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Jason Maloney reviews 
Columbia TriStar
- Cert:
- Cat.no: MTD 5005
- Running time: 86 minutes
- Year: 1999
- Pressing: 2000
- Region(s): 2, PAL
- Chapters: 22 plus extras
- Sound: Dolby Digital 2.0 (Dolby Surround)
- Languages: French
- Subtitles: English
- Widescreen: 2.35:1
- 16:9-Enhanced: No
- Macrovision: Yes
- Disc Format: DVD 5
- Price: £19.99
- Extras: Main Cast and Crew Filmographies, Trailer
Director:
- Gerard Pires
Cast:
- Daniel: Samy Naceri
Emilien: Frederic Diefenthal
Lilly: Marion Cotillard
Camille: Manuela Gourary
Petra: Emma Sjoberg
Chief Inspector Gibert: Bernard Farcy
Joe: Georges Neri
From the pen of French action auteur Luc Besson comes this blistering gem of a movie. Having already helmed the likes of La Femme Nikita (1990) and Leon (1994), he merely writes the screenplay for Taxi – and takes a “Luc Besson Presents” credit for good measure.
Daniel (Naceri) works for a Pizza delivery firm, but his passion for high-speed driving gets him into trouble with the law on a regular basis. Having finally realised his ambition of becoming a cab driver, he treats unsuspecting customers to his need for speed, with breathtaking results.
However, when hapless “Flic” Emilien (Diefenthal) fluffs the latest of many police stake-outs, Daniel is soon caught up in a police operation to thwart a marauding (and elusive) gang of crooks who seem to make their getaway vehicles disappear into thin air once they leave the crime scene. The pair broker a deal – Daniel helps Emilien to snare the bad guys with his knowledge of automobilia and nifty driving, and in return his record will be wiped clean.
Plotwise, that’s about it – although there is a wealth of sharp dialogue and scattergun humour as the film hurtles along from one set-piece to another. Everything takes a back seat, as it were, to the thrilling action behind the wheel – whether it’s a souped-up white Peugot, a red Mercedes, or a moped from the Pizza firm.
The director, Gerard Pires, shows himself to be more than a capable talent over the course of 90 testosterone-fuelled minutes. Pires shoots with a dynamic, physical style beloved of Besson himself, handling the relentless high-speed racing/chasing scenes with aplomb.
Think of the greatest racing scenes of the modern era. The French Connection, Bullitt, Ronin… even the Podrace from Star Wars Episode One. Imagine vritually an entire film like that, and Taxi is as close as it gets. Indeed, that infamous chase underneath the bridge in The French Connection, is replicated here, just to show where the film’s influences and inpsirations lie.
Besson revealed a knack for dry humour in Leon, with Jean Reno‘s unforgettable asssasin who loved to drink milk and tend to his plants. Taxi has a wickedly sharp script, full of brilliant one-liners. Reverting to his native tongue, this is a world away from the stilted and cliche-ridden dialogue of The Fifth Element. The laughs come thick and almost as fast as these vehicles tearing around Marseilles. Any thoughts of the French lacking a decent sense of humour are well and truly banished. This is probably the funniest film you are likely to see for a long time.
In terms of extra features, the disc is admittedly threadbare. Nothing from Besson, Pires or any of the cast. Standard filmographies are all that’s offered aside from an obligatory trailer. However, it looks and sounds terrific – despite being only Dolby Digital 2.0 and a 2.35:1 Letterbox ratio that’s non-anamorphic. The subtitles are clear and easy to follow, and allow the essence and flow of the dialogue to be conveyed.
Confident, colourful and utterly cinematic, Taxi stands head and shoulders above the competition. After the almost-as-exhilarating Run Lola Run, it’s clear that European cinema is putting both Britain and America to shame when it comes to producing this type of film. Only the lack of extras blight an otherwise excellent package.
PICTURE QUALITY
SOUND QUALITY
EXTRAS
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Reviewer of movies, videogames and music since 1994. Aortic valve operation survivor from the same year. Running DVDfever.co.uk since 2000. Nobel Peace Prize winner 2021.