In retrospect, quite funny, in an odd way

Rating: 8/10 (4 July 2008)

When I saw this movie again a few years ago, what struck me the most-compared to when I watched it on VHS as a teenager for the first time-was the humour of this movie. Hmmm, maybe the humour is unintentional...I dunno. Funny in any case.
Here's a brief and (very) vague synopsis of the plot: a veteran of the Vietnam war (Robert De Niro as Travis Bickle) returns to the U.S.A. and works as a taxi driver. He forms relationships as a result of his work with two people on opposite ends of the social spectrum: a young, beautiful, middle-class woman (Cybill Shepherd as Betsy) who is helping a politician run for office, and an underaged sex worker (Jodie Foster as Iris Steensma). Perhaps the movie is part social commentary on the time of the Vietnam War...I dunno. In any case, Bickle seems to damaged by his experience in The Nam and by the world he comes back to. Towards the end of the movie, there is some gory violence, so, if you don't like the sight of blood, this might be one to avoid.
Now, for the real reason I posted up this review...to share the parts of the movie that made an impression on me: firstly, as a young teen, I can't really believe how I did not form a giant exclamation mark over my head when Bickle takes Betsy to a hardcore porn movie on their first date. Man, that is just SO funny, on reflection! So yeah...that's another thing I should mention-you do see some shots of what the 'love birds' are watching...and I can't remember how explicit it is-there is naked flesh though.
Lastly, another funny thing about this movie-who'd a thunk that taxi drivers discuss philosophy amongst themselves? And Bertrand Russell to boot! That's another thing that didn't trigger an epileptic laughing fit the first time I saw it. Hmmm...maybe if Bickle worked at McDonald's the scene would have been more believable?
Parting shot-De Niro is very good in this movie. Can't say the same for "Mean Streets"-well, I mean that the movie is not that good, not Bob. He does have a great scene in Mean Streets where he reveals his true nature. Kind of like a similarly great scene in the Australian movie "He died with his felafel in his hands", where the main character's emotions bubble over the surface.