Not Scorsese's Best, although the Performances are Outstanding,

Rating: 7/10 (28 February 2016)

Taxi Driver is a good movie with a well developed storyline and a fantastic cast. The highlight of the entire movie would have to be the actors, Robert De Niro shines as Travis Bickle, one of his deepest and most intense performances, the best scenes had to be between him and a very young Jodie Foster, their on screen chemistry is sublime, you could see that she understood acting from a very young age. However, I found it hard to get pulled in to this story, mainly because Travis was not a likable character, he's strange, suspicious and we are never made entirely clear of his intentions, the final scene is outstanding, but somewhat confusing, he may have been saving this girl but it was far more extreme than anything he had done previously, which made sense, but there was not enough build up to drive the character to that level of insanity, I understand that he is an anti-hero, but I had no support for him whatsoever. I think Cybil Shepherd was miscast in this movie and is without a doubt my least favourite part, she had no chemistry with De Niro, I know she was suppose to be confused and unsure of her love for Bickle, but I felt nothing from her, she was reading her lines. The story is also quite messy, I expected better from Scorsese, Travis goes from an everyday taxi driver to a corrupt one so easily that we never feel a proper transition, he seems to become crazier by each scene for no apparent reason, and a proper arch to this story does not come around till we meet Foster's character, but this still feels underdeveloped, their relationship could have been established more, so that the last ten minutes would not just feel like they were tying up loose ends. I am a huge fan of Martin Scorsese and Robert De Niro, and while I appreciate their work on Taxi Driver, I have come to expect more from the people who brought me such greats as Raging Bull, The King of Comedy and Goodfellas, but it's an iconic movie that should not be missed by any movie buff.
A troubled man spirals in to vigilantism and revenge while working with a taxi service.
Best Performance: Robert De Niro