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A look at the Final Cut of Soderbergh's TRAFFIC!!!
Hey folks... TRAFFIC is a film that I'm dying to see how Soderbergh sculpted from the much longer version of the film I saw much earlier this year. It seems that with each cut he's lost about 15 minutes (even adding new scenes as I've heard rumored) and the film has become a lean mean powerful narrative film. As I originally saw it, it contained MANY Oscar worthy performances by actors and technicians and it is my belief that Soderbergh will slam dunk this one with immense power. You will love... LOVE BENICIO DEL TORO in this film. He is... genius. Here's Fallen Angel with an update on how it is... in its final form. HERE YA GO......
Hey all, Fallen Angel here with a review of the final release print of
TRAFFIC. Last night, I was lucky enough to sneak into the first NY press
screening of the final release print of Traffic. Having read earlier reviews
of rougher cuts, I was both eager and anxious about seeing the final film.
Not only was I not disappointed, I was blown away. The film more than
delivers on every level and is certainly a lock for Best Picture of the year.
Soderbergh has been on an astonishing roll, demonstrating exceptional
versatility in his choice of genres and tremendous agility in balancing
artistry with entertainment. He's been America's most consistently brilliant
and unpredictable filmmaker for the last decade, and Traffic is the
culminating work of his career. First and foremost, it's a richly
entertaining epic that recalls the great works of the 1970s, when directors
like Robert Altman and Francis Ford Coppola engaged mass audiences with works
of genuine substance. Soderbergh works on a larger canvass than he's ever
done before, bouncing several characters and plot-lines against and off each
other, so that images and themes rhyme and echo. Although the subject matter
is drug trafficking, this is not an "issues" movie per se. Instead, it's a
profoundly affecting dramatic thriller where the destructive forces of drugs
cut across different sections of society. What's most impressive about the
direction is how Soderbergh manages to avoid both sentimentalizing and
moralizing about drugs. As with Erin Brockovich, there's a graceful absence
of self-importance and bombast in the presentation. However, this doesn't
mean the film lacks a strong point of view. In the end, it's a grand tragedy
where no easy answers are offered.
Stylistically, this film represents a major breakthrough. Soderbergh shot
the film himself (under the pseudonym Peter Andrews) and Traffic takes all of
his past experiments with color, available light, and hand-held work
light-years beyond The Limey and Out of Sight. He has created a brilliant
style that could best characterized as expressionistic naturalism. His loose
hand-held style lends the film an extremely spontaneous realistic tone, but
the modifications of color amplify the drama. Each storyline has its own
distinct look that accentuates the emotions underlining the film. (The Mexico
story involving Benicio Del Toro is told in earthy saturated yellows, the
story of Michael Douglas and his daughter Erika Christensen is told in an
aquarium blue, while the Catherine Zeta-Jones, Luis Guzman-Don Cheadle story
gets a natural available light look). In addition to being visually striking
and cool in a completely unpretentious manner, Soderbergh's camera technique
transcends mere virtuosity and actually becomes another character in the
film. As usual with Soderbergh, the film is edited with musical verve and
skill, where time is collapsed and expanded, and characters are seen
reflecting on past actions.
I've been remiss in not discussing the acting earlier. This film has an
amazing ensemble cast where everybody is working at the top of their game.
However, Benicio Del Toro definitely stands out with the breakthrough
performance. I don't think it's accidental that the movie begins and ends
with shots of him. He plays Javier Rodriguez, a Mexican police officer caught
in a futile and corrupt system, and it's as compelling of a character as
Michael Corleone. Del Toro is exceptionally relaxed and subtle, keeping his
thoughts and feelings private from the other characters in the films, but
sharing it with the camera. Del Toro navigates the audience through a world
of impossible choices and moral corruption, quietly simmering with intense
conflict just beneath the surface. He's given one crucial scene where the
inner turmoil finally bursts out of him, and it's the most devastating moment
in the film. Benicio's been an indie stalwart for years, but this film should
shoot his stock through the roof. If there's justice in this world, he'll be
rewarded with Best Actor Awards aplenty.
