Traffic (DVD)

...story and well told. Unfortunately traffic fulfils only one of these requirements. Lets start off with its good points. It is an extremely well made film; the direction and cinematography are all excellent. Especially good is the use of three separate tints for each of the three stories. The acting is also top notch. So given all these things why did I give it such a poor score? Well, Traffic misses out on one of the essential ingredients it needs ...
...a beginning, middle and end. Traffic has a middle, middle and middle. We are dropped into the middle of these peoples' lives, and we leave with them a little further down the road but with nothing really resolved. It's not that I think it could have been improved with a different ending, if it had ended any other way it wouldn't have been believable. Its main problem is that it tries to be as realistic as possible, and unfortunately it succeeds at ...

mgirg 01.05.2001 (06.05.2001) · Read full review
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Review of Traffic (DVD)

...halfway to advocating it. Soderbergh's Traffic doesn't resolve this dichotomy, in fact it makes much play of the perpetual grey area that is contemporary attitudes towards drugs. I thought this was a very watchable film and the fact that it make pointed efforts to avoid simplification actually contributed to its limitations - this would have been more suited to TV - not the platitudes of LA Law but something with the tenacity of The Sopranos, able ...
...and not wind down towards a denoument at the end of an evening. Inevitably, there are moments that could be construed as preachy (an intravenuous version of foot and mouth disease being featured on The archers?) and others, such as the overdose scene, that will either have a ring of truth to them or seem artificial. Again, Soderbergh is on the ball regarding artifice, pre-empting critics by imposing a layer of artifice between the action and the ...

oedipus 16.08.2001 (17.08.2001) · Read full review
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Review of Traffic (DVD)

...went last night to see Traffic instead of Hannibal which I think I enjoyed,I am still thinking about it.I hope this is a simple opinion. I am the sort of person that firstly enjoys a good film but does enjoy scary, horror films. Traffic well were can I begin, It is hard . The film is set in Mexico and different parts of America and it tackles the drugs issue from various angels. It is a large filmed film if you see what I mean all the shots made ...
...a cepia colour and to be quite frank did not put Mexico in good light at all. The parts in America were in blue and normal why this I do not know. It shows Michael Douglas as a father and a good judge who gets put in charge of the drugs war in Washington,not knowing that his daughter is getting into heavy drugs in a big way. It then shows Catherine Zeta Jones as a mother who does not know that her husband is into smuggling drugs into America from ...

tatootart 25.02.2001 · Read full review
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Review of Traffic (DVD)

If you want a preview/synopsis of the plot, look elsewhere. This film was one great big disappointment. Too many plotlines; too much going on for anything to be resolved satisfactorily. That is the genius of the film, I hear you cry – to a point this is valid. Soderbergh’s direction is skilful and the excellent camera work is a refreshing change from Hollywood gloss. Indeed, Benicio Del Toro gives one of his finest performances (and that’s saying ...
...other performances cannot match his: Catherine Zeta-Jones is unbelievable as a mum-cum-drug dealer; Her real-life husband, Michael Douglas is thoroughly annoying as the moralising new National drug Czar – some of the cliched scenes with him and his daughter are truly abysmal. This is a LONG film and I’m pretty sure you will come out thinking, as I did, “Is that it?” Lots of promising elements fail to deliver anything other than a disappointment. ...

BeatBoxHarry 30.01.2001 · Read full review
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Review of Traffic (DVD)

I went to see this film having very little knowledge of the plot, knowing only that it has Catherine Z-Jones and Michael Douglas starring. I was expecting explosions and fast moving action, but found none. This movie appears quite "low budget", a rash claim, given the lead actors/actresses, but there was no real blood and guts action. It was more a psychological film. It makes you really think about what you've seen, even hours after watching it. ...
...not sure if I would give her an oscar for it, but I'm not on the judges panel! The real star of this film, in my opinion, is the director. Steven Soderbergh makes this movie what it is. He creates a suspenseful movie, dealing with the issues of drug traffic-ing, in a very real, true to life way. Michael Douglas plays the ambassador for drugs, battling against the barons in Mexico. It also gives a graphic portrayal of how drug addiction ruins one ...

