Tellusepisode

Streaming Guide, Reviews, Trailers

Traffic (2000)

Coming Out at 5 January 2001 in theaters.

Crime, Drama, Thriller

Traffic is crime drama film directed by Steven Soderbergh and written by Stephen Gaghan. It explores the illegal drug trade from a number of perspectives: users, enforcers, politicians, and traffickers. Their stories are edited together throughout the film, although some of the characters do not meet each other. The film is an adaptation of the 1989 British Channel 4 television series Traffik. The film stars an international ensemble cast, including Don Cheadle, Benicio Del Toro, Michael Douglas, Erika Christensen, Luis Guzmán, Dennis Quaid, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Jacob Vargas, Tomas Milian, Topher Grace, James Brolin, Steven Bauer, and Benjamin Bratt. It features both English and Spanish-language dialogue.

20th Century Fox, the original financiers of the film, demanded that Harrison Ford play a leading role and that significant changes to the screenplay be made. Soderbergh refused and proposed the script to other major Hollywood studios, but it was rejected because of the three-hour running time and the subject matter—Traffic is more of a political film than most Hollywood productions. USA Films, however, liked the project from the start and offered the filmmakers more money than Fox. Soderbergh operated the camera himself and adopted a distinctive color grade for each storyline so that audiences could tell them apart.

*Mexico storyline

In Mexico, police officer Javier Rodriguez (del Toro) and his only partner Manolo Sanchez (Vargas) stop a drug transport and arrest the couriers. Their arrest is interrupted by General Salazar (Milian), a high-ranking Mexican official who decides to hire Javier. Salazar instructs him to apprehend Francisco Flores (Clifton Collins Jr.), a hitman for the Tijuana Cartel, headed by the Obregón brothers.

Back in Tijuana, Flores, under torture, gives Salazar the names of important members of the Obregón cartel, who are arrested. Javier’s and Salazar’s efforts begin to cripple the Obregón brothers’ cocaine outfit, but Javier soon discovers Salazar is a pawn for the Juárez Cartel, the rival of the Obregón brothers. That entire portion of the Mexican anti-drug campaign is a fraud, as Salazar is wiping out one cartel because he has aligned with another for profit.

*Wakefield storyline

Robert Wakefield (Douglas), a conservative Ohio judge, is appointed to head the President’s Office of National Drug Control Policy, taking on the title drug czar. Robert is warned by his predecessor (Brolin) and several influential politicians that the War on Drugs is unwinnable. Robert’s daughter, Caroline (Christensen), an honors student, has been using cocaine, methamphetamine, and heroin which quickly develops into a drug addiction after her boyfriend Seth (Grace) introduces her to freebasing. Caroline, Seth, and Vanessa are all arrested when a fellow student overdoses on drugs, and they try to dump him anonymously at a hospital. As Robert and his wife Barbara (Irving) struggle to deal with the problem, Robert discovers that Barbara has known about their daughter’s involvement with drugs for over six months.

*Ayala/DEA storyline

In San Diego, an undercover DEA investigation led by Montel Gordon (Cheadle) and Ray Castro (Guzmán) leads to the arrest of Eduardo Ruiz (Ferrer), a high-stakes dealer posing as a fisherman. Ruiz decides to take the dangerous road to immunity by giving up his boss: drug lord Carl Ayala (Bauer), the biggest distributor for the Obregón brothers in the United States. Ayala is indicted by a tough prosecutor, hand-selected by Robert Wakefield to send a message to the Mexican drug organizations.

Director: Steven Soderbergh

Writers: Simon Moore, Stephen Gaghan

Stars: Don Cheadle, Benicio Del Toro, Michael Douglas, Erika Christensen, Luis Guzmán, Dennis Quaid, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Jacob Vargas

Cast:

