"Taxi Driver" takes us on the ride of a lifetime

Rating: 10/10 (20 January 2005)

Robert De Niro is Travis Bickle. An angry, insomnia-stricken taxi driver who is fed up with the way New York City has become. He decides to act upon his anger when we crosses paths with a teenage prostitute, and decides to rescue her from her bleak lifestyle.
The ever resilient Martin Scorsese did a masterful job directing this film from a dark, and brilliant script by Paul Schrader. The most powerful thing about "Taxi Driver," is that it has the impeccable ability to enter Travis Bickle's psyche while interacting with his inner demons. Robert De Niro is flawless in a performance that arguably established him as one of the all-time most gifted actors. Jodie Foster (Iris) at age 12 gave the mature performance of a 40-year old, in her harsh, real depiction of a teenage prostitute. There are other fine supporting performances from Peter Boyle, Cybill Sheppard, Albert Brooks, and Harvey Keitel as Iris's pimp. Finally there is one other facet of "Taxi Driver" that is as essential to the film as its characters. This is the score. Bernard Hermann, wrote a hauntingly unforgettable soundtrack that would be his final masterpiece. Once you hear his music, it will never escape your imagination. If you never saw "Taxi Driver," you don't know what you are missing. This film will take you on the ride of a lifetime.