As dark and depressing as Se7en, But also as brilliant.

Rating: 10/10 (29 October 2010)

Travis (De Niro) is always something of a question mark from when we first meet him. He's never predictable in motivation, conversation or deliberation. An intriguing and brilliant character, who'll make you feel like you have the wood to be lit but he'd rather sit there and watch you shiver.
Ironically though this character makes you feel this way through his stony silences - often filled with a narration of thoughts; he detests the filth and scum and deterioration of the city he serves faithfully. An almost pre-Rorschach figure in the smoky mist, or the modern 'goodie' who fights fire with fire in a city full of conflicting flames.
Despite meeting Travis in this uncharismatic surrounding it's characters such as Cybill (Foster) who he meets while gazing in his flamboyantly obvious vehicle, that indicate the real people who need saving, not just the city itself. Controversial though her character (or more precisely her age) may be for such an unheard of role (again for the age) it doesn't take a historian to realise with bad times, comes bad professions and the wrong types of people in those professions.
The blunt but accurate deterioration of a society, so lost in its bad reputation doesn't make this Scorsese's best. Sadly. Goodfellas proved much more, with much more style that wasn't all thanks to the direction and the lead actor. Second best? Absolutely.