De Niro/Scorsese at their finest...

Rating: 9/10 (4 February 2010)

I can understand why the American Film Institute described this film as a 70's landmark in cinema, this film is simply brilliant. Scorcese does a flawless job in characterizing Travis Bickle, a former marine turned cabbie that develops a violent yet admirable attitude to life in New York City. De Niro...sensational. I have seen quite a few De Niro/Scorses collaborations (Raging Bull,Goodfellas,Casino) and this absorbing performance ranks right up there with the best i have ever seen, with the exception of Raging Bull. Ignoring the acting limitations of Cybill Shepherd, this film is a great watch and at just under 2 hours, it is a suitable length. The other supporting roles are well portrayed, including Jodie Foster as a 12-year old prostitute who is the source of motivation behind Bickles transformation into the city's "hero." Overall, I really enjoyed this film and would highly recommend it to any fan of Robert De Niro or any fan of powerful, engrossing and thought-provoking films.