and sends the cop to do his bidding. Shit gets really real as partners are shot, and one must snitch on the other to save what little he has.
The look of this film is top-notch and should be applauded. The film doesn’t have one set color grade. Soderbergh adopted a distinctive color grade for each storyline so audiences could tell them apart. I thought this was done with the utmost perfection. It was very appealing to the eyes to know that each color grade was for a specific story. With so many different storylines going at once, it helped you keep up with each story and avoid becoming confused.
The acting was strong in this film. Each one performed in a way that made you want to watch this film. Some of the most notables are Michael Douglas as Robert Wakefield. Douglas played Robert as a powerful judge who wants to take down drugs. Towards the end, you can see that his mind had shifted as his fears grow for his family and daughter. Playing off of Douglas was Erika Christensen as Caroline Wakefield. I want to give it up to Christensen. Homegirl came in and impressed me. She had that drug addict look, and seeing her character lose it is heartbreaking.
Other stars are Don Cheadle as Montel Gordon. Cheadle just has a way about him as a tough character. As a DEA agent, dude has to go hard as he is doing a job that he can’t win at. I want to praise Catherine Zeta-Jones as Helena Ayala. As a pregnant wife who learns that her husband is a powerful drug kingpin, she went hard in the paint to keep everything afloat.
Finally, I want to praise Benicio del Toro as Javier Rodriguez Rodríguez. Benicio won the Academy Award for best supporting actor, and he deserved this award. As an officer in the Mexican police, Benicio showed Javier as a man who wanted to do his job, but corruption in the country makes it virtually impossible. Benicio showed a man who only wants what is good for his country and community.
Traffic is a great film to watch on the War on Drugs and its effects. It is also a great movie to watch before watching Narcos. The acting is great, especially Benicio and the storylines that are told. Each story’s color grade is great, making it less confusing. Watch this film and then Narcos. You won’t be disappointed.
