REEL CRITICS

‘Cast Away’ leaves indelible impression

“Cast Away” is a cleverly woven work. Each of the segments

isseamlessly segued to the big picture.

Chuck Noland (Tom Hanks) is a work-driven personality. As the movie

opens, he is addressing -- through an interpreter -- Russian workers on

the importance of meeting deadlines and moving packages. The Federal

Express employee comes across as a motivational speaker who believes his

words.

Back in Memphis, his girlfriend, Kelly Frears (Helen Hunt), is working

at Fed Ex while completing college classes that will give her an entre to

professional ranks.

She is patient and forgiving as they exchange gifts at the airport on

Christmas Eve. He is flying out, but promises to be home for New Year’s

Eve. Kelly’s gift to Chuck is a family heirloom pocket watch from her

grandfather, a railroad conductor, with her picture inside.

Chuck reluctantly gets on the plane, heading for a routine

trouble-shooting mission. With little warning of imminent danger, we are

exposed to the most frightening airplane crash sequence I’ve ever seen.

Deafening noises, the tumultuous disintegration of a plane, bright light

and darkness designed to evoke terror in even the most seasoned traveler.

The rubber raft is deployed and, with Chuck aboard, it washes up on a

sandy beach on a remote island in the Pacific.

Chuck deals with the reality of his plight day by day -- what to eat

and drink, and how to survive until he is rescued.

The filmmakers resisted the quick fix and, as we watch, we’re drawn

into the malaise, boredom, frustration and loneliness Chuck is

experiencing. Dealing with a bad tooth, no tools, no light at night and

“Wilson” gives us the heights the human spirit can reach with humor and

hope.

This is a memorable movie and one that you may draw on long after you

leave the theater.

o7 “Cast Away” is rated PG-13 for intense action sequences and some

disturbing images.

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* ELAINE ENGLAND, 65, lives in Newport Beach and owns a gift-basket

business she operates out of her home.

‘Traffic” tells 3 sides of the drug trade

Few problems in America stir as much debate and controversy as the

government’s endless and seemingly futile war on drugs. With “Traffic,”

director Steven Soderbergh has fashioned a riveting and thought-provoking

film that explores all facets of the drug trade in America.

“Traffic” is really three separate movies filmed in three very

different styles, each with its own characters and subplots.

One story focuses on drug users and dealers at all levels of the

trade, from gritty inner city slums to mansions with ocean views. Another

examines police officers, honest and corrupt, on both sides of the

border. Benicio del Toro is outstanding as Javier Rodriguez Rodriguez,

the Mexican cop bewildered by the moral ambiguities of his job.

The third story line presents the political and personal dilemma of

ultraconservative Judge Wakefield, played well by Michael Douglas. He is

about to become the nation’s new drug czar, even as his teenage daughter

and her wealthy friends fall deeper into their own cocaine and heroin

addictions. Several little-known actors play their roles with depth and

style, adding to the movie’s realistic portrayal of its subject.

Soderbergh deftly weaves the plots of these three overlapping tales

into a unified whole, as the lives of the characters in each story

intertwine and converge. He has created a masterful and intelligent film

that is as complex and compelling as the difficult drug issues he seeks

to illuminate.

A terrific movie that is well-worth seeing and sure to draw attention

at Oscar time.

o7 “Traffic” is rated R for pervasive drug content, strong language,

violence and some sexuality.

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* JOHN DEPKO, 48, is a Costa Mesa resident and a senior investigator

for the Orange County Public Defender’s Office.