Traffic (2000)

So, I’m looking around and noticed there aren't really any threads going... strange... anyway, what did you guys think of the movie?

James Price53 said:I’m looking around and I don't see any threads about this... strange... what did you guys think of the movie?

As for me, personally? Aside from some really interesting cinematography, it was pretty much nothing...

Look, the film is decent enough. It’s got a solid story and the cinematography is actually pretty interesting, but I just can't stand it!!!

Not even a big deal to me

Not particularly.

Great movie

The movie is definitely 👍

Benicio Del Toro is the only one who matters here.

Forget Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta-Jones; they were nothing special. If you ask me, the best part is when the dad's girlfriend sells herself for drugs. When the old man asks her "why," her younger school friend—some kid from The Seventies, I guess?—just shrugs and says it's simple supply and demand. Once he sees he can make a killing in an hour while all these white guys are pulling at his sleeve begging, "Got any drugs? Got any drugs?", he realizes he just has to meet the demand.

Kevin Wood22 said:The only thing worth noting here is Benicio Del Toro.

👍
Benicio is great.

A decent enough film to watch.

Kevin Wood22 said:The only thing worth watching here is Benicio Del Toro.

Forget Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta-Jones; they were pretty mediocre. Personally, I thought the best part of the movie was the scene with my dad's girlfriend.

Del Toro was definitely the highlight for me... the cinematography was great too 🙏 ....like that shot with the helicopter descending or when Del Toro is by the pool... just phenomenal. As far as the plot goes, I wasn't exactly blown away, but it was passable. The director shows potential.

Benicio is great, but everything else about this just feels totally unbelievable...

The movie is total garbage—just overhyped trash fronted by "big names." Maybe Benicio is the standout, but only because everyone else in the cast is completely lifeless... honestly, what a waste of a massive budget. My goldfish could probably direct something better than this. Forget the film and go watch Intacto instead!

So he's the guy from the movie with Zeta-Jones?

Darkness👍

Great movie, stellar acting, and the directing was top-tier.👍 👍 👍

Caught this one just the other day.
Total masterpiece!
Working on a deeper dive post about it soon!

It’s really a movie about society and how people interact. It breaks everything down into specific segments, dissecting how everyone is tied to and drugs.

You've got guys from the inner cities and then these spoiled rich kids who—thanks to their schooling rather than actual life experience—start seeing the hypocrisy and paradoxes of the world. They see their parents as the elite pillars of society and realize they are just the heirs, slowly stepping out of their palace bubbles and into the real world.

Just like society is split into groups with different ties to the system, you have two sides fighting the war on drugs: the boots on the ground, like local cops, and then the high-level government and politicians.

Then there's the third layer: the street dealers versus the top-tier cartel bosses.

The situation in Mexico feels a bit different when viewed through an American lens. It’s split between the cartels and the street cops, who might be corrupt over small stuff but stay clean for the big plays, while the very top of the police and military is deeply entangled in the drug trade.

Beyond that, the drug mafia itself is divided between American and Mexican leadership. In Mexico, it’s that classic, old-school, "Escobar-style" organization. In the USA, it’s much more sophisticated and hidden; the leaders are embedded within the "white-collar" crowd—golfers and businessmen. They live perfectly normal lives among the elite, and none of their neighbors in those gated communities have any clue what they actually do.

This isn't a movie about characters, or the mafia, or the cops, or justice, or corruption, or addicts, or dealers, or poverty, or teens, or families, or careers. It’s more like an almanac of all those themes, all connected by one single thread: drugs. Sure, the dark characters and plots had to link up to make a story, but this is basically a cinematic study of the relationship between society and drugs.

The strength of the film isn't just the drama—though the plot is tight and moves without any holes or logic gaps—it's the serious, realistic way it handles the analysis.
It stays far away from your typical cop story of good guys vs. bad guys. Instead, it’s a brilliant mix of a heavy, intellectual film with a real message that's still easy to watch.

I also thought the credits were interesting. They chose to list the actors in order of appearance, which is pretty rare for Hollywood. I think they did it to avoid playing favorites, making sure no specific subplot, mafia segment, or enemy group got more spotlight than the others, even though we all know who the biggest stars are and which characters drive the story.

How did you guys feel about the ending and the message? For me, it felt like prevention is way more important than treatment. It's like they're saying the police, the courts, and the politicians can't do much if nothing changes at the foundation. Big wins are impossible; no matter how many dealers you take down, or even the heads of a cartel, the demand and the massive amounts of money involved mean the problem just keeps coming back. Drugs are like a hydra—you cut off one head, and another grows right back.
That's why fighting it at the base level is more effective, where everyone fights against drugs within their own families.
We need to focus on lowering the demand rather than just trying to stop the supply. Demand is like blood in the water attracting sharks; as long as it's there, there will always be enough predators to come feeding. Everyone needs to heal their own wounds first. That's my take on the message.

Great camera work and a solid vibe at the end