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I won't argue with you on colors as that's personal taste. As for having a message rammed down your throat. Hmmm...I'm still not even entirely sure what the message of "Traffic" was.
Certainly, one aspect was that addiction is pernicious, but that's pretty widely known. Next, I think there are issues dealing with tolerance and sympathy. We can't view addicts as the enemy, but exactly how tolerant of them should we be. Clearly Michael Douglas' wife was too lenient, and he just wasn't around. Ceratinly, as a politician, he was not tolerant enough. Still, I don't think we're left with a clear message about tolerance beyond that. I certainly didn't feel force fed.
Another message was that power and money corrupt. At the same time, Benicio del Toro's character avoids these pitfalls. Douglas' character, to an extent, learns from his hand on experience.
We learn the drug war is failing. It does get a bit 'informative' here, but I don't believe its over the top. Soderbergh tries to give us answers, but leaves us with more doubts.
I just don't see being force fed in this film. In fact, many are saying "Requiem" was better than "Traffic." I liked each film for different reasons, but I don't see how "Requiem" was any less of a force-feeding. If anything, it was more so.
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