Taxi Driver

Starring: Robert DeNiro, Jodie Foster, Albert Brooks, Harvey Keitel, Leonard Harris, Peter Boyle, Cybill Shepherd
Directed by: Martin Scorsese
Rating: R
Genre: Drama, Thriller
1976
Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: A somewhat disturbed taxi driver (Robert DeNiro) battles social anxiety and decides to help a young prostitute (Jodie Foster) working for an older man(Harvey Keitel).

Review:

Tim: This is one of the all time classics. This movie is controversial, has a truly excellent cast (all of whom give great performances) and is required viewing for all movie lovers. That being said, I'm not a gigantic fan of this movie. It is good, but I expected more from the plot and expected to be more emotionally involved. This is more of less just a matter of taste, so I'd like to spend more time talking about the cast.

Robert DeNiro blows me away in this film. He gives such a gutsy, powerful performance. The "Are you talking to me?" scene is an absolute classic. He is creepy, freaky, and memorable. Jodie Foster is almost beyond words. I am in shock and awe that she is only 12 years old in the film. That is a huge statement about her skills as an actress. Cybill Shepherd shines in her role. I normally don't like her, but I was very impressed. Albert Brooks, Harvey Keitel, and Peter Boyle all give good supporting performances.

Some of my problems with this film are the implausible nature of the ending. I still do not see the "hero" aspect. The other problem is the "So what?" question. We have all these actors giving great performances, and a controversial and unsafe subject matter, and.... so what? This question is never answered in the film. I am left wondering why I should care about this movie at all.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating- 7



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: Goodfellas, Raging Bull