Traffic (2000)

An excellent film. I watched it again yesterday for the umpteenth time. I suppose the cinematography is what stands out most to me; it truly is a work of art. 👍

Brutal. This movie aged like fine wine—seriously. It’s this killer blend of *Breaking Bad*, *Sicario*, and stuff like that, but without all the extra drama, since it feels more like a gritty docu-drama or something. I remember catching it on TV when I was just a kid, back before I could even read subtitles, I guess. And honestly? Benicio Del Toro was my favorite part then, and he still is now.

Solid movie
--I can still remember it clearly after 20 years

Tried watching this, but honestly, I gave up. Look, the story holds up, but the camerawork and color grading are so bad it’s almost unwatchable. Does everything in Mexico always have to look orange, while courtroom scenes are stuck in blue? And don't even get me started on those tiny white subtitles they put on the TV. If it weren't for Douglas and his leading lady—plus Benicia—I’d think this was some low-budget production from a local news station. Maybe it's just me, though—I usually can't stand movies that feel like documentaries, especially when they jump between a bunch of different characters without any real sense of order or logic.

Honestly, this is easily in my all-time top 10.
The direction, the cinematography, the score, the cast—it’s just masterclass after masterclass. Everything is dialed in perfectly.

He actually won a Steven Soderbergh Oscar for Traffic (he also snagged a nomination for Erin Brockovich that same year).
And Ridley was nominated for Gladiator then.

Ridley got totally robbed. Not that I’m surprised—he always seems to get shortchanged (take Last Duel, for example—zero nominations 🤦

Christian Myers said:Ridley always gets totally screwed over. I mean, I'm not even surprised, he gets robbed left and right—just look at Last Duel, which walked away with zero nominations 🤦

He really should've won for lead female role.

I can't quite recall the movie itself, though I do remember drifting off mid-screening about 23 years ago. 🥱

Traffic is an incredible movie about the drug trade—easily one of the best out there. While it takes a little bit of inspiration from the actual conflicts happening down in Tijuana and Juarez, the way it handles the political landscape and the specific mechanics of the drug supply chain is just masterful. The acting is top-notch, too. I really appreciated how the film balances those heavy societal consequences of addiction with deeply personal, human stories. It works perfectly on both a micro and macro level. In my opinion, Traffic stands as one of the absolute best entries in the crime genre.

It’s been over twenty years since I last saw it, so my memory is a little
fuzzy, but I definitely watched it twice back then because I loved it. I'm a big fan of Steven Soderbergh. I've seen Sex, Lies and Videotapes maybe two or three times, and I could easily binge Behind The Candelabra too. For instance, Traffic has such a gripping vibe and a fast pace—plus some intense scenes—that really stuck with me. Overall, just a great movie.