LOSING THE WAR ON DRUGS ONE PERSON AT A TIME

Four Stars

TRAFFIC: Directed by Steven Soderbergh. Produced by Edward Zwick,
Marshal Herskovitz, and Laura Bickford. Written by Stephen Gaghan.
Photographed by Soderbergh. Edited by Stephen Mirrione. Music by
Cliff Martinez. With Michael Douglas, Don Cheadle, Benicio Del Toro,
Luis Guzman, Dennis Quaid, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Steven Bauer, and
Erika Christensen. 147 minutes. Rated R (for pervasive drug content,
strong language, violence, and sexuality). At the Tower East and
Lincoln Square in Manhattan.

In the gripping drug-war drama "Traffic," Steven Soderbergh
accomplishes something few directors can today -- he juggles several
complex story lines and a huge, big-name cast, and makes it all look
effortless.

The film at first seems like one long, beautifully shot public service
announcement for the "Just Say No" campaign. But it eventually reveals
itself as an indictment of the war on drugs.

Soderbergh, also the film's cinematographer, explores the
pervasiveness of drugs -- and the futility of current efforts to stop
them -- through a hyperreality, one that's raw and edgy at times,
dreamy and almost hallucinatory at others.

Nevertheless, he and screenwriter Stephen Gaghan make it all achingly
real -- not one moment of this 147-minute film feels forced or fake.

They put a face on the drug war by following richly detailed
characters in three intertwined plots:

Tijuana cops Javier Rodriguez (Benicio Del Toro) and Manolo Sanchez
(Jacob Vargas) work the U.S.-Mexico border, where the authorities are
as dirty as the drug sellers themselves.

Ohio Supreme Court Justice Robert Wakefield (Michael Douglas) is
tapped as the new U.S. drug czar, but he's clueless that his
16-year-old daughter Caroline (Erika Christensen) has a serious habit
of her own.

Drug Enforcement Administration agents Montel Gordon (Don Cheadle) and
Ray Castro (Luis Guzman) try to bring down San Diego drug kingpin
Carlos Ayala (Steven Bauer), whose very pregnant wife, Helena
(Catherine Zeta-Jones), has no idea what her husband does for a living.

The film's sheer enormity is impressive. Add to that Soderbergh's
enthralling visual style. He shot the film as if it were a
documentary, hurtling us to the front lines of the drug war using
handheld cameras. We are running with the drug agents along the border
- -- there's a tangible sense of immediacy.

He differentiates between plots beautifully using bleached, brownish
tones along the Mexican border; bluish hues for the Washington
bureaucrats pushing the anti-drug message, and bright spring colors
for the DEA agents.

"Traffic," based on the British 1980s miniseries "Traffik," also works
in the small details. Cameos from U.S. Sens. Orrin Hatch and Barbara
Boxer contribute to the film's authenticity.

But the performances make the film's emotional effect complete. All
are uniformly excellent, but a few stand out.

Douglas surprises again in another low-key role -- different from the
hopeless English professor he played earlier this year in the
excellent "Wonder Boys," and a far cry from the smarmy arrogance his
characters usually exude.

Del Toro is outstanding as always. There is something in his eyes, a
been-there, done-that attitude, that oozes strength and confidence.

And who is this Erika Christensen? She's done some television work
here and there, but her insightful, raw performance should make her a
rising star.

As Caroline's smart-mouthed boyfriend, who gets her hooked on drugs,
Topher Grace from "That '70s Show" is a sporadic and too infrequent
bright spot.

While the whole film packs a punch, Caroline's story is the most
devastating. She starts using drugs recreationally with her rich,
bored friends but quickly delves into the harder stuff. Soon, she's
visiting the seedy part of town, alone, still dressed in her school
uniform, jonesing for a heroin fix. Her deterioration is deeply
troubling to watch.

A side note: If you're looking for sparks between real-life husband
and wife Douglas and Zeta-Jones, forget it. They're not even in the
same story line and never share the screen.

No matter. There's enough here to keep anyone in awe.