80.7 F
Charlotte Amalie
Thursday, March 28, 2024
HomeNewsArchivesTRAFFIC - LIVES UP TO HIGH EXPECTATIONS

TRAFFIC – LIVES UP TO HIGH EXPECTATIONS

Probably the most talked-about-before-seeing movie in a long time, director Steven Soderbergh's "Traffic," a complicated look at America's drug trade, comes with high expectations. No pun intended.
It's a big, sprawling complicated epic that The New Yorker magazine calls "tremendous stuff from the first shot to the last." It layers story upon story with deftly constructed plot twists, and, by all accounts, excellent performances. The cast is led by Michael Douglas as Robert Wakefield, the nation's newly appointed drug czar, along with Catherine Zeta-Jones, (Douglas' real-life new bride), Don Cheadle, Benicio del Toro, Dennis Quaid, Luis Guzman and Erika Christensen.
The two hour 20 minute movie is based on the 1980's British televison six hour miniseries, "Traffik." The only real criticism of the movie is cramming that much action into so little time.
The films shifts locales from the august halls of Washington politics, to border police in Mexico, with much of the action taking place in border town San Diego.
The action starts at a Mexican drug bust where a couple of Tijuana cops find themselves arrested by Mexico's corrupt drug czar. The war then shifts to full throttle where DEA agents Montel Gordon (Don Cheadle) and Ray Castro (Luis Guzman) have taken down a big time drug smuggler and handed him immunity in exchange for an even bigger drug lord, Ayala, whose wife Helena (Catherine Zeta-Jones) innocent at this point to her husband's activities, quickly wises up and tries to hold her misbegotten husband's shaky drug empire together.
Now this is just a preview of what really goes on ranging from Pakistan's poppy fields, back to Mexico and, of course, San Diego, with complicated corruption as a steady narrative. Then, there's Wakefield's shock when he discovers his own daughter (Erika Christensen) is an addict.
Some critical folks say Soderbergh may have outsmarted himself this time, taking on too much. Others, most others, say no.
It is written by Stephen Gaghan, and rated R for pervasive drug content, strong language, violence and some sexuality.
It is playing at Market Place East theatres.

Print Friendly, PDF & Email
Keeping our community informed is our top priority.
If you have a news tip to share, please call or text us at 340-228-8784.

Support local + independent journalism in the U.S. Virgin Islands

Unlike many news organizations, we haven't put up a paywall – we want to keep our journalism as accessible as we can. Our independent journalism costs time, money and hard work to keep you informed, but we do it because we believe that it matters. We know that informed communities are empowered ones. If you appreciate our reporting and want to help make our future more secure, please consider donating.