That is not Robert De Niro! THAT IS NOT ROBERT DE NIRO, it is Travis Bickle, one of the best characters ever created!

Rating: 10/10 (17 June 2013)

Who said that lonely people could never be totally badasses and be true heroes?? Well, with that, I meant exactly what this masterpiece by Martin Scorsese tried and managed to show to the world, and again on the main stage of most of his films, the city of New York.
In the movie we have the story of Travis Bickle (Robert De Niro), a veteran of the Vietnam War who lives in his small apartment in the big apple. Travis has severe sleep problems suffering of insomnia, staying up all night, then he decides to work as a taxi driver. Managing to work day and night and earn a good salary. During his travels he meets and falls in love for the beautiful Betsy (Cybill Shepherd) who works in the presidential campaign of the Senator Charles Palantine (Leonard Harris). Travis becomes obsessed with Betsy, following her to work, to her home and finally one day he finally call her out, but loses the chance of having a relationship when he takes her to watch a porno movie. With the loving disappointment Travis goes crazy and starts trying to take justice into their own hands. He gets this chance when he meets the young prostitute, Iris (Jodie Foster).
Through this simple story and the character Travis, Scorsese and the writer Paul Schrader were able to explore and send a message and critique against the society. What at the beginning seems to be a study of the human condition with the character Travis (which partly is), it is actually a great criticism that Scorsese make against society showing its dirt and evil.
Travis is all part of this critic, a veteran returned form war and working as a taxi driver he gets to know various types of people, moreover working at night. Travis begins to have its own philosophy what is good and evil in the city. The night he seems to see the devil walking through the streets in the bodies of prostitutes and drug dealers, and he sees himself as the renegade hero trying to do justice in some way, trying to send a message, which after several failed attempts. At that point he meets Iris, he finally sees his chance, a poor girl in the middle of all evil suffering at the hands of clients and dirty cowards, Travis then begins to act.
Not only the story is very well written and explored in a brilliant way, while Scorsese through his direction in a large scale gives a realistic and dirty picture of New York society, showing the dirt and lack of respect and kindness (even his appearance in the film as a customer of Travis help it). But to make everything more pretty he also shows several places of the city, all of them connected to the story.
At the level of writing and directing the film is simply fantastic, and the performances are not different. All excellent, Jodie Foster superb as always, as much as she was in "Silence of the Lambs" and most of all her work; Robert De Niro..... PERFECT, embodies his character in an impressive way, while we watch the movie we always forget that is not Travis who is driving the Taxi and talking to himself to the mirror (with that I mean we forgot that is a movie at all).
A true masterpiece, explores the society in a realistic and obscure way. Thanks to a fantastic writing and direction that created an unforgettable character with superb performances and an ending that makes us open a big smile on our face, "Taxi Driver" has invisible flaws being a true classic of cinema, one more that Scorsese gave us, an unforgettable film and a dark and fun experience.