# Question about the movie TRAFFIC **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 10, 2002, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-the-movie-traffic/141872 "2002-12-10T22:55:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2002, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-the-movie-traffic/141872/1 "2002-12-10T22:55:07Z")
I just watched TRAFFIC and I have a question about Benicio Del Toro’s character, Rodriguez. Is he gay? I ask this because 1- he knows where to find Frankie Flowers 2- his comment “we all have our vices” 3- he has no female love interest in the movie ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2002, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-the-movie-traffic/141872/2 "2002-12-11T02:24:22Z")
It’s not made explicit either way. He could know Frankie’s whereabouts from Salazar’s folder with the surveillance photo and Manolo knows about Frankie’s sexuality - “Do you know who Frankie Flowers is? He’s a psycho-cokehead-hitman. A faggot.” After capturing Frankie Javier actually says to Salazar - “Everybody has a weakness.” After Salazar and Madrigal are caught he visits Rosario. So, who knows. ---
**Author:** ![SlickRoenick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e68b1a/32.png) [@SlickRoenick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SlickRoenick)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2002, 4:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-the-movie-traffic/141872/3 "2002-12-11T04:33:44Z")
I could’nt stay awake long enough to remember any names. I fell asleep in theatres and twice at home trying to watch this movie. ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2002, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-the-movie-traffic/141872/4 "2002-12-11T15:15:51Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Muldoon III \* > \*\*I could’nt stay awake long enough to remember any names. I fell asleep in theatres and twice at home trying to watch this movie. \*\* I hate to sound like somebody who thinks “if it’s foreign, it must be better”, because I don’t feel that way at all, BUT---- if you ever get a chance to see the BBC miniseries TRAFFIC is based on, see it. It will definitely keep your interest- it’s several times the story and it doesn’t feel the need for artistic camera shots or as much expository preaching. ---
**Author:** ![Young\_Mr.Grace](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/e47c2d/32.png) [@Young\_Mr.Grace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Young_Mr.Grace)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2002, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-the-movie-traffic/141872/5 "2002-12-11T15:35:18Z")
[hijack] Did anyone else notice that the locations in the movie were color-coded? Everything in Mexico is yellow. Washington is a blue area, and I think another place was green. Just about made me go colorblind watching this movie. [/hijack] ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Some\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ad7895/32.png) [@Just\_Some\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Some_Guy)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2002, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-the-movie-traffic/141872/6 "2002-12-11T16:26:37Z")
Yeah the miniseries is good, but the “artistic camera shots” were to divide the story threads and I thought as a device it worked really well. It wasn’t the locations that were color coded as Young Mr. Grace says, but the stories. ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2002, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-the-movie-traffic/141872/7 "2002-12-11T16:47:58Z")
Speaking of Young Mister Grace, I felt sorry for Topher Grace (talented actor who will hopefully get a really demanding role one day) having to give a “what’s wrong with America’s war on drugs in 2 minutes or less” exposition, then Miguel Ferrer (is he Jose Ferrer’s son or clone? they’re identical) delivers a similar diatribe later as do other characters… really awkward exposition scenes bothered me more than the mood ring cinematography. ---
**Author:** ![MovieMogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2002, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-the-movie-traffic/141872/8 "2002-12-11T17:33:07Z")
> [@](#): > > I hate to sound like somebody who thinks “if it’s foreign, it must be better”, because I don’t feel that way at all, BUT---- if you ever get a chance to see the BBC miniseries TRAFFIC is based on, see it. [nitpick] The title of the miniseries is actually [Traffik](http://us.imdb.com/Title?0096716)[/nitpick] I never considered the OP but I don’t see why not, from what I recall… ---
**Author:** ![monster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ab992/32.png) [@monster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monster)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2002, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-the-movie-traffic/141872/9 "2002-12-11T17:41:40Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Sampiro \* > \*\*then Miguel Ferrer (is he Jose Ferrer’s son or clone? they’re identical) \*\* I think he is the son of Jose and Rosemary Clooney.