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(out of 5)

Steven Soderbergh has outdone himself with this grand epic about the multi-tiered drug industry in the United States. The script by Stephen Gaghan seamlessly ties together three stories about innocent people caught up in the criminal world of narcotic abuse: Michael Douglas has recently been appointed as drug czar of the US government, only to find out along with his wife (Amy Irving) that his daughter is an addict; Benicio Del Toro is a Mexican cop who stumbles upon an operation that threatens his and his colleagues’ safety; Catherine Zeta-Jones is a wealthy pregnant housewife who finds out her husband (Steven Bauer) is not the honest businessman she thought he was but one of the biggest drug smugglers on the continent. Uniformly impeccable performances by all from the biggest to the small, with Del Toro standing out as the most amazing of them all (for most of us the movie is all about him!).

Germany/USA, 2000

Directed by Steven Soderbergh

Screenplay by Stephen Gaghan, based on the miniseries Traffik by Simon Moore

Cinematography by Steven Soderbergh

Produced by Laura Bickford, Marshall Herskovitz, Edward Zwick

Music by Cliff Martinez

Production Design by Philip Messina

Costume Design by Louise Frogley

Film Editing by Stephen Mirrione

Film Festivals:  Berlin 2001

The Criterion Collection

Cast Tags:  Albert Finney, Alec Roberts, Alex Procopio, Amy Irving, Andrew Chavez, Barbara Boxer, Beau Holden, Ben Scott, Benicio Del Toro, Benjamin Bratt, Bill Weld, Brandon Keener, Brian Avery, Buck McDancer, Carl Ciarfalio,Carroll Schumacher, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Charles Grassley, Clifton Collins Jr., Corey Spears, Craig N. Chretien, D.W. Moffett, Daniella Kuhn, Dave Hager, David Jensen, Dean Faulkner, Dennis Quaid, Don Cheadle,Don Nickles, Don Snell, Ed Breving, Eddie Velez, Eileen Weisinger, Elaine Kagan, Emilio Rivera,Enrique Murciano, Eric Collins, Erika Christensen, Gary Carlos Cervantes, George Blumenthal, Gilbert Rosales,Greg Boniface, Gregory Estevane, Harry Reid, Harsh Nayyar, Jack Conley, Jacob Vargas, James Brolin, James Lew, James Pickens Jr., Jay Krymis, Jeff Podolsky, Jennifer Barker, Jeremy Fitzgerald, Jewelle Bickford, Jimmy Ortega, Joel Torres, John Brown, John Callery, John Slattery, Jose Yenque, Jsu Garcia, Kaizaad Kotwal, Keii Johnston, Kimber Fritz, Kurt D. Lott, Kymberly Newberry, Leticia Bombardier, Lincoln Simonds,Lorene Hetherington, Luis Guzmán, Majandra Delfino, Margaret Travolta, Mario Roberts, Marisol Padilla Sánchez, Mary Pat Gleason, Michael Douglas, Michael O’Neill, Michael Saucedo,Michael Showers, Miguel Ferrer, Mike Malone, Mike Siegel, Mike Watson, Orrin G. Hatch, Ousaun Elam, Peter Riegert, Peter Stader, Ramiro González, Rena Sofer, René Pereyra, Rick Avery, Rita Gomez, Rudy M. Camacho, Russell G. Jones, Russell Solberg, Salma Hayek, Stacey Travis, Stephen Dunham, Stephen J. Rose, Steve Tomaski, Steven Bauer, Steven Lambert, Thomas Rosales Jr., Toby Holguin, Tomas Milian, Topher Grace, Tucker Smallwood, Víctor Quintero,Vincent M. Ward, Viola Davis, Vonte Sweet, Yul Vazquez

Academy Awards
Best Actor in a Supporting Role (Benicio Del Toro as “Javier Rodriguez”)
Best Directing (Steven Soderbergh)
Best Film Editing (Stephen Mirrione)
Best Writing (Screenplay based on Material Previously Produced or Published) (Stephen Gaghan)

Nomination
Best Picture (Edward Zwick, Marshall Herskovitz, Laura Bickford, producers)

Golden Globe Awards
Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture (Benicio del Toro)
Best Screenplay (Stephen Gaghan)

Nominations
Best Motion Picture-Drama
Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture (Catherine Zeta-Jones)
Best Director (Steven Soderbergh)

New York Film Critics Awards
Best Film
Best Supporting Actor (Benicio Del Toro)
Best Director (Steven Soderbergh)

Nomination
Best Actor (Benicio Del Toro)

Los Angeles Film Critics Award
Best Director (Steven Soderbergh)

Nominations
Best Supporting Actor (Benicio Del Toro)
Best Cinematography (Steven Soderbergh)

National Society of Film Critics Awards
Best Supporting Actor (Benicio Del Toro)
Best Director (Steven Soderbergh)

Nominations
Best Film
Best Screenplay (Stephen Gaghan)
Best Cinematography (Steven Soderbergh)

National Board Of Review Awards
Best Director (Steven Soderbergh)
Top Ten Films

Berlin Film Festival Award
Silver Berlin Bear-Best Actor (Benicio Del Toro)

Screen Actors Guild Awards
Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role (Benicio Del Toro)
Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture

Writers Guild Award
Best Adapted Screenplay

Directors Guild Award Nomination
Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Motion Pictures (Steven Soderbergh)

British Academy Awards
Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role (Benicio Del Toro)
Best Screenplay – Adapted

Nominations
Best Editing
David Lean Award for Direction (Steven Soderbergh)

Cesar Award Nomination
Best Foreign Film

Toronto Film Critics Awards
Best Director (Steven Soderbergh)
Best Performance, Male (Benicio Del Toro)

Nomination
Best Picture

Boston Film Critics Award Nomination
Best Director (Steven Soderbergh)