Traffic
raises one burning question: Does anyone know a good film
editor? At 90 minutes, this could have been a very good film. At 2
hours, it would have still been good. But coming in at 2 hours, 42
minutes, this movie is mediocre. The story has three separate stories
about drugs and drug trafficking. One story focuses on the mexican
side of the border, with warring cartels and corrupt police. One focuses
on the arrest of a Los Angeles drug kingpin and his wife's (Catherine
Zeta-Jones) attempts to get him out of jail. The third tells the story
of a top federal drug enforcement official (Douglas) and the problems
he has close at home with his own daughter.
While some reviewers
have labeled this picture Oscar material, I thought some of the very
obvious and familiar situations reminded me more of a bad TV movie
of the week. For example, without giving away too much, in one scene
the police are protecting a crucial witness before the drug kingpin's
trial. It's the morning of his testimony. He's sitting in his protected
hotel room with two police officers. There's a knock at the door and
his breakfast is delivered. He eats the breakfast. Is there ANY doubt
at all what happens next? C'mon.
—
marty