Michael Douglas is also terrific, adding another strong performance to his
gallery of flawed men in power. He shows genuine fear and vulnerability in a
harrowing scene in which he searches for his daughter in a drug dealer's den.
I've never seen Helena Christensen before, but she makes an impressive
debut. She's especially convincing and moving in the scenes where she gets
high. Don Cheadle and Luis Guzman (they should star as a team in every
movie!) are as loose, limber and spontaneous as ever, providing plenty of
comic relief as well as keeping it real. Catherine Zeta-Jones takes a
complete 180 from her past roles and admirably plays against her looks,
appearing very pregnant while thrown into gritty surroundings. Dennis Quaid
is appropriately slimy as a corrupt lawyer.
Anyway, film geeks and anybody else starved for a genuine piece of filmmaking
should breathe a sigh of relief and give thanks that Soderbergh has come to
save the day.
Fallen Angel
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It's unsuprising that Benicio Del Toro is a stand-out. He is definitly one to watch. Fear and Loathing rocks.
Harry Lime -
He wants one of those small gold statues so bad.
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While I'm not even remotely interested in seeing this flick (As the representive of the common non-thinking movie goer), I'm glad it might turn out good despite it's somewhat troubled production (This was the one with Harrison Ford dropping out early on, wasn't it?) Movies with different stories completely seprerate just don't work for me. Hey though, parts were shot right here in Columbus, Ohio, so Yay.
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Del Toro was fantastic in The Usual Suspects, although that piece of crap with Alicia Silverstone did him no favors. Soderbergh is a genius of the High art/ entertainment genre, and strikes the balance quite astoundingly. Hopefully, the academy will give him the recognition he deserves (out of sight was sublime and overlooked), instead of bowing out to some schmaltzy rubbish that no one will remember in years to come (although American Beauty was a worthy winner last year). Can't wait to see this.
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Just commenting on an observation I've made in talk-back (especially on so-called "artistic" directors like Soderbergh).
Every piece of great entertainment is art, and every piece of great art is entertaining, so it's really a non-distinction to say that someone creates both "entertaining" and "artistic" movies. They're just good!
Take "Sixth Sense." Last year, a lot of people said that, while impeccably made, it's not Best Picture material. That's bullshit. The best picture should win Best Picture, not the most serious movie...
And, like that, I'm gone... -
I totally agree, keyser. My point is that Soderbergh manages to reach that difficult hybrid of serious subject-matter and enteratinment in a way that can be accepted by most cinema-goers. Of course the best picture should go to the best picture, but that doesn't always mean it happens. The academy is pretty infamous for some glaring oversights in recent years, and, of course, Traffic should only win if it is a worthy picture. I'm all for entertaining pictures, and so-called "arty" films have a certain stigma attached that screams "don't watch!". But it's bullshit, films are films and should stand or fall on their merits alone. Therefore, I agree whole-heartedly. Did I tell you about the time I was in a barbershop quartet in Skokey, Illinois...
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Nov 23, 2000 4:03:59 AM CST
"America's most consistently brilliant ... filmmaker for the las
by palmer eldritch
I think not, "The Underneath" was rather run of the mill and Kafka, while fun at points was all in all a rather sloppy piece of work, but certainly in h
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It's not that he's not capable and appearantly he did bring a lot of good idea's to this film but do we really want Jack Ryan in a film like this, to be honest Ford has done only great one naturalistic performance and that was in Blade Runner eighteen year's ago.This is probably for the best.
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As one talkbacker pointed out, I too bet that the walking corpse formerly known as Harrison Ford, is kicking himself for dropping this not to be missed film. Tough break there. Very much looking foward to this film.
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As one talkbacker pointed out, I too bet that the walking corpse formerly known as Harrison Ford, is kicking himself for dropping this not to be missed film. Tough break there. Very much looking foward to this film.
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As one talkbacker pointed out, I too bet that the walking corpse formerly known as Harrison Ford, is kicking himself for dropping this not to be missed film. Tough break there. Very much looking foward to this film.
