Human Traffic (1999)

I'm giving this a 10 because I seriously love this movie. I've seen far better, more profound plots, better acting etc. - but then again, I forgot about most of them. Yet Human Traffic is one of those movies that stuck with me. The movie is just pure fun and a look at what life is like for a rather sizable amount of young adults struggling with how to deal with a life dictated by a shitty job, which is, let's face it, the harsh reality for most people on the planet. The Answer is simple: go out on the weekends, go nuts, party and forget for the moment. Drugs play a prominent role in this one as well of course, but I wonder why people that didn't like the film get all cranky about it. It wasn't the main plot point unlike in Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, which is hailed as a cult classic. Last time I came around to watch it I saw it completely sober (not even a sip of beer) together with a friend and I thoroughly enjoyed it and was somewhat envious of the fun the actors were successfully conveying. So no worries, you need not be high or drunk to enjoy this movie, as some suggest in the discussions. And afterwords I wanted to go out and dance and party so badly. It had a really energizing effect on me. Yet sadly, it was a Sunday...All in all, it's one of those movie's that people easily put down, cause it doesn't seem like much. But perhaps you're like me and it sticks with you, in a good way. It's worth a try. Oh and if you get the chance to watch this on a Friday, sitting together with friends before you got out, getting drunk, so you don't need to pay so much in the club(s), PLEASE DO. It'll most DEFINITELY get you in the right mood ;)

Five best friends deal with their relationships and their personal demons during a nineties weekend. Jip calls himself a sexual paranoid, afraid he's impotent. Lulu, Jip's mate, doesn't find much to fancy in men. Nina hates her job at a fast food joint, and her man, Koop, who dreams of being a great hip-hop d.j., is prone to fits of un-provoked jealousy. The fifth is Moff, whose family is down on his behaviour. Starting Friday afternoon, with preparations for clubbing, we follow the five from Ecstacy- induced fun through a booze-laden come-down early Saturday morning followed by the weekend's aftermath........I love this movie, I was twenty two when the film was released, big into house music, and clubs, and I was the target demographic for this movie, and out of the thousands of films I have seen in my life,Mathis is one of those rare films that I an bias about, and everything in this film is perfect.Because I'm bias with this film, its not in my top 25 of all time, because that's unfair,mi love this film for its nostalgic value, every time I watch it, it takes me back to my halcyon days, before I had yet to worry about the struggles of life, but at the same time thinking about my future.The characters my be a little two dimensional, but you can relate to them, because they have so little to worry about, they have major issues over nothing.But subliminally, the film does hint to you the dangers of drugs and alcohol. Yes, the music is great, yes, being under the influence can make you feel more confident, but look at the problems of the five characters. Impotency, Paranoia, Unemployment, Trusting issues, and of course, laziness.All of the characters problems contra-indications to 'having it large', so while the film appears to be glamourising the use of intoxicating substances, it's still warning the viewers against the dangers.The film is never boring,with some wonderful cameos from the land of clubs and drugs, and it just feels like you are there, because at one time, you have been.Essential viewing if you were a clubber in the nineties.....

Well, since I'm a beginner raver and read some good commentaries about this film, I decided to give it a try. "Human Traffic" is a movie with a simple story: friends who like to party, have sex and use drugs. Some people told me it's movie is focused on drug using, but actually there are only a few scenes involving this. Filmmakers try to show what it's like to do what these five friends do, which delivers some funny moments that sometimes the spectator can relate. Other fun situation is the guy who is afraid to have to whitewash the reason he can't get an erection-- which is one of the most uncomfortably moments in a man's life. It is comforting to see in the end he has one of the best sex in his life, because only we men can understand the big problem he was dealing with hahaha. In the end, this isn't a refreshing movie with strong subject or anything, but maybe a n entertaining teen movie.

"The Best Movie of the 90's" "The Welsh Trainspotting"....Aye, right! I went into this movie with pretty high expectations, and it was all downhill from there.This movie was supposed to be this archetypal movie on the drug culture of the early 90's, and was going to allow us all to see inside this scene, and shatter the media's preconceptions following the moral panic which followed the death of Leah Betts in 1995. Unfortunately it has fallen a long way short. Where Trainspotting was able to treat you like an adult on the subject, and potential problems that surround drugs, this just provided us with some schmaltzy tale of the wonder of drugs, and how it can like, you know, like totally open your mind. Cue some guff about Bill Hicks, and Howard Marks ad nausea. It is painfully bad at times. I mean, the scene at the end between Lulu and her Auntie actually made me laugh out loud.Now maybe I am just a cynic, but the way Jip leads us through this tale is like listening to THAT Acid frazzled guy you once met at a house party, who talks to you about how "the man" is holding us back, and how Acid has released him from the strains of modern society. You just wanna shake some sense into him, and ask him to leave the premises.The script was a real problem for me, because where Trainspotting had Irvine Welsh's excellent book to cite from, this is written and directed by Justin Kerrigan. The words "Jack of all trades, master of none" come to mind. You can see where his inspiration comes from, particularly in the style of narration from main character Jip (which sets the main character in a social situation where he speaks directly to the camera, and outlines what is going through his mind as the scenario plays out) The problem with this is that some of the speeches to camera are just painful to watch. Mainly this comes down to a lack of empathy for Jip, but they are so desperate to sound philosophical that they just end up sounding like your average A-Level drama project. The direction is fine, and the intentions are good, but it is so lacking in any integrity that you start to wonder what the hype is about.Saying that though, it is not all bad. There are moments which are genuinely very amusing, and entertaining. Moff is the highlight of the movie for me. For an independent movie it also managed to attract a high numbers of quality British actors/actresses, which maybe outlines why there was such a buzz about the movie.Best movie of the 90's? Not by a long shot, but if you're looking for a solid Sunday night movie, then this might just be your bag. Inevitably though, the movie is flawed by the hype that surrounds it.