Review: Taxi Driver

Whenever I think of top directors and they're films, its usually Martin Scorsese for Taxi Driver. Its a very I feel an adult film not in that way, just with the violence, swearing and minor flirty sex scenes with Jodie Foster in her first proper role playing a prostitute, Robert DeNiro playing this lonely almost insane Taxi Driver, you can tell this film is not a happy go lucky type of film. 

I think everyone knows this film, but I just wanna talk about it as I love it so much and I think its my favorite Martin Scorsese film. The film is about this man called Travis Bickle played by Robert DeNiro who is discharged marine, he is lonely lives in New York and takes up a job as a Taxi Driver to help him cope with his insomnia. He meets various people during his job, like Betsy who he ends up going on a date with, Iris or 'Easy' the child prostitute played by Jodie Foster, who is trying to escape her pimp Matthew 'Sport' played by Harvey Keitel. 

This film is a hard film to watch, I say that as I actually watched it twice, once when I was about 15 and again a few months ago. The first time I watched it I thought 'yeah okay whatever' and I don't know why I watched it again but I'm glad I did, as I probably watched it wrong the first time, and I know that sounds so bad and I hate it when people say 'oh you didn't watch it right' because how can you watch something wrong? But I guess I was 15 so I didn't understand it as such but now I like it. Which proves that if you don't like something the first time, doesn't mean you'll still feel that way the second time. 

 Jodie Foster was fantastic in this film, I heard many rumours that she had to see a Shrink before she was aloud to be in this film, but regardless if they're true or not. She is such a stand out in this role, she carries it like an actress, a true actress not a child actress and it's fairly obvious from this performance she was gonna be a big star. Robert De Niro and Harvey Keitel are both brilliant in this film, I mean they can do no wrong its an iconic film with iconic actors who say the dialogue how it should be said. 

One thing that I love about this film is the costumes, I adore the New York Fashion from the 70's its so casual and yet so dressy and its even trying to hard to look good. The 70's in terms of films were I feel anyway, quite a difficult year to watch, as you will hardly get a silly fun comedy to watch, It was all about the anti-heros and really hard hitting storylines and dialogue that wasn't used that much, like swearing I don't think many writers would put swearing in they're scripts until the 70s and this film does make me think of the 70's in fashion and filmmaking. 

Robert De Niro portrayed a man on what I believe to be an emotional breakdown. He does it so effortlessly its natural, as an audience you get worried for this man's health and well being which is great. I like that with this film its a main character who is internally good but can be a bit crazy especially in the end, its good I feel to have the main being good and also bad, as that can be relatable I guess. Its also nice to watch a character who is unlike anyone and you can't relate at all and you're away from the world and sucked into another world, a world you can't relate to. 

Overall this is such a fantastic film, its 70s I feel through and through. Its Martin Scorsese and Robert De Niro and young Jodie Foster. I mean you can't go wrong its just an iconic classic film, that every needs to watch. I will talk to you all on Wednesday for a special post largely focusing on directors and they're classic films. 

Peppermint Friday Review #20: Brazil

This film is actually in my top 10 of all my favorite films, at the moment as the list will no doubt change. Not because I hate them but different films will effect you at different times, and suddenly they become your favorite of that time. This film is actually really funny, because someone told me to watch this film and I didn't the first time and now I feel really bad because Its really good. So I'm sorry for not listening to you the first time, its great.

The story takes place in a dystopian future, and its about a man called Lawry who is at the bottom of working in the government, he daydreams and has dreams of him saving a woman and they are very frequent and abstract. One day while he's at work something gets jammed in his printer someone called Tuttle played by Robert De Niro who is an outlaw in a way and helps him. Lawry gets swooped in to Tuttle's world, and starts to work his way to a higher position. Safe to say Lawry gets in a boat load of trouble very quickly, and his dreams effect that.

From the pictures and the outlook from someone who's never seen this film, will think that this film is weird you wouldn't like, but seriously watch it because you'll be surprised. One thing that I loved about this film was that the world that they created. Its just ridiculous and I love that, one of the characters who really stands out for me is Ida Lawry who is Lawry's mother and she is obsessed with plastic surgery and its hilarious and the stuff she comes out with is just crackers.

The comedy in this film is what really does it for me, a favorite moment is when Lawry is with Jil and he sees his mother and she picks up these thongs and goes 'Do you think I'll look nice in these?' its just crackers and fantastic comedy. For a Sci-Fi its very good, I love the use of plastic surgery and the idea of being perfect being important in the film. The inventions of the shower, and computers, cars are just brilliant. As this film was made in the 80s I guess they must of thought we're gonna have these in 2017 or something obviously we don't yet...

I get a very 1984 feeling from this film, if you've read 1984 or watched the film you'll know what I'm talking about. I say that as its the future, its a different world and different people with different attitudes on things. The pressure of things and dictatorship of it all is just brilliant for the flavour of the film and what it all means. The dreams Lawry has are just crackers again, like all dreams are they make no sense but make sense all together. I love that there is a theme of the dreams he is consistently having, of him being chivalrous and saving a woman. Then he meets her in real life, and its like fate.

I must admit I was abit like 'whatever' about Jill at first, then in the ride with Lawry thats when I liked her. She was just brilliant, and so individual in terms of how she was and she was very neutral as a character and Lawry wasn't he was seen as quite weak even in his dreams he wants to be the man. Even by his own mother she encourages him to go bigger for work and he is very 'in in' and he does but for him it isn't enough. The actors in this film are brilliant, Robert De Niro was amazing as Tuttle although I personally would've love to see more of him. 

                                                              
Johnathan Pryce and Kim Gresist have such brilliant chemistry and are fantastic it was very naturalistic approach to an absurd dystopian world. Love Ian Richardson and Michael Palin as Lawry's new boss and co-worker particularly Ian as he did the part of the busy, quick talking boss amazingly. He reminded me of the reporter for the Daily Bugle in Spiderman. Overall this film was brilliant too watch its so unique in its stylising and comic timing, and wonderful script.