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Nov 23, 2000 4:26:47 AM CST
When visualise this movie in my head I see a kind of kinetic "
by monty python
Soderbergh has always, at least, interested me. Even if I wasn't engaged, I was interested. And that's a fairly subjective thing. He's hit the spot more often than not, so, I'm looking forward to this cuz Stevie's no stranger to Mustard-Cutting.
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BULLSHIT, big great showers of Bullshit. I've watched that guy who tries to light a fart but shits all over himself. Now that was great entertainment but tell me, was it art?
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Soderbergh is from Denmark, in case you forgot. So he's one of the most consistently brilliant EUROPEAN directors (working in the U.S., though).
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I'm Danish, Soderbergh is not. He's all American. That said I am looking forward to this film, a lot! Ford did himself no favors when turning this one down.
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A.I has a VERY cool poster. Nice gesture to put Kubrick's name on the poster as well. Let's hope Spielberg makes the most of the material.
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Baton Rouge to be precise. You know, this information is freely available on the web - maybe you should do some research before you post.
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Baton Rouge to be precise. You know, this information is freely available on the web - maybe you should do some research before you post.
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Baton Rouge to be precise. You know, this information is freely available on the web - maybe you should do some research before you post.
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Baton Rouge to be precise - try researching BEFORE posting
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Soderberg is really churning films out at some speed. Not that that's a bad thing, though, he's class. Benicio del Toro should be a massive star, and it sounds like he'll get a lot of credit for this pic. Oscars for both of them next year?
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Well, certainly not from Denmark. He IS from Baton Rouge, Loisiana (as some others have pointed out). However, his last name is actually Swedish (as myself) because his grandaddy was born in Stockholm and later moved to the US.
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Do your research before you post numb-nuts.
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I saw this film Tuesday. While Soderbergh is obviously a genius in control of a movie that is nearly perfect visually, this film has no soul. No compelling drama or engaging character that an audience can identify with.
While I can see Benicio getting a supporting nod (with a good campaign), I doubt this film will make more than 15 mil and I doubt it will get any further awards.
It just keeps the audience too distant with the pseudo-documentary/political diatribe style. It's very preachy. Requiem is the REAL drug movie this year. -
Nov 23, 2000 12:03:57 PM CST
seriously, how long does it take for harry to get the ---AI--- p
by split_finger21
i'm wondering if it's gonna be a blockbuster or not...
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...was probably thinking of Thomas Vinterberg, the director of THE CELEBRATION. He/she is still an idiot, though.
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Folks, I saw the rough cut of Traffic and I doubt whatever edits Soderbergh made will really help. I agree with the other talk backer that its really not the movie everyone says it is. Yes, it has great direction and performances but the script never transcends its TV roots. They'll tell you it's "70's film" and daring and all that but it's not, as far as I am concerned.
It lacks the depth everyone attributes to it. Frankly I find the drug war an uninteresting topic as there seems to be only so many stories you can get out of it and they've ALL been done before. And never get any more interesting, no matter how you do it. Actually, they're all in Traffic. I can already see Peter Travers cum stained review already. But I'm telling you to make your own judgement. Don't believe the hype, good or bad. Reefer madnees, Man with the Golden Arm, Trainspotting, Requiem for a dream. Just make a sign that says Drugs fuck up your life. We don't need a 2 hour version. At least train spotting was fun. Now way of the Gun. That was a movie. Unbreakable is the true work of pop art this year. That affected me. -
You're all a bunch of ignorant dipshits. NOONE has mentioned the original BBC series "Traffic", which was hands-down the most intriguing film I've ever set eyes upon. Go ahead and spout off about this treacle-covered crap by Sondbergh all you like - it can't hold a candle to the original.
And Harry - I find it highly ironic that you fancy yourself worthy of using British quips/vernacular in your reviews, and then you fail to bring ANY attention to the ORIGINAL 'Traffic'. Get stuffed, you fat bastard. -
Yes, the original series was brilliant. But lighten up! With a director like Soderbergh, actors like Del Toro and Douglas, and source material like that, what's not to love? Would you rather it was made by Bruckheimer and Bay and starred Matt Lillard and Freddie Prinz JR?
