1. It is rare these days that a picture expects something from its audience. In a sense, Traffic is give and take; the viewer will get as much from the film as he or she is willing to put into the experience.
2. Three words: Benicio Del Toro. If there is an Oscar-worthy performance here, it's his. Hopefully this film will make him respected as more than just "the mumbling Mexican guy from The Usual Suspects."
3. The sheer size of this film is incredible. It was filmed at 110 locations and features 135 speaking parts.
4. Unlike most movies that rely on star power, the strength of Traffic is in its script and attention to detail. Though there are some big names (Michael Douglas, Dennis Quaid, etc.), no single character dominates the film. The genius lies in the film itself, not the Tom Cruise-esque box office draw.
5. Traffic is far greater than the sum of its parts. I mean, would Cast Away and Erin Brokovich warrant the kind of buzz they are receiving if they did not feature two of the biggest stars in Hollywood?
6. Steven Soderbergh avoids what would have run this movie into the shitter by keeping the three related tales at a safe distance from one another. I was afraid that the end would feature Douglas, Catherine Zeta-Jones, and Del Toro standing around together in one unifying climax.
7. The ending doesn't suck. This might sound like a requirement that all directors and screen-writers should follow, but anyone who saw Unbreakable will know this is not always the case.
8. The film fears nothing; it's not afraid to leave things hanging or laugh in the face of "the war on drugs." Maybe most importantly, there are times when it does not shy away from documentary-style filming when big-budget Hollywood shots would have appeased the audience.
9. Traffic is strong enough that you probably won't notice that Zeta-Jones can't act a lick.
10. If my first nine reasons have not convinced you yet, odds are this one won't either--unless it involved Katie Holmes getting topless. Traffic is damn good. See it, you must.