Benicio Del ToroJavier Rodriguez
Jacob VargasManolo Sanchez
Andrew ChavezDesert Truck Driver
Michael SaucedoDesert Truck Driver
Tomas MilianGeneral Arturo Salazar
Jose YenqueSalazar Soldier / The Torturer
Emilio RiveraSalazar Soldier #2
Michael O’NeillLawyer Rodman
Michael DouglasRobert Wakefield
Russell G. JonesClerk
Lorene HetheringtonState Capitol Reporter #1
Eric CollinsState Capitol Reporter #2
Beau HoldenDEA Agent – CalTrans
Peter StaderDEA Agent – CalTrans
James LewDEA Agent – CalTrans
Jeremy FitzgeraldDEA Agent – CalTrans
Russell SolbergDEA Agent – CalTrans
Luis GuzmánRay Castro
Don CheadleMontel Gordon
Don SnellDEA Agent – Trailer
Enrique MurcianoDEA Agent – Trailer
Gary Carlos CervantesDEA Agent – Trailer
Leticia BombardierRuiz’s Secretary
Miguel FerrerEduardo Ruiz
Carl CiarfalioRuiz’s Assistant
Steven LambertVan Driver
Gilbert RosalesVan Passenger
Rick AveryDEA Agent – Public Storage
Mario RobertsDEA Agent – Public Storage
Eileen WeisingerDEA Agent – Public Storage
Keii JohnstonDEA Agent – Public Storage
Mike WatsonDEA Agent – Public Storage
Kurt D. LottDEA Agent – Public Storage
Lincoln SimondsDEA Agent – Public Storage
Steve TomaskiDEA Agent – Public Storage
Buck McDancerDEA Agent – Public Storage
John CalleryDEA Agent – Public Storage
Ousaun ElamDEA Agent – Public Storage
Brian AveryDEA Agent – Public Storage
Corey SpearsF*****-up Bowman
Majandra DelfinoVanessa
Topher GraceSeth Abrahms
Erika ChristensenCaroline Wakefield
Alec RobertsDavid Ayala
Catherine Zeta-JonesHelena Ayala
Rena SoferHelena’s Friend
Stacey TravisHelena’s Friend
Jennifer BarkerHelena’s Friend
Dean FaulknerParking Valet
Albert FinneyChief of Staff
D.W. MoffettJeff Sheridan
James BrolinGeneral Ralph Landry
Daniella KuhnTourist Woman
Brandon KeenerTourist Man
Bill WeldGovernor Bill Weld
George BlumenthalPartygoer #1
Stephen DunhamLobbyist
Don NicklesSenator Don Nickles
Margaret TravoltaEconomist
Harry ReidSenator Harry Reid
Jeff PodolskyJeff Podolsky
Jewelle BickfordPartygoer #2
Barbara BoxerSenator Barbara Boxer
Orrin HatchSenator Orrin Hatch
Chuck GrassleySenator Charles Grassley
Dave HagerPartygoer #3
Tucker SmallwoodPartygoer #4
Steven BauerCarlos Ayala
Marisol Padilla SánchezAna Sanchez
Amy IrvingBarbara Wakefield
Dennis QuaidArnie Metzger
Clifton Collins Jr.Francisco Flores
Víctor QuinteroSalazar Soldier
Toby HolguinSalazar Soldier
Ramiro GonzálezSalazar Soldier
Viola DavisSocial Worker
James Pickens Jr.Prosecutor Ben Williams
Peter RiegertAttorney Michael Adler
Elaine KaganJudge Reed
John SlatteryADA Dan Collier
Jimmy OrtegaArrested Man in Apartment
Greg BonifaceTackled Man #1
Thomas Rosales Jr.Tackled Man #2
Rudy M. CamachoCustoms Official
Vonte SweetDealer
Ed BrevingHotel Deskman
Yul VazquezTigrillo / Obregón Assassin
Jack ConleyAgent Hughes
Eddie VelezAgent Johnson
Craig N. ChretienDirector of EPIC
John BrownAssistant Director of EPIC
Mike SiegelDEA Representative
Joel TorresPorfilio Madrigal
Stephen J. RoseMarty (as Steve Rose)
Kimber FritzRehab Counselor
Harsh NayyarWitness #1
Mary Pat GleasonWitness #2
Vincent M. WardMan on Street
Benjamin BrattJuan Obregón
Jsu GarciaPablo Obregón
Gregory EstevanePolygraph Administrator
Alex ProcopioPolygraph Assistant
Rita GomezMrs. Castro
Kaizaad KotwalTeacher
David JensenJohn
Jay KrymisWaiter #1
Mike MaloneWaiter #2
Rene PereyraDoctor
Kymberly NewberryPress Secretary
Carroll SchumacherAyala Security #1
Ben ScottAyala Security #2
Michael ShowersMeeting Leader
Fred AndersonTV Reporter
David BickfordStan
Robert Randolph CatonCorporate Businessman
John ChaponCop
Cecile CincoMaid
Adam ClarkFBI Agent
Chic DanielDEA Agent
Sonia DebreczeniReporter
Alan EasleyJunkie
Choel EvansPhotojournalist
Rod FielderNewspaper Photographer
Tony GumaDetective
Valerie HannaWitness #3
Salma HayekRosario
Cathy IronsParty Planner
Elizabeth JaroszHigh School Student
Dominic KoulianosReporter
Zachary LindseyCafe Patron
Meagan LopezCocktail party attendee
Christie McNewRestaurant Patron
Ambrit MillhouseCincinnati Hooker
Ken MiyamotoGuy by Swimming Pool
David PittingerCincinnati Police Officer
Darlynne Reyes MenkinReporter
Lorenzo RodriguezDrug Lord
Christopher RogersBusinessman
Leo RogstadStand-In
Laurent SchwaarArt Appraiser
Joey SotelloDEA Agent / Attorney
William Christopher StephensDrug Dealer
Lynn StruiksmaClown
John Michael StubbinsAttorney
Clyde TullCafe Patron
Fairly TullCafe Patron
Jim Cody WilliamsFBI Agent
Anthony Hawkins WoodsJunkie
Jessica YoshimuraNeighbor
William ‘Shorty’ YoungCourt Room Participant

Sources: imdb & wikipedia

One thought on “Traffic (2000)

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *