His decision to act as both director and cinematographer here definitely works, as we can feel the work of the film artist throughout. The drama remains intense, but not overly heavy. I sense Altman's sensibility in Soderbergh s ability to weave the various characters together in a tapestry and also sense masters like Hitchcock and Ford in his ability to lighten the tension with touches of necessary humor. Soderbergh also expertly edits and photographs the complex storyline so that we follow the various threads without straining. No matter how well the script reads and how well the director organizes the material, a film can only rise to greatness with some solid acting performances.
Traffic succeeds here as well.
The ensemble acting is well done over all. Douglas forms the human core of the film and the numerous characters all do their part, but two performers do stand out. Expect Benicio Del Toro to receive a lot of recognition for his natural and believable portrayal of a Mexican law officer who attempts to weave the proper path through the complications. Also, Catherine Zeta-Jones turns in a career performance as the innocent wife who turns into a ruthless business head. If they don t receive special attention, credit the movie with creating so many great character performances that are equally well done.