A depressing and captivating look at the underbelly of the world

Rating: 9/10 (21 April 2008)

I wasn't sure how I would take to Taxi Driver. I have come to love Robert Deniro as an actor, and I've always been kind of indifferent towards the iconic Martin Scorsese although I have not seen a lot of his stuff...some of it I hated and some of it I respected. Plus Taxi Driver is no doubt a cinema classic and I needed to see it. It started out a little slow and I was beginning to think that this would be another over rated classic and then the magic of Taxi Driver started to work. It's the kind of film that is really stealthy because it starts to grow on you and really sucks you into the dark and disturbing world. The film really depressing and dark and the story really has a haunting tone and it slowly starts to really move you and suck you into the world of this depressed, insomniac loner who is basically having a quarter life crisis. He's late twenties, feels like he has no direction, can't sleep, is not well educated, angry, and wants to make a difference in the world. He has no social skills to speak of and really has this passion to change someone no matter what. Really the film lies in the hands of the taxi driver and the actor that portrays him and that is quite simply what made the film and the actor famous forever.
Robert Deniro stars as Travis Bickle, a Vietnam vet who fits everything I just explained above but you need to see his performance to understand. This film is of course the original source for Deniro's infamous "...you talking to me?" Bickle is just a character full of empathy and you can't help but feel for him and really get drawn into his slightly twisted mind. He has such depth and emotion to his character, some more subtle than others. He is brilliant and this is almost a one man show on his part as he drives his cab from situation to situation. Cybill Shepherd is okay in a fairly small role as the object of Deniro's rather twisted fascination. The two of them clash and it adds something to Deniro's story but she doesn't really impress. A very young Jodie Foster post Disney movies plays an underage hooker of all things and she gets a lot of acclaim for this movie and I think it is credited as hoisting her out of child actor and into the role of adult actor. I think she is a little over credited for the role because it's quite small BUT she is excellent in it. Her role is also very dark and disturbing and her and Deniro have great chemistry. Harvey Keitel is terrific in a small role as well, as Foster's pimp and disturbing love interest 'Sport.' Also watch for great supporting roles by Peter Boyle, and Albert Brooks.
I can't stress enough how dark this movie is. I mean in a way it's like there is this ray of light throughout the whole film and remarkably after everything that happens the film gets a happy ending?! I never saw that coming at all and it made the film even better. The last five or ten minutes of the film is an absolute blood bath like Scorsese likes to do but everything fits together and it just happens to work like magic. It might be the most depressing film I've ever seen and yet everything works out which makes it truly a feel good film in many ways. There is so much to ask yourself when the credits role and there is no doubt in my mind why this film has become timeless because it could be watched again and again just to get a feel for the character and everything involved. I can't recommend this enough for anyone who wants a truly intelligent, deeply moving film. You can't be disappointed with it. 9/10 (Probably should be a 10/10 but after a few more views perhaps?)