Drug movies usually fall into two categories: the kind that strives desperately to teach you a lesson and the kind that tries to illustrate the effects of drugs in the weirdest way possible. “Traffic,” thankfully, is neither. Sometimes its good for a Hollywood writer to get off his high-horse and just create a story that doesnt necessarily have any moral lessons for the audience to learn; one where you dont come away feeling like having just attended the taping of a corny after-schoolspecial. “Traffic,” written by Stephen Gaghan, focuses on Americas escalating war on drugs and the futility of the whole practice. The film plays out in intertwining vignettes. The three stories that comprise themovie are woven together with an intriguing uniqueness. “Traffic” begins with the story of a police officer (superbly played by Benicio del Toro) in Tijuana struggling with his job in the center ofdrug trafficking from Mexico to the United States. Hes caught betweenjust being an honest guy, determined to stay alive and just do his job, and hes tempted by the profitableness of (dishonest) law enforcement. Then comes the tale of common housewife Helen Ayala (playedwith annoying insipidness by Catherine Zeta-Jones). With a husband that has been charge with drug trafficking, Ayala struggles to take over the business that was hidden from her, desperate to keep living the lifestyle that she’s become accustomed to, all the while being pursued by DEAagents Montel Gordon (Don Cheadle) and Ray Castro (Luis Guzman). And finally, the story of Robert Wakefield (Michael Douglas), an Ohio judge who is appointed to head a committee on drug enforcement, who ironically, has a teenage daughter (played wonderfully by EricaChristensen) who is hooked on heroin. While hes busy trying to save the rest of the youth of America on drugs he soon realizes the only war to be waged is the one in his own house, as his daughter spirals out of control. The twists and turns and fascinating sets of characters go on and on. The two performances that stood out were from Benicio del Toro(easily one of the best actors in Hollywood) and surprisingly, Erika Christensen. Both turned in a riveting performance. Del Toro goes through a wide spectrum of emotions here. His best supporting actor Golden Globe was WELL deserved and I urge everyone to go and see every movie that Del Toro has made (except Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas–but thats a different story). Each story is distinguished visually in an interesting way. Director Steven Soderbergh also served as the cameraman, filming the movie with a handheld camera, making it different from the traditional Hollywood epic. Different colors and textures were used to film the three separate stories, giving a distinct flavor to each one. The action in Tijuana takes place on a yellow, grainy background, evoking the feel of the desert. The confusion surrounding Robert Wakefield is shown in dark, cold blues, lending an emotionless texture to the action. Technically, this film probably goes against everything Soderberghlearned in film school. It combines the traditional elements of Hollywood with that of independent filmmaking, and the result is amazing. The choppy,handheld camerawork, no music and the graininess to the film will either turnpeople off or make them appreciate what the film stands for and how effectively the message was conveyed. “Traffic” is a film that doesnt pretend to have the answers. Its definitely not a “feel good” film and in its own way, you have to respect that. It portrays a gritty reality in an enthralling fashion. Soderbergh doesnt moralize, and he doesnt treat his characters as anything but human beings. Its great to just take in a story that doesnt try to tell you what to think, or how to feel. All thats there is the facts, and when presented in such its in-your-face manner, makes for a pretty exciting movie experience.