Hey folks, Harry here... Last night here in Austin Steven Soderbergh had his first test screening of TRAFFIC... a film that really... well, for now I'll let Claire Standish, long time spy here at AICN... and a new spy named The Straight Man. I wrote a 2200 word review last night, but... it sucked, I was trying to say too much and somewhere in there the review was lost... so I'll begin again. For now, here's Claire and Mr Man...
Hello to everyone out there surfing Harry-land, Claire Standish here. I know I have been silent for a while, but I personally feel that my selection of movies this summer has been a steaming pile (some exceptions of course) and nothing has tempted me to open my big mouth until now....
I have had the pleasure of weaseling my way into the first test screening of Steven Soderbergh's new movie TRAFFIC. I enjoyed this film, no I loved this film. Reason number one: Benicio Benicio Benicio. Benicio Del Toro owns this film. His performance was outstanding. It makes FEAR AND LOATHING look like a trial run for him. He is just so cool, calm and captures this magnificent presence on screen. I overheard someone after the show saying he is like a Spanish Brad Pitt (we all had to snicker under our breath a bit). But the really funny thing is he is sooooo much better. In TRAFFIC we basically follow four different but interrelated stories about the drug traffic between the US and Mexico. Benicio plays the part of Javier, a Mexican police officer who gets involved trying to breakdown the Tijuana drug cartel. He nails it so effortlessly you forget he is acting at all, as if all of it is really going on and the audience is the fool.
And that is another thing I liked about this film. It didn't preach or talk down to its audience. So many films today dance around big issues. They like to condense teen sex, and drug use into a nice little sugar coated pill parents can swallow. Not this movie. Soderbergh slaps it on our plate and says "digest". And I say thank you. Parents need to see this. They need to know what kids are subjected to, and it is not just the weed/beer "harmless fun" out there anymore. Kids have access to hard drugs, that is the reality of it. I wish my parents had seen this when I was a teen, and maybe they would have known what I was around. I know these parents. They think only kids on the streets are doing crack, cocaine and heroin. Nope. "Good" kids who have money are bored, ready and willing. The more dangerous, the better. I had a frat boy once ask me if I wanted to smoke some crack because it was "fun". Get real people.
Sorry, sorry, sorry. I'll climb down from my soapbox now. It is just this film got me worked up, and that is very very good. Soderburg has balls and I salute him. The actress who played Michael Douglas's daughter (she is new, I have never seen her before) was perfect. Her and Topher Grace (That 70's Show) did a great job portraying the good teens gone bad, and I pray none of their scenes get cut. I look forward to seeing more of the two of them in the future. Michael Douglas gave his usual A performance as well. The parent in denial. He shows his true colors here I think. He has some really good moments with his daughter. Pretty moving stuff. He is the father, loyal countryman, man of integrity, the backbone of the story.
Ahhh Don Cheadle, I love this guy. What an actor. He plays an undercover cop who gets high on taking down people involved in drug crimes. I won't spoil anything, but I love it when this guy tells people off. You just want to give him a high five.
Catherine Zeta-Jones plays the obviously pregnant wife of a drug smuggler. Her little wine, cheese and garden party life gets turned upside down when her husband is taken down. I love her excuse for everything throughout the movie: "...but I'm three months pregnant!!". Ha Ha, I love it. She does a swell job too, although she pretty much plays herself.
Dennis Quaid plays Zeta's husband's lawyer. He is pure slime. He is good at playing pure slime. In the end the story is at it's rightful place. No holes, rather impressive. I overheard another dude (I was eavesdropping a lot) say that this movie reminded him of a movie from the 70's, the straight story - no bullshit. He was right, and I would have claimed the insight for myself, but I'm just not that kind of girl.
There were some slow spots, especially in the beginning the film felt particularly rough. I was a bit worried at first, but was reassured as the film quickly began to pull me in. The most important thing was this was a good story + good acting/cast + good filmmaking = good movie. I enjoyed the score, I wasn't blown away, but it did add something instead of taking away anything from the film. My two main problems, and most everyone agreed, were with two scenes. One there was a small insignificant scene with Selma Heyek that seemed to confuse people. I my opinion it should be flushed. Another one was when Robert (Douglas) addresses the American people. It almost gets too cheesy- Hollywood. It should go or be amended as well. It goes against the idea and grain of the film.
I definitely recommend this film to all of you in cyberspace out there. Soderbergh fans don't fret, this is a good one. To all you aint-it-cooler critics out there who will say I sold out, raving too much about the movie, can it. I am honest and I write what I feel. By the way, the post-movie session with the spies was very positive, a thumbs up around the table. I am just sorry you guys have to wait until winter to see it, but it will be worth it, trust me.
Arrivederci,
Claire S.
Next up is the Straight Man... someone that hasn't reviewed here before, but who expresses his take and opinion thoroughly... I disagree with his final take, but agree on many points of praise here... but you'll see in my review... which I'm not quite happy with yet. Here ya go...
Harry,
hey, LONG time reader, first time spy. Just got back from the Austin test screening of Soderbergh's latest, Traffic. My brother said you were there but I didn't see you. Anyhow, here's my take, hope it gets to you in time and if you do use it, please include the last part. It's why I wrote the review.
