Hey folks, Harry here with that Chat Hound.... Corporal Hicks.... I do believe he's the highest ranking officer around that checked out TRAFFIC tonight... and from the sound of things... Soderbergh has taken 10 to 15 minutes off the running time (from the previous screening, I'm betting this would be frontend minutes to get the story moving faster) and from this review I can't tell if the additional shot footage was in yet, but my bet would be that it is. Soderbergh is amazing that he's assembled a new print in this length of time... he's a machine, and folks.. this is one of the best films of the year... that I've seen thus far. Here ya go with Corp. Hicks....
HEY HARRY AND THE GANG!
Hicks here.
Man, I really don't know where to begin. If it weren't for me getting to meet in person all those quirky, wonderful aicn-ers I've been talking to in the chatroom, there would have been no way for me to see the movie I saw tonight.
A HUGE thanks goes out to Mysterio(who Grendy and I were sadly unable to meet in person--we were late) for helping us squeeze our way into a way advance screening of Soderbergh's latest pic TRAFFIC.
Now, I'll start off by saying I'm a huge Soderbergh fan; honestly, the guy is, like, my idol. From Sex, lies to Erin Brockovich, the guy just makes quality movies(Out of Sight being my fav). BUT!!! BUT, I was clearing my head as much as possible for this one. I mean, I came in with an open mind, willing to take anything thrown my way and give it an objective look(as well as a subjective look, of course).
Alright, on with the flick...
DAMN!
This is THE movie about the war on drugs. This ain't no Clear-and-Present-Find-Us-A-Script,-Please movie. This film is a serious, mature film that really should be viewed by droves of people, young and old. It's a truthful statement on many things about our society today. Now, I'm not gonna just...FLIP OUT...like you all think I'm gonna do about the flick. It's not the best movie ever made, no. But I'll be damned if it isn't one of the best I've seen in the last 5 years. I liken it mostly to what last year's THE INSIDER almost was(although that movie, on it's own merit, is quite amazing).
Where THE INSIDER was slightly lacking, this movie was abundant: accessibility. TRAFFIC really lets the viewer into the issue at hand in addition to provide true character depth and a compelling story. I, myself, have never used drugs at all, so I know very little about the issue itself other than what I would see in an after-school special(Just Say No...or Jenny, eat something!).
Of course, the movie was still very much a workprint. We all heard the soundtrack pops on occasion and I'm sure some of the picture needed a bit more color-timing, but for the most part this movie is DONE. And I'm happy about that. It clocked in around 2:35 or 2:40, which I thought was the perfect length. Mirrione's editing combined with Soderbergh's direction give the flick a great pace...moreover, an appropriate pace.
I don't really want to talk about the story too much; it's something that you really have to let surprise you. All I'll say is that it shows how drugs affect each level of society today. Having said that, I gotta tell ya...Gaghan's script is OUTSTANDING. The movie never condescended to me nor did it pander to a lowest common denominator. It's actually a very quiet(dialogue-wise) movie, and I'm all about that. Too much dialogue is bad(except, of course, if you happened to be named Kevin Smith, Paul Thomas Anderson, or David Mamet).
As for the acting(and DAMN is this an awesome cast):
Michael Douglas--damn fine job; sort of a more realistic version of the Andrew Sheppard character in THE AMERICAN PRESIDENT. He really nails it as he attempts to balance home and career.
Don Cheadle--seriously, somebody just give the man the damn trophy! You can't take your eyes off this guy, HE'S SO DAMN GOOD. He shows real range as a cop caught up in the futility of the fight.
Luis Guzman--god, I love this guy. He and Cheadle(they're partners) have such a great chemistry in their scenes that I would love to just see a spin-off movie about the two of them!
Benicio del Toro--awesome. Probably the best performance in the film. Now, I admit, I was afraid USUAL SUSPECTS was just a fluke; I mean, honestly, EXCESS BAGGAGE, anyone?? But, seriously, THIS is fine, top-notch acting. He has a quiet brilliance that radiates about him in this film. Genius, I say, genius.
Catherine Zeta-Jones--Her best work to date, I'll say(although many would think twice before saying Entrapment was work).
Erika Christensen--WOW! Who is this girl and when can she be in another movie??? As Douglas's teenage drug-addicted daughter...she was spot-on perfect. A tough role.
Amy Irving--Damn, she's quite good, I say. She can hold her own(for what little time she has) with Douglas as his wife, both people struggling to keep their family from being torn to pieces by drugs.
Miguel Ferrer--Where the hell has this guy been the last 10 years??? He is a great talent who really shines a big-time dealer.
Dennis Quaid--He plays an asshole...and he does it well; what else can I say?
Also there are many wonderful little cameos by the likes of Albert Finney, Salma Hayek, James Brolin, Steven Bauer, and Benjamin Bratt.
the directing:
Soderbergh is a master, may it now be said, once and for all. His compositions are some of the most original shots I've ever seen(the helicopter landing shot is astounding). And he shot the damn movie too! HOW DOES HE DO THIS??? His photography is, what I'd say, an extension of the ideas sought out in both Soderbergh's own ERIN BROCKOVICH(shot by Ed Lachman), Mann's THE INSIDER(shot by Dante Spinotti), and Russell's THREE KINGS(shot by Tom Sigel). Some serious use of color reversal film, creating all that crazy contrast, and a wide-open aperature, allowing all those windows to appear blown-out from overexposure.
Yep, I liked the flick. I'd go so far as to call it brilliant. Will people go see it? Maybe...but they really, really should(I'd make screenings of it at junior-high schools even). Will it take home the gold next March? Hmmm...I'll go ahead and say, yeah, it has a great shot at best pic, but my vote would majorly be for Soderbergh's direction. The acting is too good and too much of an ensemble to really garner awards.
Go see the movie. It's real. Watch it.
Hicks signing off.
