Review of Traffic

Introduction

Steven Soderbergh - creative genius behind The Limey and Erin Brockovich has turned his hand to the topic of drugs. Drugs are such a touchy subject nowadays that a degree of sensitivity needs to be applied to every aspect of the issue, which is one of the ways Traffic succeeds. It is serious, it is true, it is powerful......`no one gets away clean` indeed.

Video

A crisp 1.85:1 Anamorphic Widescreen transfer, depicting the filter changes excellently. The sun-bleached lens of Mexico is brought out brilliantly, the ice cool filter used for the Washington scenes looks generally crisp and gives you a feeling of ambience whilst the stark contrast of the smuggling scenes makes for one hell of a viewing experience (and one of the reasons Traffic is such an accomplishment). The palette is used well, and the visuals are deep and clear throughout. Overall, it is a fine transfer.

Audio

A good DD 5.1 track, the surrounds are given a good workout throughout and the dialogue is always crisp and clear. When the action heats up, it delivers, as it constantly clear and instantly digestible.

Features

The extras include: deleted scenes, B-Roll, Original Theatrical Trailers &
Soundbites. The extras are on the sparse side, but the deleted scenes do offer some more to the movie, but sadly the others have all been seen before. To make this a worthwhile selection, a commentary would be top of the list, with a comprehensive `making-of` just behind. Traffic won 4 Oscars so you would think more effort would have been put into establishing a wide insight into the making of the movie. Sadly, Entertainment In Video have opted for the easy route out. Damn them.

Conclusion

Great. Powerful. Enjoyable. Traffic is a collection of three different stories about people battling drugs, and each one has a uniqueness, a special thing in it that captivates you. Benicio Del Toro and the Mexican scenes are excellent, they are shot imaginatively through a grainy, sun-bleached filter, and adds stacks to the movie. Del Toro is also excellent as the cop battling corruption (and he is totally deserving of the Best Supporting Actor Oscar for his excellent acting). Then, there is the icy-cool crispness of Michael Douglas` drugs czar, and when he realises his daughter is doing every drug (and guy) under the sun, sparks start to fly. And finally, we have the story of the delectable Catherine Zeta-Jones` husband being arrested and tried for drug smuggling. The script, which is slightly overlong, is excellent, and you get the feel of real character development. The action scenes are good, but this is more of a thinking-man`s thriller, not your balls-out Hollywood cock up. Overall, this is a must-see movie, which is let down slightly by the sparse extras. Roll on the Special Edition, laden with an extra disc packed full of extras and a nice DTS soundtrack. Until then...