Top 100 but not top 10

Rating: 9/10 (15 July 2007)

Taxi Driver is in my opinion an extremely good film. But, and this is a big but, it does not deserve to be in the top 10 films ever which many film critics put it in their top 10.
The story shows a man who is a taxi driver called Travis Bickle (who is played by Robert De Niro) wanting to get rid of what he calls the "scum" in New York City. Seems simple. Well it is not just quite like that as you see him as an average joe at first falling in love with a girl called Betsy and he wants to help this young girl Iris who is a prostitute to get away from the "scum." Robert De Niro's characterisation of Travis is superb, as he plays this creep who keeps in track of things through a diary. His voice his body language, everything he does is brilliant as you can see his transformation from Mr Nobody to Mr Violent Hero. There is also a tiny bit of humour in there as well as the violent transformation. For example De Niro pointing guns at the mirror saying one of the most famous lines of all time, "Are you talking to me?" The other characters though are not as good which in some ways are unsurprising as Robert De Niro reigns supreme as his character making the other characters look pathetic. Take Betsy, Bickle's love interest, she's plain and just a normal character. The problem is right there she is plain. Plain as a packet of Ready Salted crisps.She has nothing interesting about her except she supports senator Palatine which makes Bickle support him as well. That is the only thing that is remotely interesting. Although it did not help her getting a role that lasts for about twenty to thirty minutes.
The great thing is that it's a clever, well-crafted film as there are many perceptions from Travis, Betsy and Iris. Travis thinks that Betsy is good looking, he wants to help Iris because she is young and has potential and he wants to clear the mess up in this town. Meanwhile Betsy thinks Travis a weird average joe and Iris perceives Bickle to be a "nark" but she deep down realises that he wants to help her.
Overall, Scorcese has done magnificent work here by getting you to know and feel like Travis as he unleashes the beast within him and that is a good portrayal of what we want to sometimes do where the bitter aggression we have deep down wants to be released destructively and it is sown excellently in this film. 9/10