quinncarla
Often considered a cornerstone of cinema Taxi Driver left me wanting more. Its not that the movie is bad but perhaps the reputation preceding the product killed it for me. De Niro is in top form as loner Travis Bickle who tries hard to fit in but just cannot. Martin Scorsese has crafted a moody drama film set in his native streets of New York and the cinematography is sublime. It makes you feel uneasy because you are on the level of Travis. Great bit parts from Jodie Foster and Harvey Keital enhance the acting front and a sublime jazz score gives a nice touch. However I feel that the film is a tad overrated.
Eric Stevenson
I didn't even know this movie was directed by Martin Scorsese. I was quite impressed by such an all star cast, even Frank Boyle. Wait, was he always bald? This film's plot just seems to go all over the place. I didn't even know this was the movie with the famous line, "You talking to me?". That seems like such a generic thing to say, but I still think of it every time I say that. The plot is that Robert DeNiro plays Travis, a taxi driver (duh!) who is dissatisfied with his job. He falls for a woman named Betsy, but their relationship ends badly. He tries to become physically stronger and more intimidating by working out and using all sorts of weapons. He comes across an underage prostitute named Iris. He decides to free her from her pimp. This is a movie where there's a lot going on, but it's still easy to pay attention to, which is always a plus.Leonard Maltin shockingly only gave this film two out of four stars, complaining that it was too violent. Honestly, it's not really violent until the climax. What matters is how unbelievably 70's this movie is. It works so well as a time capsule, making you reflect on pop culture at that time. This film became infamous because it allegedly inspired Ronald Reagan's failed assassin, who wanted to impress Jodie Foster. Ironic seeing as how the film itself features a failed assassination, but no one is wounded. ****
veronicasmith-19875
By Taxi Driver's release both De Niro and Scorsese were already well regarded by film fans and this film- which wasn't a huge hit upon release- is now considered one of their de factor movies along with Mean Streets, Raging Bull and Goodfellas. Travis Bickle has become a legend for many lost young men all around the world and De Niro is so good you can't help but feel for him even though he is socially clueless and probably a sociopath. Jodie Foster is excellent as the young prostitute and this is an indication of how great an actress she was even as a 12 year old. Taxi Driver has become a staple for the anarchist, lost youth and you owe it to yourself to see the reason why.
