About the many steps in the thorny chain of drug dealing, "Traffic" follows the route of those involved in the movement—or thwarting—of illegal drugs. From the high school kid who does it, to her dealer, to his supplier, to the sources in Mexico. On the other side of it is the country's new "drug czar," the DEA agents, and the Tijuana police officer who straddles the fence. This excellent film, based on the U.K.'s Channel 4 Television program "Traffik" created by Simon Moore won Oscars® for its director, Steven Soderbergh, supporting actor, Benecio Del Toro, screenplay and film editing. Watch for cameos by California State Senator Barbara Boxer. (Laurie Sevano)
Special features include a 19-minute behind-the-scenes featurette Inside Traffic with cast insights, a photo gallery, the teaser, theatrical and German trailers, and TV spots.
As intended by the filmmakers, the stylized VC-1-encoded 1.85:1 HD DVD picture features differing color schemes depending on the location. The entire presentation is void of highly resolved fine details. (Danny Richelieu)
The Dolby® Digital Plus 5.1-channel soundtrack is not overly exciting, although bass is delivered well through each of the channels, although the noise floor is low, dialogue and effects are generally well recorded, and the sound matches the storytelling nicely. (Danny Richelieu)