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Michael Douglas, Don Cheadle, Benicio Del Toro, Luis Guzman, Dennis Quaid ... see more see more... , Catherine Zeta-Jones , Steven Bauer , Benjamin Bratt , James Brolin , Erika Christensen , Clifton Collins Jr. , Miguel Ferrer , Albert Finney , Topher Grace , Amy Irving , Tomas Milian , D.W. Moffett , Marisol Padilla Sanchez , Peter Riegert , Jacob Vargas , Rena Sofer , Mario Roberts , Viola Davis , Michael Showers , Corey Spears , Jack Conley , James Pickens Jr. , John Slattery , Jsu Garcia , Majandra Delfino , Mary Pat Gleason , Salma Hayek , Yul Vázquez

Described by director Steven Soderbergh as "Nashville meets The French Connection," this multi-character drama explores the effects of international drug trafficking on all fronts: from their source, ... read more read more...to the U.S. border, to the federal government, to the private lives of users. Based upon a miniseries originally aired on Britain's Channel 4, Traffic divides its time among three main storylines and almost a dozen locales. The first and primary plot thread, set in Ohio and Washington, D.C., concerns freshly-appointed drug czar Robert Wakefield (Michael Douglas), whose enthusiasm for his new prestige position is quickly offset when he realizes his 16-year-old daughter Caroline (Erika Christensen) is graduating from recreational drug use to habitual abuse -- a secret that his wife, Barbara (Amy Irving), has kept from him. South of the border, Mexican cop Javier Rodriguez (Benicio Del Toro) attempts to wage his own war on drugs, heading off a cocaine shipment in the middle of the desert with his less-than-virtuous partner Manolo Sanchez (Jacob Vargas). Surrounded by corruption, Javier approaches the drug war with an attitude of patience and compromise, which opens him up to investigation from General Arturo Salazar (Tomas Milian), the country's dubious drug-enforcement liaison to the U.S. Meanwhile, San Diego drug kingpin Carlos Alaya (Steven Bauer) is caught in a sting operation spearheaded by DEA agents Montel Gordon (Don Cheadle) and Ray Castro (Luis Guzman), leaving behind his very pregnant and very oblivious wife, Helena (Catharine Zeta-Jones). At the behest of Carlos' lawyer and shady confidante, Arnie Metzger (Dennis Quaid), Helena decides to carry on the family business -- with tragic consequences. Adapted by Rules of Engagement scribe Stephen Gaghan, Traffic marked Soderbergh's second major release in 2000 after the critical and box-office success of Erin Brockovich, as well as his second feature as cinematographer (credited under the pseudonym Peter Andrews). A favorite with various guild and critics' awards, Traffic won four Academy Awards in 2001, including statues for Best Supporting Actor (Del Toro) and Best Adapted Screenplay (Gaghan), and surprise wins for Steven Mirrone's editing and Soderbergh's direction. ~ Michael Hastings, Rovi

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81% liked it

165,632 ratings

Critics

92% liked it

154 critics

R, 2 hr. 27 min.

Directed by: Steven Soderbergh

Release Date: December 27, 2000

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DVD Release Date: May 29, 2001

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Stats: 5,699 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (5,699)

