Traffic (2000)

The movie is about the war on drugs between the United States and Mexico. Mexico is the major supplier and the drug cartel is controlled by 2 major gangs in the city of Tijuana – the Obregon brothers and the Juarez cartel.

Javier and Manolo are 2 cops in Mexico who are involved in nabbing the drug traffickers. General Salazar secretly works for the Juarez cartel and he uses these 2 cops for his purposes. The DEA is later informed by Javier about Salazar’s involvement in the drug cartel and the general is packed off to prison. Manolo is unfortunately killed by the General’s men after Manolo thinks of informing the DEA. 

Meanwhile, Judge Robert Wakefield is appointed the Drug Czar in the US and he takes a lot of proactive steps to control the situation. But, his daughter Caroline herself is a drug addict. The judge has to keep track of her as well as handle the situation on a country level.  

Ray and Montel are 2 cops who work in the US and they keep a watch on drug dealer Eduardo Ruiz to get hold of the big shots who are involved. One such Carlos Ayala is arrested and Ruiz agrees to testify against him. Helena is the pregnant wife of Carl and she takes all possible steps to free her husband and she succeeds in the end. Ruiz is killed just before he goes to testify.

The judge understands that this war is too tough to tackle on a macro level when his own near and dear ones are involved.

Hits

• Multilayered, many characters and seamlessly integrated. Very complex yet gripping stuff
• The issue that is being addressed is very critical and the movie is highly detailed.
• The camera is very jerky and symbolizes the chaos on the streets of Mexico.
• The ensemble cast is terrific be it Michael Douglas as the high profile judge who has many problems to tackle, Don Cheadle as the strong bald cop who handles Ruiz, Benicio Del Toro as the honest Mexican cop, the hugely voluptuous Catherine Zeta Jones as the pregnant wife who goes to any lengths to save her husband etc. All the other characters like cop Manolo, drug addicts Seth and Caroline, cop Ray and Eduardo Ruiz are very realistically performed.

Comments

• Salma Hayek has the most minuscule role possible.

VERDICT

A critical issue beautifully addressed by Steven Soderbergh. One of the landmark movies on the war against drugs. 

Snatch (2000)

Another "chain reaction" movie from Guy Ritchie where there are a lot of characters and one action leads to the other, leading to a classy climax.

Here a diamond is the bone of contention and people like 'Franky Four Fingers', Avi, 'Bullet Tooth Tony', the Russian Boris, 3 Negros, Doug etc are involved in this.

Meanwhile, Turkish and Tommy get mixed up with 'Brick Top' over betting in an unlicensed boxing match involving 'Pikey' Mickey. Men like Errol work for 'Brick Top'.

The 2 tales coincide and all the characters are interconnected leading to the climax. As expected, there are lot of deaths and a few men escape with their dear lives as well as get some good fortune in the form of diamonds and money.

Hits

• The non-linear screenplay particularly in the scene when Borris gets banged in the middle of the road by the Negros' car and Bullet Tooth Tony's car crashes due to the milk thrown out from Turkish's car. 
• The dialogs are too hilarious and typically British. The scene when Tony compares the Negros to a dick and 2 balls is outrageously brilliant. 
• Brad Pitt's style of speaking and his lean and mean body. Cult. His fighting scenes are short yet his bare-knuckle punches have high impact.  
• Benicio Del Toro is another man with a totally elegant yet heroic style. He is made for such casual sort of drugged roles. 
• The typical Guy Ritchie elements like jerky camera movements, groovy soundtrack, funky character names, tongue-in-cheek dialogs etc. The man sure has a unique style.  

Comments

• Quite complex and needs undivided attention as with any other Guy Ritchie movie. 

VERDICT

Another complex yet casual affair involving a lot of characters in typical Guy Ritchie style. CLASSIC 

Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (1998)

The Plot
The movie entirely deals with the crazy drug trips that a journalist Duke and his lawyer Dr Gonzo have, while they travel on a road trip from LosAngeles to Las Vegas.

They take all sorts of drugs, acid, alcohol etc etc. and behave in the most crazy manner possible. There is no story plot as such, other than their series of psychedelic escapades.

Hits

• Some amazing acting by Johnny Depp and Benicio Del Toro. They are so natural and it looks as if they have been shot by hidden cameras when they were actually having these drug trips. While the bald Depp is understated and super-cool during his drug trips, Del Toro is totally hyper and boisterous. 
• Such irreverent style of film making that is solely concentrated on the effects on human behavior after taking a truckload of drugs. 

VERDICT

A once in a lifetime cult. Totally unique and daring film-making by Terry Gilliam.