Rating: 
Summary: Scorsese's best
Review: Many will tell you Raging Bull is Scorsese's best film. That critical opinion, I believe, is due to the fact that you can look at Jake LaMotta and abhor his behavior, making it easier to objectively examine the film's traits. But Travis Bickle is a character that is so well drawn by the three collaborators scorsese, schrader, and deniro, that we as an audience are terrified that all of us might actually bear something in common with him. This is not watered down entertainment, as scorsese explores the corners of the mind most people rarely will deny. And he does so with virtuosity, lovingly crafting every shot and sequence, building mood and tension like few others can. Dismissed by many as mindless violence, this is a film with a message that unites us all, and a protagonist so real you can imagine a conversation with him, two things most all films cannot give.
Rating: 
Summary: Hero or Psychopath?
Review: After watching this movie, John Hinckley went out and tried to kill Ronald Reagan. This would indicate that "Taxi Driver" is a worthwhile movie. In more basic terms, however, the reason this is such a good movie is because it shows how close the categories of "hero" and "psychopath" are, and indeed, how close these categories are to normal life. Travis(Robert De Niro) is a young, lonely, slightly obsessive taxi driver, who displays in the course of the movie, the two main male passions - sexual love and fatherly love. The first of these is directed towards a young professional, Betsy(Cybil Shepherd), a campaign worker for a Presidential candidate; the second towards a child prostitute, Iris acted by Jodie Foster. the first of these passions brings him into fleeting contact with the cold aloof world of US politics characterized by empty sloganeering and an absence of policies. By actually meeting the candidate, Palatine in his cab, Travis begins to instinctively realize the connection between the messed up New York streets with their pushers and prostitutes and the opportunism and cynicism of those who defile their responsibility. After being misunderstood and rejected by Betsy, these vague political misgivings crystallize around his dented male pride and lead him to plot the assassination of Palatine. As he prepares himself for this, however, his paternal feelings are aroused by the plight of Iris, the child prostitute, whom he resolves to rescue. Already living on the edge, he decides that the best way to do this is by killing her pimp. In his mind these two goals become almost identical. Killing the apathetic. patronizing politician, who is socially or politically responsible, and the pimp, who is individually responsible for the abominations of modern city life, like child prostitution, have little to separate them. Indeed, only the candidate's security guards make the difference. Foiled in his first attempt, it is only the second of these goals that he manages to accomplish. Ironically, the courage that would have had him damned as a sociopath in the first case, allows him to become a hero in the second. This film raises the question: Is someone who takes a gun and tries to blow away a President or one of the other fakirs of the frenetic passivity of ungovernment, a hero? The answer is probably yes.
Rating:
Summary: Powerhouse Film, Disturbing and Powerful!
Review: 'Taxi Driver' is one of the most passionate films ever made, everyone involved did it with such professionalism and dedication that you can't help but admire it. Scorsese scored big with this one, although this wasn;t his first masterpiece, 'Mean Streets', another Scorsese triumph was made in 1973. Powerhouse directing by Scorsese, and brilliant screenplay by Paul Schrader. But the acting is the thing that blows you away. Robert DeNiro delivers one of the most expertly realized performances of all time, he 'was' Travis Bickle, the ultimate antihero, loneliness and violence have never mixed so well together. His performance was basically a big improvisation, the whole 'you talking to me' scene was never staged, that was pure DeNiro. Travis Bickle is just about the loneliest character in the history of cinema, and that's what 'Taxi Driver' is all about, basically loneliness. Also a powerhouse performance by a very young Jodie Foster as a 12 year old prostitute, that's a role that could never be done again, even now in the 22nd century. Cybill Sheppard and, surprise, Albert Brooks are also good in support. An unforgettable film that really leaves an impact. A milestone 70's film. Extras: you can spot Martin Scorsese in the background in the scene where we first see Cybill Sheppard in her white dress, he also appears as the psycho whose wife is cheating on him and takes Travis along for the ride. From a scale of 1-10 I give this film a 10!
Rating:
Summary: If you want to watch a real movie, watch this
Review: Before you read this, I should tell you that I'm only 17 years old, for whatever that's worth. Now I can tell you how I feel about this movie. My father was telling me about how great Taxi Driver was. I've always loved the classic movies, The Godfather, Annie Hall, The Third Man...etc, so I decided to give this movie a chance since I enjoyed De Niro in Godfather Part 2(The greatest movie of all time). I rented this and it just blew me away. The script, the directing, the acting, everything is just amazing. The script was very strong, but De Niro made it even better with his improvisational scenes including the scene at the mirror. A young Jodie Foster puts on a convincing performance, along with Cybil Shephard, Harvey Keitel, and the other stars in this wonderous film. In the special edition version, there is a segment after the film that is very interesting. One piece that sticks out in my head was that the film was so incredibly real, that the colors had to be toned down, because the scene in the apartment with the shootout was too realistic. That should tell you how great this really is. It was too good, too real, too perfect, so they had to make it easier to stomach. In conclusion, this is one of the best movies I have ever seen in my short life. I recommend it to anyone, regardless of age. But be prepared to be blown away, thank you.
