TRAFFIK

US, 2018, 96 minutes, Colour.

Paula Patton, Omar Epps, Laz Alonzo, Roselyn Sanchez, Missi Pyle, Luke Goss, William Fichtner.

Directed by Deon Taylor.

Traffic is an action drama, stating that is based on a true story, an expose of the abduction and trafficking of women in the US and beyond, but presented in the form of a thriller rather than documentary.

The setting is northern California, Sacramento and the countryside beyond.

The central character is Brea, played by Paula Patton (who also produced the film). She is a journalist out to prove herself. She is in a relationship with John (Omar Epps), and friends with another couple. John is about to propose to Brea and they go to a mansion used by their friends, Darren a sports promoter with the house to entertain guests.

There is an incident on the way to the house, a desperate woman accosting Brea at the service station, Brea finding that the woman had put her phone in her bag, revealing photos of abused women and international phone numbers.

Then the action starts, the locals, in cahoots with the local sheriff, Missi Pyle as a hard woman, confront the group, shoots the distraught woman, set up a confrontation – with the men killed, one of the women abducted, Brea escaping then caught, injected, imprisoned.

However, she escapes, is able to contact her writer friend in Sacramento and, as the sheriff thinks she has captured Brea, the FBI and reinforcements arrive.

There are a number of adverse comments, critical of the improbabilities of some of the action and decisions – which suggests there that would be very interesting dialogue if the criticisers were to explain how they would have acted given these dire circumstances and split second timing!

1. The title? Based on a true story? An expose of trafficking women in the US, internationally? Message in the form of a thriller?
2. The Sacramento settings, the city, the newspaper? Countryside, small towns, the mansion? The tunnel for the traffic women? The musical score?
3. The introduction to Brea, journalist, writing articles, her byline, historical references, discussions with the editors? Her relationship with John, going to Darren’s mansion, the interlude in the town, in the shop, the worried woman, the encounter in the toilet, the phone in the bag? Bumping the man in the shop, his apology, his later revelation and menace?
4. John, mechanic, the car, his skills, love for Brea? Friendship with Darren, the dinner, Darren’s insensitivity? Malila and her friendship? The revelation about the sexual incident? Brea forgiving? The arrival of Darren and Mlila? Malila upset, her leaving, later found trapped with the trafficked women?
5. Examining the woman’s phone, the desperate photos of the abused women, the international phone numbers?
6. The attack on the house, the woman requesting her phone back, the men, shooting the woman? Strategies, Darren and his skills in marketing and negotiations, pulling the gun, his being shot?
7. John and Brea, in the house, the siege, the garage door, into the woods? The pursuit, hiding, John found, killed?
8. The role of the sheriff, the phone calls, her shooting her Deputy, her place in the trafficking ring? A hard woman?
9. Brea on her own, hiding, the threats, captured, into the truck, the injection, finding the leader? The metal piece, stabbing the man attempting an assault, Malila and the injections, injecting the assailant? Brea’s escape?
10. Going to the town, her phone calls to her correspondent at the Sacramento paper, going into the toilet, memories of the past, the finding of the sheriff, her arriving, Brea alarmed, handcuffed, leaving the shop, the arrival of the police and the FBI?
11. Brea, taunting the sheriff as betraying women? The journalist and warning her that she would be under attack and, perhaps, pursuit?
12. The final statistics about abductions of women and trafficking in the US, throughout the world?