cl_appleton 01.02.2001 · Read full review
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Review of Traffic (DVD)

I actually feel ashamed for having enjoyed this film as much as I did, having been told beforehand by various acquaintances that it was either dull, boring, or, at best, average. My embarassment has been compounded by the number of negative reviews on this very website. What the hell is wrong with me? Maybe I'm completely braindead or just got very naive, but the fact that America has produced a halfway-intelligent drugs movie, that doesn't try to ...
...way win-able, should be applauded. Okay, so there are several typically heavy-handed Hollywood moments. Michael Douglas's druggy daughter sinking to such 'depths of addiction and depravity' that she has no choice but to sleep with a black pimp (ooh!) is the most obvious. And Douglas's character is far too uninformed to convince as any kind of drugs tsar - he might as well have a sign stuck on his forehead which reads "I know nothing. I am merely ...

MonkeyboyUK 18.02.2001 · Read full review
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Review of Traffic (DVD)

If you are fan of complicated movies that mix a number of storylines then this is the film for you. It took me a while to get into Pulp Fiction and even longer to get into this one. Don't think too hard on the plot or you will become totally confused with what is and isn't going on. The cast is fantastic however with excellent performances from Mr and Mrs Douglas and Benicio del Torro. The action flows very well with Michael Douglas playing the ...
...barons only to find substantial problems at home!! (I won't spoil it) Catherine Zeta-Jones puts in the best performance ever and it is unbelievable that she doesn't have a nomination for an Oscar this year! The only drawback to this film is that (to me at least) it is quite complicated and I found it difficult to follow sometimes. However, the winner of 5 (I think) Golden Globes proves that the acting and general direction of the film is good. ...

Bazzajon 14.02.2001 · Read full review
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Review of Traffic (DVD)

Steven Soderbergh's follow-up to 'Erin Brockovich' is an emotionally draining, astonishingly acted ensemble piece about the drugs trade between Mexico and the USA. Using an unlaboured documentary style, he tells three loosely interrelated stories: Javier Rodriguez (Benicio Del Toro) is a Mexican cop working with the unscrupulous General Salazar (Toms Millian) to destroy a powerful drugs cartel. Stateside, dedicated police duo Ray Castro (Luis Guzman) ...
...respectable Carlos Ayala (Steven Bauer). He's a drug-runner whose pregnant wife (Catherine Zeta-Jones) is blissfully unaware of his business but must handle his unsavoury affairs after he's been locked away. Overseeing "the war on drugs" is newly appointed drug czar Robert Wakefield (Michael Douglas). He's naturally conservative, earnest and morally resolute, but things get complicated when his 16-year-old daughter (Erika Christensen) turns out ...

attupattu1521 18.02.2001 · Read full review
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Review of Traffic (DVD)

The film consists of 3 separate plots, all interlinked in various ways. One was mainly mexican with subtitles, this can get annoying if you don't like this, my husband gave up halfway through. Alot of Michael Douglas's scenes were displayed with a blue cast which had you reaching for the contrast control the first time it happened. It took a while to get into but I found it a very clever, thought provoking film which I thoroughly enjoyed. It's all ...
...particular California and the many corrupt government employee's who help them to trade. The san diego police feature prominently. There are alot of big names in this film and the acting is superb. Catherine Zeta Jones plays the unsuspecting wife of one of the big players. When he is arrested and she realises that her family are in danger and about to loose everything they own she arranges the assassination of the only witness against her husband ...