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Speaking of this fine film, I looked on Amazon and it says this:....................:
"Release Date: January 1, 2010. You may still order this title. We will ship it to you as soon as it is available.".....heh....
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00004XMUA/imdb-adbox/106-3273555-8208459 -
She is a model that was in Chris Isaak's "Wicked Game" video. She is fine. As for her "especially convincing and moving in the scenes where she gets high", I bet she has had a lot of real life experience with getting high, so it's not much acting. I am looking forward to this movie. Soderbergh deserves the accolades he will get.
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Big difference. Helena actually retired from modeling and became a professional photographer. She's quite good, too (not to mention probably being the most beautiful woman on the planet). As for the Brit below, Harry has mentioned "Traffik" (BBC version) before. Many times. Even suggested that everyone try to get a copy of it. Of course, you could have found this out for yourself with a few seconds research, but it's more fun to come here and and make yourself look like a fucking moron, isn't it? ***** In the "definitely strange" category, check out www.fandom.com/smilinjackruby/ to see a bunch of posters featuring Harry. Weird.
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Yes, I was speaking of it, to point out that maybe this guy had got S. Soderbergh and T. Vintenberg confused, but the post in which it was spoken of seems to have "disappeared". Hey, AICN staffers, can you just look around the office and see if that aging biker looking dude's near one of the computer again!
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I'm sure a supermodel knows how to get high and how to act it. No hitting below the belt kids
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Nov 25, 2000 7:25:59 PM CST
Finally Traffic will be released so Soderbergh can start product
by cruel shoes
Ocean's 11, is strictly backburner material, give me SON OF SCHIZOPOLIS!!!!!!!!!!!!!
nose army,
T.A.S. -
Nov 27, 2000 11:54:53 AM CST
soderbergh definitely is american and this movie rocks...
by tokyodrifter
first off, soderbergh is decidedly american. but the confusion might have come from the fact that he shoots in a very dogma-like style (natural light, hand-held camera, loose improvisatory acting style) though he does make modifications to the color of the light and uses gels, filters etc to give it a more heightened feel.
second, this movie is just awesome. it's really more like the french connection or the godfather (or touch of evil - especially in the way it uses the border and the moral confusion) with shades of short cuts in the way its cut together - than any "drug" movie per se. as far as it being "soulless", i think you're just mistaking a mature, non-sentimental style for lack of emotion. i found it deeply moving and in fact, even more impactful since alot of the heavy emotions sank in after i left the theater.
and i completely felt absorbed by benicio's character & was willing to follow him all the way even if i wasn't always sure what he was up to - but by the end he shows us how much he's had to sacrifice to survive and come out on top.
why do people keep mentioning requiem for a dream as a comparison?? first of all, i was in the camp that was pretty unimpressed with requiem. that movie was more soulless in my book & the direction was so ruthlessly monomaniacal that it ended up dehumanizing the characters and the issue for me. sure, aronofksy can give me a headache and do "fucked-up", but so what?
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Since Usual Suspects, i have been waiting for Benicio Del Toro to move me again. Benicio is the MAN in TRAFFIC! This is an award winning performance and makes up for the fluff he's given us since Suspects.....
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Don Cheadle and Luis Guzman play the roles of DEA agents and partners as if they were doing this shtick for years. The two of them together in this movie make for a hell of a combo and maybe Traffic will be the film that helps break them out of indie mode. Cheadle has been working magic for years and doesn't get the credit he deserves, and soderbergh has given Luis Guzman great opportunities to flex his chops- these guys are good, and are GREAT in traffic.
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The BBC series that this movie is based on will be hard to top. Heartbreaking without being sappy. It actually shows all sides of the story. Julia Ormond was brilliant. If you get an chance please see it.
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Someone posted this on an AOL board... some pretty amazing players and quite an offbeat variety I must add. Can anyone suggest where I can see the BBC production?
Gracias!
