Intermission: Soderbergh dilivers truth about drugs in 'Traffic'

"Traffic"

Directed by: Steven Soderbergh

Starring: Michael Douglas, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Benicio Del Toro

Rated: R

I'm not sure if director Steven Soderbergh ever gets his due.

He's broken a lot of cinematic ground, starting with his first film, "sex, lies and videotape," and continuing through his latest effort, "Traffic." In between he's given us films as diverse as "Erin Brockovich" and "The Limey."

Soderbergh never seems to get bogged down in any kind of "style" and continues to make films that are well-crafted, tell a good story and always feature the finest talent available.

He's a director who always seems to get his vision on the screen, and that's probably the best anyone can hope for when working in Hollywood.

"Traffic" is a prime example of Soderbergh's talent as a storyteller. It's a complex, sprawling piece of work, and one that demands constant attention.

The rewards for your trouble are worth every second, and this is the most socially conscious movie to be released in the last decade.

It tells the truth, however uncomfortable the truth may be.

Everyone knows that drugs are stupid. Everyone also knows that everyone else does them. Such is the way of the world, and it's never going to change.

Sen. Orrin Hatch plays himself here, and several other politicians do the same. Hatch said he was glad to be a part of something coming out of Hollywood with such an anti-drug message, but one gets the feeling he probably didn't read the entire script.

Soderbergh's message is one that states the obvious: The war on drugs is every bit as inefficient as Prohibition.

The screenplay is written in three distinct parts that intertwine in the overall scheme of the film.

Story one concerns the police and drug lords just south of the border. Story two revolves around a businessman who has been making a few extra dollars on the side importing drugs. Story three concerns the newly appointed drug czar and his teenage daughter.

All of the pieces fit together nicely and add up to a film that makes a statement stronger than anything that has come out of Hollywood in quite a while.

Michael Douglas, as the drug czar, has the most prominent role, but Benicio Del Toro, as a small time Mexican cop, and Catherine Zeta-Jones, as the unsuspect-ing wife of a seemingly legitimate businessman, do a great deal to help move the story along.

Zeta-Jones' character in particular is one that will seem familiar in real life but rare in the usual Hollywood scheme of events.

She plays a woman who will do whatever it takes to survive, even if that means diving into a world she knows nothing about.

She's also eight months pregnant, and Soderbergh does nothing to hide the fact. A lot of actresses would probably insist on shooting around the obvious, but Zeta-Jones and her character wear the pregnancy proudly.

It adds a lot of realism to the role.

"Traffic" is an uncomfortable experience, but Soderbergh seems to realize the truth, no matter how bitter a pill, is something that film can occasionally get us to swallow.

Released just in time for consideration at the upcoming Academy Awards, "Traffic" is one of the standout films of a somewhat dissappointing year.

(Jim Wunderle works at Associated Video Producers and is a Springfield free-lance writer and musician.)