  • FilmFanatik
    March 27, 2012
    FilmFanatik
    Traffic is one of those films that transcends the process and the art of filmmaking and becomes something else entirely. It defines experimental filmmaking at its finest and excels at everything in every way possible. Starring an amalgam of talent from Benicio Del Toro, Catherine... read more Zeta-Jones, Michael Douglas, Miguel Ferrer, Luis Guzman, Don Cheadle and Dennis Quaid, with even small bit parts by Albert Finney, Benjamin Bratt, Topher Grace, Salma Hayek and James Brolin. Absolutely unbelievable, and they all give top notch performances. Steven Soderbergh's choice to film the three stories in three different ways using different lenses, filters, film stocks and photochemical procresses gives the film its identity as a living, breathing thing and not just another film. One of my favorite filmmakers working today, Steven Soderbergh always surprises me and keeps me interested in his work, which makes him incredibly appealing to filmmakers.
  • fb7018436
    November 15, 2011
    fb7018436
    The best movie about "the war on drugs" ever made.
  • fb1664868775
    November 13, 2011
    fb1664868775
    A perfect film with a perfect cast. Three intertwining stories are seperated by different visual styles employed by director/cinematographer Steven Soderbergh.
  • deano
    November 3, 2011
    deano
    Superb drama of three complex stories about the international drug trade with the magnificent all-star cast.
    Before the war on terror, America had been fighting a war on drugs, south of its border, for decades. As is aptly demonstrated in this Oscar-winning version of the UK mini... read more-series of the same name, the results were comparable in cost and effectiveness.
    What keeps this intense film skipping along so effectively is its constant shifting, from the washed-out grime of the Mexican-US border, to the stiff, blue-tinted corridors of power.
  • fb100002384654145
    November 3, 2011
    fb100002384654145
    Director Steven Soderbergh does an excellent job at giving a balanced look into the American war on drugs. The issues talked about in the film seem more relevant now than in 2000 when the film was released. The story does a pretty good job at balancing three stories at once, ea... read morech given sufficient development, although they tend to be a bit jumbled at times. The cast is the film's greatest attribute. Each actor gives an outstanding performance. The best performances are given by Benicio Del Toro, Michael Douglas, and Don Cheadle. The film starts out really well as it establishes its main three story arcs, but the pacing gets a little uneven as it goes along. Despite an inconsistent pace, the film's level of intrigue keeps things going even when the film drags. Traffic is a crime-drama that offers an entertainingly informative look into American war on drugs while also leaving us with thought-provoking questions.
  • blkbomb
    October 8, 2011
    blkbomb
    Helena Ayala: I'm on the board of my son's school, I have fundraisers for adult literacy at my own home. I think I have a right to know if my husband is a legitimate business man. 

    "No One Gets Away Clean"

    Traffic is a gripping and powerful drama about not only the war on drugs... read more, but also about how those drugs effect the ones around us. Steven Soderbergh's direction is fantastic and he no doubt deserved that Best Director Oscar he won for this. Nothing is lacking in Traffic. It is extremely well written, acted and shot. It has unique elements like the different filters used to show the war in different locations. The cast is simply amazing. These aren't just big names appearing in a movie for the hell of it; they are all on top of their game. 

    The standouts to me are Benicio Del Toro(Best Supporting Actor), the always awesome and overlooked Don Cheadle, Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta-Jones. Benicio Del Toro plays a Mexican cop who is fighting the war on drugs from that angle. Don Cheadle plays an American cop who is also fighting that war on drugs. Catherine Zeta-Jones plays a wife of a big time dealer who was arrested and is now on trial. This is one of the few times I have really have loved a performance from her. She's never bad, but seldom is she this good. Michael Douglas is the major player with the war. He has just been anointed as "the czar" when it comes to this war. Not to long after becoming czar, he learns that his daughter is on drugs. The daughter is also played extremely well by Erika Christensen, which is something I never thought I would say; I'm not a big fan. But she has some key scenes that are intense and powerful and she pulls them off every single time. She is extremely believable in every emotional situation.

    The movie is a smart, thought provoking look at drugs. It's told from different angles. We see how the war is fought with the cops and also with government officials. We see the addicts and the filthy lives they lead, in order to keep their habit. We see the big time dealers. We see the families that are effected. It's all extremely powerful stuff; more so then any film on drugs that I have ever seen. 

    What the movie isn't is a fun movie. It's slow in parts and it's long. It isn't all action, all the time. What it is an extremely well made and intelligent movie that brings a subject to light that is hard to know a lot about. All we can know about it is what we are told. If we don't live it, we don't know it. This is about as close as you can be to knowing about it, without being effected by it. Traffic is a unique and terrific movie that really is a must watch. 

    Robert Wakefield: If there is a war on drugs, then many of our family members are the enemy. And I don't know how you wage war on your own family. 
  • jamers2011
    August 1, 2011
    jamers2011
    Excellent, but I need a second viewing. Some parts were hard to follow, but a second viewing will easily clear things up. I loved it though!
  • CloudStrife84
    July 9, 2011
    CloudStrife84
    Superbly written drama, with a very clear and powerful message that holds as much meaning now as it did 11 years ago, when this film was first released. Looking through the magnifying glass at the seemingly endless war on drugs, it's an insightful study of a very harsh and danger... read moreous reality. Almost documentary-like in its approach, you're never once given reason to question the plausibility of the plot. Could all of the actions and words of the characters happen for real? Very much so, and that's part of what makes it so compellingly brilliant. The conscious choice to split the film into different color filters - depending on the location that currently lies in focus - is another effective element. Add to that a first-rate cast, along with intelligent and sure-handed directing, and suddenly it's no mystery why it's received such high acclaim. Over two hours long, but every minute a slice of cinematic finesse. My only beef with it concerns the pacing. While some parts move at optimal speed, others tend to drag a bit. Because of that I had to lower my rating somewhat. But all in all it's still a very good film, and some of the best work that Steven Soderbergh has ever done.
  • DreamExtractor
    April 3, 2011
    DreamExtractor
    Traffic is an astounding movie. Takes the Pulp Fiction feel and goes above and beyond. Deserved the praise.
  • fb732260458
    March 22, 2011
    fb732260458
    Featuring dizzying camera-work and an overly-complex story structure, Traffic is also bracingly intense and emotionally resonant. Steven Soderbergh's direction is consistently sharp, the performances excellent, and the treatment of the topic of drug-trafficking effective and chal... read morelenging.

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Critic Reviews

Jonathan Rosenbaum
May 18, 2008
Jonathan Rosenbaum, Chicago Reader

I don't see this slightly better-than-average drug thriller, with slightly better-than-average direction by Steven Soderbergh, as anything more than a routine rubber-stamping of genre reflexes. Full Review

Andrew Sarris
April 27, 2007
Andrew Sarris, New York Observer

The promise of Sex, Lies, and Videotape has been fulfilled. Full Review

Rick Groen
April 25, 2003
Rick Groen, Globe and Mail

Director Steven Soderbergh is riding one of the hottest streaks in the movie world. Full Review

Peter Rainer
September 26, 2002
Peter Rainer, New York Magazine

Soderbergh's jazzed stylistics can be smartly entertaining. Without them, an uneven movie like Traffic might seem more of a mélange than it already is. Full Review

Richard Schickel
February 7, 2001
Richard Schickel, TIME Magazine

It leaves one feeling restless and dissatisfied. Full Review

Peter Travers
February 6, 2001
Peter Travers, Rolling Stone

A real cannonball, a hardass drama about the drug trade that Steven Soderbergh directs like a thriller -- it comes out blazing.

Joel Siegel
January 9, 2001
Joel Siegel, Good Morning America

[Soderbergh] is inventing a new visual vocabulary to make us feel we aren't watching a star, we aren't watching a movie; we are watching something real. Very real.

Susan Stark
January 5, 2001
Susan Stark, Detroit News

In compelling terms, it puts bitter economic, social and racial truth before our eyes. Continue to blink or see. Your choice. Full Review

Joe Baltake
January 5, 2001
Joe Baltake, Sacramento Bee

Traffic is the kind of movie that will probably age rather quickly, but right now, in the first month of the new year and the second year of the new millennium, it resonates in the present tense. Full Review

Jay Boyar
January 5, 2001
Jay Boyar, Orlando Sentinel

Don't avoid Traffic. It takes you to the most amazing places.

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    • Robert Wakefield: If there is a war on drugs, then many of our family members are the enemy. And I don't know how you wage war on your own family.
    • Robert Wakefield: Look, we need to take down either of these cartels: either Juarez or Tijuana. Not because they're a symbol but... hell, they are a symbol! But because we need to send a message! When Carlos Ayala hires Michael Addler as his legal defense, I send Ben Williams down to San Diego as a prosecutor, why? Because it's a symbol. It's a symbol that we are sending the best! It's a message that we're going after their top guys.
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Traffic Trivia

  • This actress has been stuck in Traffic and at The Terminal. She can be seen hanging out in Chicago and is a friend to Zorro. Who is she?   Answer »
  • What married couple star in the 2000 film Traffic?   Answer »
  • Who directed the film 2000 'Traffic'?  Answer »
  • Which actor has starred in all of the following:- - Boogie Nights - Out of Sight - Traffic - Hotel Rwanda - Crash  Answer »
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