Upon being granted direction of the Office of National Drug Control Policy, the judge discovers that leading the war on drugs entails more politicking and complications than one could ever dream. Subsequently she has to engage in harsh yet necessary actions to keep her family from harm. In attempting to do right by himself and his idea of law, he simultaneously attempts to survive the shifty entanglements between Mexico's law enforcement and drug cartels. In doing so Rodriguez finds himself caught between a Mexican general trying to wipe out the Tijuana cartel his own way and DEA agents trying to get Rodriguez to go to work for American drug enforcement. While these details might seem somewhat intricate for an initial idea of the plot, they merely embody the basic details of this celluloid epic.
Any further information ruins one of the appeals of the film's surface structure.
Relying on scarce character intersection, the fractured narrative allows for the distinct and equal treatment of these characters and their stories. No one character becomes a central protagonist or hero in the Hollywood sense. The filmmakers give the audience enough respect to enjoy the multi-layered characters and to make connections on its own between those characters. Performances leave nothing to be desired. Michael Douglas provides a determined yet controlled performance as a man pulled in opposite directions by occupational and familial duties.