Recently, Stephen Gaghan directed and Steven Soderbergh produced "Syriana", about everything that has resulted from US involvement in the Middle East. We might say that they preceded that movie with "Traffic", about the futility of the drug wars and how the whole trade affects various people.
The movie starts off by showing Mexican cop Javier Rodriguez (Benicio Del Toro, who won Best Supporting Actor); he and his partner travel around the northern part of the country looking for drug smugglers. Then, we get introduced to Judge Robert Wakefield (Michael Douglas), soon to get appointed drug czar of the United States, but unaware of something shocking. And then, San Diego feds Monty (Don Cheadle) and Ray (Luis Guzman) have to bust drug smuggler Carlos Ayala (Miguel Ferrer), leaving his pregnant wife Helena (Catherine Zeta-Jones) with no one.
I will say that the movie isn't perfect. It misses the chance to focus on the CIA's involvement in drug trafficking over the years. Moreover, all the Mexico scenes are filmed in sepia; are we to infer that our southern neighbor is nothing but a drug-infested cesspool? But anyway, the movie does a very good job taking a grim look at everything associated with the drug wars. The aforementioned cast members do a very good job, as do Dennis Quaid, Amy Irving, Erika Christensen and Topher Grace (Sens. Don Nickles, Harry Reid, Barbara Boxer, Orrin Hatch and Charles Grassley also appear). I do recommend this movie, despite it's flaws.
The movie starts off by showing Mexican cop Javier Rodriguez (Benicio Del Toro, who won Best Supporting Actor); he and his partner travel around the northern part of the country looking for drug smugglers. Then, we get introduced to Judge Robert Wakefield (Michael Douglas), soon to get appointed drug czar of the United States, but unaware of something shocking. And then, San Diego feds Monty (Don Cheadle) and Ray (Luis Guzman) have to bust drug smuggler Carlos Ayala (Miguel Ferrer), leaving his pregnant wife Helena (Catherine Zeta-Jones) with no one.
I will say that the movie isn't perfect. It misses the chance to focus on the CIA's involvement in drug trafficking over the years. Moreover, all the Mexico scenes are filmed in sepia; are we to infer that our southern neighbor is nothing but a drug-infested cesspool? But anyway, the movie does a very good job taking a grim look at everything associated with the drug wars. The aforementioned cast members do a very good job, as do Dennis Quaid, Amy Irving, Erika Christensen and Topher Grace (Sens. Don Nickles, Harry Reid, Barbara Boxer, Orrin Hatch and Charles Grassley also appear). I do recommend this movie, despite it's flaws.