--------------------------
TRAFFIC
Soundtrack and Score Information
MUSIC by Cliff Martinez
MUSICIANS
Programming and Orchestrations Jeff Rona
Textural Constructions, Guitar SPLaTTeRCeLL (d. torn)
Guitar Michael Brook
Master of the 4-String Flea
Electric Bassius O' Pheilius Flea appears courtesy of Warner
Bros. Records
Electric Piano Herbie Hancock
Percussion Alex Acuna
Paulinho Da Costa
Electric Piano Mark Pelsone
Music Mixed by Alan Meyerson
Assistant Engineers Gregg Silk
Kevin Globerman
Synth Recording Tobias Enhus
Contractor David Low
Score Mixed at Media Ventures
Music Consultant Frankie Pine
Soundtrack release date: 01/09/01 on TVT Records
Additional hip tracks by:
Fatboy Slim (Give the Po' Man a Break)
Morcheeba (On the Rhodes Again)
Wilhelm Kempff (Piano Sonata No. 1 in F Minor - Beethoven)
Rockers Hi-Fi (Going Under - K&D Sessions) -
Yeah, you're pretty much on target. The direction is brilliant. Soderbergh gets props for taking a pretty hackneyed script (whoever said it was tv movie level was right, it's chockful of dumb tired cliches esp all that drug counseling crap) and making it not only watchable but pretty startling at times. the direction is so full of restraint, nuance, and style that i forgot how dumb and stale some of the characters and situations were. and yes, benicio del toro is incredible. he really breaks out with this movie. if the movie had only been his story, it would be an unqualified masterpiece. whenever he was on screen and the film was concentrating on the mexico story, i was completely absorbed. but the rest of the stories were just not that special and not even soderbergh's masterful command of the form and ability to juggle the mostly superb cast can transcend the fact that alot of it just doesn't deliver the way you'd hope. michael douglas has never been my favorite actor, but he does do a good job - showing more cracks than usual. but i got tired of watching the scenes where he looks for his daughter like he was stuck in some bad rip-off of paul schrader's hardcore and i agree erika christensen does a nice job getting high. but all those druggie scenes are out of afterschool specials and pablum like 28 days. if you really want to see a film about drug treatment and recovery, check out clean and sober with michael keaton. if you want the definitive drug addiction movie from an addict's pov, gus van sant's drugstore cowboy is still the standard bearer. requiem for a dream is pretentious one-note crap (well skillfully wrought crap) in my book. but to be fair, soderbergh has larger ambitious. he's being more like robert altman cutting and contrasting story lines and letting certain characters and actions resonate elsewhere. and alot of it works beautifully. he deserves incredible respect for the way he shot and edited this flick. it's pretty awe-inspiring. but nothing changes the fact that i didn't give two shits about catherine zeta-jones (either the actress or the character). her story line had zero resonance and didn't transcend the crappy miami vice trappings. don cheadle and luis guzman are so terrific, so fresh and spontaneous that you forget how corny and predicable their story line is. and poor cheadle is left hanging without a satisfying way to wrap up his story line.
don't get me wrong, this is still a damn fine film - about 10 x better than any other american film released this year...the only ones i really digged were high fidelity, george washington, and even almost famous and erin brockovich (though traffic beats that one as far as soderbergh films goes)...the rest tended to be asian ...yi-yi, eureka, gohatto, in the mood for love (the best movie of the year in my book), though i also liked chicken run, time regained & aspects of dancer in the dark (mainly bjork's amazing performance). but soderbergh hasn't really topped himself. the limey and out of sight are still better films than this one, i'm afraid. he's still great and you should definitely see this one, but we'll wait for his true chef d'oeuvre next time...i doubt it will be ocean's 11.
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okay, so it was based on a british tv show, big whooptitydoo (where can we yanks see this show? Is it available through amazon or facets?) No seriously, i heard that the series was awesome & i'd love to see it. but why should that take away from the fact that soderbergh is amazing and has been consistently delivering the goods for the past few years. and the cast sounds pretty cool (can't wait to see del toro, i'm sure he's as good as people say). i saw the trailer and it looked great in my eyes. someone said that half the movie is in spanish with subtitles. that's pretty wild for an american movie. also, that soundtrack sounds kickass. flea and herbie hancock? i'm there!
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