Rating:
Summary: Groundbreaking Film.
Review: When I first saw this, it was from flipping through the channels and I came in at the violent conclusion when Travis Bickle (De Niro) finally snaps. I remember being surprised by the graphic violence, it being an older film. The story is a little dim and definitely unpleasant at times but so is life. I believe that the idea of a man becoming sick of crime and filthy surroundings and has his boiling point makes sense. See it for yourself and try not to judge it based on bad reviews, especially Leonard Maltin's. De Niro was great in the film. *Scorcese plays the nutty guy spying on his wife.
Rating: 
Summary: Ho hum
Review: I was talking to a friend who loves this movie and we went point by point through every aspect that she loved - character development, characters, plot line, symbolism, etc. Where she thought each aspect deserved 5 stars, I meandered around 2-4 stars for everything. Nothing truly grabbed me in this movie and when watching it I always feel like I'm watching "The Emporers New Clothes". DeNiro is a great as usual but I can't see the comparison with something like his Raging Bull performance. Over the top characters strike me as so easy to portray. The 'everyman' seems so much more difficult. This is a cast of over the top characters who I don't really relate to, who I'm not particularly interested in, and who don't leave much of an impresson on me. I'm sorry...what can I say?
Rating:
Summary: What was LM thinking?
Review: I've actually agreed with a lot of what Leonard Maltin has said in his reviews, but I'm not sure how he came to the conclusion he did on Taxi Driver. And just who exactly are "we"? But on to my review. For those who haven't seen Taxi Driver yet, they must. Other than the different fashion styles, Taxi Driver could easily have been filmed today. It's still so fresh and new, it hasn't aged a bit. Everybody in the cast gives career preformances, and though it's one of Marty's earliest work, his style is in full effect. The film lets Travis Bickle speak & act for himself. It's non-judgemental and non-exploitive, a fact that might make people uneasy. Sure he's not right and sure he'll do it again, but that's the point. There are many, many Travis Bickles out there. Travis flipped out, and he will flip out again. And the reason why is answered by the newspaper clipping towards film's end. The most disturbing thing, might be, in the end, you love Travis. He has done wrong, very wrong things, but you love him anyway, and actually agree with what he does to rescue Jodie Foster's character. An important, landmark film. And probably one of my all time 5 favorites. Great DVD to boot. Be sure you pick up the Special Edition, though.
Rating:
Summary: "You talking to me"!
Review: To some young viewers the footage might look a bit on the low quality side, but I'm young (16) and I rank this film above such critically acclaimed films as , "Wizard of Oz", "Gone with the Wind", "Citizen Kane" and "Casablanca".I'd say the only critically acclaimed masterpieces that comes close to this film is, "The Godfather" and it's sequel not the third one. This film contained brilliant music by Bernard Hermann which went perfectly with the beautiful cinematography. Robert De Niro gave a really good narrative prformane along with general acting. The movie gives us this tough talking ex-marine that applies for a taxi driving job. Not long after our man is driving a taxi, and telling us about disapointments of the big city. We see this man's habits change, hear his thoughts become more serious and during all of this his hair gets shorter with each phase. This is a classic film in which many films copied in some form, like "The Terminator". Martin Scorsese, De Niro, and Paul Schraeder brought us a classic, not to be missed. It should have been in the top 10 of the AFI list.
Rating:
Summary: Still Scorsese and De Niro's Masterpiece-High Praise!
Review: I am disturbed beyond measure at Maltin's negative review of this film. Yes, it IS violent, but unfortunately, life is not all sweetness and light. Once you see this film it will stick in your mind until you die. Obviously the "You talkin' to me?" scene alone has entered the pop culture lexicon forever, but there is so much more to this film than that. De Niro amazes, Harvey Keitel turns in some of his best work ever as a sexy yet sickening pimp, Jodie Foster portrays the latent innocence behind her outwardly hardened teen hooker character, and even Cybill Shepard is fabulous as De Niro's dream girl. Schrader's script is an all time classic, and Scorsese's direction is a miracle. (Check out the overhead shots at the end!) And YES, the score is grand. I wonder if whoever wrote the Maltin review poured a little too much whiskey on his corn flakes that day?
Rating:
Summary: All the animals come out at night....
Review: Travis Bickel's interests include procuring and stockpiling weapons and firearms, shaving his head, stalking women, and taking dates to porno movies....he's your everyday average guy. Taxi Driver is more than a little rough around the edges, although it is leaps and bounds better than Mean Streets. The film has an urban feel and Scorcese truly captures the essence of the city through magnificent cinematography. However, De Niro is a master at grasping the audiences attention and not letting go. You never really know what Bickel is going to do next, he is a loose cannon in a dangerous urban jungle. Travis Bickel is every American's nightmare and wet dream rolled up into one. This movie requires repeated viewing, but I will say this, Taxi Driver has one of the most memorable endings that you will ever witness. Happy Viewing! P.S. This movie has warped my fragile little mind!
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