10 Best Benicio Del Toro Movie Performances

Released at the turn of the century, Traffic is the movie that won del Toro his first (and so far only) Academy Award. The film itself is an epic, socio-political drama with an ensemble cast and several main storylines, all of which detail the effects of the drug trade on the world at large. In one plot, you've got Michael Douglas, in another you'll find Catherine Zeta-Jones and Don Cheadle.

Del Toro can be found away from these two storylines, playing police officer Javier Rodriguez in Mexico. Javier is the film's most intriguing player, because del Toro's performance is so subtle and moving. Javier is an honourable cop, often shocked by the corruption that surrounds him. He wants to bring an end to the local drug cartel, but finds it difficult considering the amount of deceit and secrets that he encounters.

During his moral crusade against the local drug trade, Javier sees his partner killed and is betrayed by the very people who call themselves his allies, all the while doing all he can to achieve his aim. It's a subtle performance, with del Toro perfectly capturing Javier's confusion about the world around him and his need to do the right thing, at whatever the cost.