Traffic is a 2000 crime drama film directed by Steven Soderbergh and written by Stephen Gaghan. The film features an ensemble cast including Michael Douglas, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Don Cheadle, Benicio del Toro, and Luis Guzmán.
The movie follows multiple storylines that are interconnected through the common theme of the war on drugs. The first storyline centers on Robert Wakefield (Douglas), who has been appointed as the new head of the Office of National Drug Control Policy. Wakefield is a conservative judge who is determined to win the war on drugs, but his mission becomes personal when he discovers that his daughter Caroline (Erika Christensen) is a cocaine addict.
The second storyline focuses on Javier Rodriguez (Del Toro), a Mexican police officer who has been assigned to work with an American DEA agent (Cheadle) to track down a drug cartel responsible for smuggling drugs into the United States. During their investigation, Javier discovers corruption within the police force and is forced to make a difficult decision about whether to testify against a powerful general who is in league with the cartel.
Meanwhile, in San Diego, wealthy socialite Helena Ayala (Zeta-Jones) discovers that her husband (Steven Bauer) is a drug kingpin and has been arrested by the DEA. Helena is forced to confront her sheltered life and learn about her husband's ruthless business in order to protect her luxurious lifestyle.
The film masterfully weaves together these different storylines to expose the complexities and contradictions of the war on drugs. It highlights the futility of government efforts to stop drug trafficking while showing the devastating impact of drug abuse on individuals and families. Traffic won four Academy Awards, including Best Director for Soderbergh, and Best Supporting Actor for Del Toro.