Yvonne1971 27.09.2001 · Read full review
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Review of Traffic (DVD)

...To be honest, Traffic is more like a film documentary than a film and although I haven't anything against documentaries, this film really failed to give the audience anything worthwhile and I found myself going out the cinema gutted that I went to see it at all as was my friend and the film has been the subject of ridicule ever since. At least we can see the funny side of this film. The music was fine. No problem there. As with most films, the music ...
...really farce plot and the acting! The film (dare you buy it) is available in the shops and on internet websites. It's priced around £12.00 for the video and about £18.00 for the DVD if I remember rightly. I would not add Traffic to my collection. ...

robinsky 21.07.2003 · Read full review
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Review of Traffic (DVD)

...our hols in Florida and Traffic happened to be on. "ohhhhhhhh, we can see it before anyone else at home". What a stupid idea. I have not the slightest clue what the film is about because half way through it I just couldn't be bothered to concentrate any more. It didn't help that half of it was subtitled - I couldn't be bothered to read these either. Guessing, I think this film was about some blokes smuggling drugs. One bloke in charge of it - his ...
...pregnant, because Catherine Zeta-Jones-Douglas-whoever was acutally pregnant and they had to write it into the script. One of us actually fell asleep watching this, it was that boring. He started snoring too which we thought was hilarious. Shame it was such a bad film really because the cinema was amazing. American's don't do things in half and the sound system was the best that I have ever heard. The screen was 12 stories high!!! And we got a squishy ...

annette_tr9 01.04.2001 · Read full review
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Review of Traffic (DVD)

Don't get me wrong, I love action movies, I like strong themes, hard-hitting morals, but there were three things to say about this film. The first thing was that there was not a still camera shot for more than 5 seconds. This was fine in the opening sequences and some action shots, but during the rest of the film I was half expecting the action to be filmed on a ‘dog-cam’ or something. The plot was the second thing, or rather would have ...
...followed. One minute we were following Mexican ‘police men’, then the action would blur into another sub plot that was very weak and had no real influence. Finally the length of the film was a bit too much, I was on the edge of my seat only because the chair I was sitting in had made my bottom ache. People walking out of the cinema, due to boredom, disturbed the rest of the later viewing. Sadly this is one video that I shall not be buying ...

HSimpson 08.03.2001 · Read full review
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Review of Traffic (DVD)

This is a compelling film that grabs you as soon as you start watching it and keep you interested in the film to the end. The plot is fast paced and at time complex simply due to the amount of different stories going on at the same time. The cast are excellent and protray their parts as believeable orfinary people. The films plot is centered around drugs, every cast member plays a different part of the grugs saga. We have in Mexico the cops trying ...
...brings out the corruption as policeman ends up working for a cartel. There is four young addicts, one overdoes, one of the girls just happens to be the daughter of americas new drug tazar. So he is of trying to stop the drug dealers when his daughter is a user. Finally their is a buisness man (rich, very rich) who has been aressted on drug charges, his wife manages to get the drug dealer testifying against him killed so the case is dropped. Each ...

herdsman 13.08.2001 · Read full review
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Review of Traffic (DVD)

When i went to see traffic at the cinema i have to say i was excited. I have always loved the cinema and i have a real passion for film, hence my undertaking of film studies at A level at school. I had heard alot about traffic in the media and i was under the impression i was going to view a multi-level, well acted and compelling thriller. Now part of that description is true, but which part? The best description of traffic is as an epic insight ...
...achieves great dramatic affect. Where traffic lacks strength is the overall pace of the film, although dealing with an interesting and compelling subject matter it seems to linger too long in any one place, as a member of the audience you feel neglected, as the plot seems to forget about you. Obviously there must be balance by a director in the portrayal of his characters and here the lack of balance lets the film down. i cannot criticise the film ...

robsterwest 23.02.2001 · Read full review
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Review of Traffic (DVD)

All I knew about Traffic before the film started was that it was about the drug trade, which made it something I had to see. I wanted to see how the film tackled what is perhaps one of the biggest problems for the USA - the importation of drugs, particularly from Latin America. I wanted to see how this could be made into a film as opposed to a documentary and how exactly, they would put the argument. 'Not very well' is my verdict. The film itself ...
...not particularly captivating. You can't even love the characters. Zeta-Jones' rich bitch socialite mother is so obsessed with maintaining her standard of life that she turns from ignoramous Gucci-model to drug lord and assination co-ordinator overnight, to get her scummy husband out from the sodomy and embarrassment of the American penal system. I doubt just how realistic this portrayal is. There is a dysfunctional family - there has to be, this ...

anotherwiseguy 29.01.2001 · Read full review
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Review of Traffic (DVD)