Alright, I lucked into passes to the test screening and I guess I am exactly who they want to keep out. I debated though whether I would write a review but since the test screening process is a joke anyway and I felt like I would expect the same from, I decided to.
I will talk a little about the story but I HATE spoilers so I will only touch on only what I feel is important to the review. Let me start by saying I am a Soderbergh fan and have been since the Underneath. This will affect my review but not how you think. He was there tonite but I didn't say anything since I wasn't sure if I could kicked out for that. They clearly wanted John Q. Average moviegoer. I ain't. Who is that reads this site?
Traffic is a multi-character story about drug distribution in the U.S. and Mexico. The stories are as follows:
1. Micheal Douglas is the newly appointed U.S. drug czar who discovers his daughter is in the midst of a nasty drug habit.
2. Catherine Zeta-Jones is a rich trophy wife left to fend for herself when her husband is arrested for being the U.S. distributor for a massive Mexican drug cartel.
3. Benecio del Toro is a Mexican state policeman sucked into the morally muddy world of a powerful Mexican general intent on decimating one of the cartels.
4. Don Cheadle and Luiz Guzman (together again!) are DEA agents trying to bring down Zeta-Jones's husband.
Those are the main plot threads with several other characters weaving in and out and branching off into smaller subplots. All these plots and their various subplots affect each other in some way whether directly or indirectly, none is completely independent of the other, even if the players themselves do not always meet.
Now, the good stuff. What's usually right with Soderbergh's stuff is all there. The stunning direction is in full force. Almost the entire movie is in the washed out tones and handheld camera on display in the Limey and Erin Brockivich. All his usual stylish storytelling is here too: jump cuts, playing with time, offbeat and exciting sequences. Of course, the trademark sly, subtle humor is there as is the pathos he can find in any story.
And lest I forget, his penchant for creative casting is on parade here, especially with so many roles to fill. Who else would put Miguel Ferrer, James Brolin, Dennis Quaid, and Amy Irving in the same movie? And as is also typical of his work, the performances are almost universally stellar. Everybody does a bang up job. Del Toro is particularly good in a part mostly done in Spanish. Cheadle and Guzman stand out for their director once again. And watch Mr. Teflon himself, Micheal Douglas show some geniune fear outside a crack house.
So okay, looked great, seemed great but...the bad. The stories themselves just lacked. It was a film that had great scenes and moments but overall failed to gel. The sum never became greater then the whole. Why? I think it's because these aren't new takes on the drug movie. You've seen them before: the dad searching for his runaway rich bitch daughter (who I never really felt for), the cops up against red tape and corruption, the star witness for the prosecution signing his own death warrant as he rots away in a shitty motel. And there's more. I mean another scene of teenagers doing drugs or the cop's partner in grave danger.
Truthfully after reading so much about this grand script I didn't think it was anything that Steven Bochco or David Kelley hasn't done before. And all the flashy direction, big stars, and even the great moments can't really disguise that it isn't very fresh or even really complex morally. I struggled to connect with the movie. I was surprised to find myself detached from a Soderbergh film and at times I was involved but overall, I just really didn't care that much, especially about the daughter (aside from one gut wrenching scene with her but mostly it wasn't like that).
And two more things. The opening scenes were dull. Hopefully this will change after this screening, but I felt that set the tone for the rest of the film. And this cut was LONG. And it had LULLS. I never did dig multi-charcter pictures that much and this film shows why. It's really a bunch of subplots, some more compelling then the others and when you leave one you like you get bored and wrapping all of them up take so much TIME. I never thought I'd complain about seeing a near three hour Soderbergh movie. Especially since this his 3rd in a year. I should be so lucky. But I wasn't.
Here's my personal part. I wanted to grab Soderbergh and say "What happened?" Why so much effort for THIS script? I have been nervous since the spring about Soderbergh. I think his work from Sex, Lies, and Videotape until The Limey is one of the finest, most consistent bodies of work for an American director EVER. And I mean all of it. I feel he not only delivered on the promise of Sex but far exceeded it. I always sought out his movies because I knew they would be fun, intelligent, funny, you name it. And always unique and innovative.
But Erin Brockivich while entertaining (as all his works are) lacked the depth he usually brought to his other work. Now this and then Ocean's 11 which I know we're all excited about but if it's like those two, I...I just really hope it's not. Has he entered his big Hollywood phase? I don't mean Hollywood as an insult. I love big movies. I was just hoping that now that since Hollywood had caught on to what the rest of us knew already we'd see some great movies. I guess I was wrong. We got Out of sight and The Limey that was it. Now I am going to have to be cautious with my praise.
I met Soderbergh (and Harry) at the Limey screening in Austin. Soderbergh (and Harry too, for that matter) really is a nice guy. Funny, non-assuming, open. It was cool he screened this movie here. But if he keeps making movies like this then I will stop caring. I saw the Independant Focus where he discounted his early work. Well, if this is what he was looking to evolve to, then I have to tell him to look back. Those movies are perfect gems. These lack the energy and spark there. I'm not nostalgic. And I am not dumb enough to try to think I can(or will) influence such a smart creative person. But I just want to say from an old fan that I feel like the guy that made Schizopolis to find himself is lost again. And I hope he comes back soon.
Harry, thanks for everything. You do good work. And everbody, I hope you love Traffic. But I didn't. Maybe they'll find it in the cutting room. And finally, call me Straight Man.
