PaleyFilms

Travis Bickle (Robert De Niro) is an unstable Vietnam War veteran who suffers from insomnia. He decides to drive a New York City taxicab and work long hours, so he can fight off the loneliness and boredom of everyday life. “Someday a real rain will come and wash all this scum off the streets,” says Bickle, as he narrates an evening of tedious driving. He sees the city as a sewer full of lowlifes and dirt, and hopes that change will come to clean it all away. One day Travis meets Betsy (Cybill Shepherd), a campaign volunteer whom he takes a romantic interest in. Things don’t go smoothly, though, and he comes to the conclusion that Betsy is no different than the rest of the loathsome people on the streets. After running into Iris (Jodie Foster), an underage prostitute controlled by an abusive pimp (Harvey Keitel), Travis decides that it’s finally time to take some action. He purchases some firearms, gets into shape, and awaits a public rally where Senator Charles Palantine (the man whose campaign Betsy has been working on) is going to speak…

Taxi Driver is a brilliant character study of a lonely man who will no longer accept society’s flaws. What makes it brilliant (among other things) is Robert De Niro’s outstanding portrayal of Travis Bickle, one of the most memorable cinematic characters of all time. At first the man quietly expresses distaste for his surroundings; however, as more and more things push him over the edge, we begin to notice what kind of change he is going through. Perhaps the cleverest element of Bickle’s transformation is that he begins the film as its protagonist, and ends it as an antihero.

De Niro is not the only actor here who gives a great performance; the cast is all-around excellent. In one of her earliest onscreen roles, Jodie Foster (as an actual child actress, not an adult with a convincing costume and makeup) plays a child prostitute with the utmost conviction, while Keitel fits perfectly into the sleazebag pimp role. Almost every performance is either above average or great, down to an unforgettable Martin Scorsese cameo.

Speaking of Martin Scorsese, the direction is pitch-perfect. If you check up the word gritty in the dictionary, the definition will read “Taxi Driver.” So precise is the film’s portrayal of the slimiest parts of New York City, that one can almost taste and smell the grime and smut. From the hookers and their procurers roaming around, to the seedy porn theaters, this is a dark, dangerous, and smelly place. The film is very much a “mood” movie, and uses its shooting locations to generate its atmosphere. Of course, no mention of Taxi Driver‘s atmosphere would be complete without bringing up Bernard Herrmann’s haunting and iconic score. It is the final soundtrack Herrmann comprised: what a way to go out!

Grittiness aside, Scorsese knows how to use his camera for full audience effect. Late in the film, Travis gets a Mohawk haircut to disguise himself. The camera lingers on the lower half of his body for a while, before suddenly jerking upwards so the viewer can see Bickle’s face. This is just one example of the director effectively using his medium to surprise the audience.

Accolades must, of course, be given to screenwriter Paul Schrader, who penned the film’s script. Not only does the screenplay take a fairly low-key story and make it endlessly fascinating, the dialogue is also endlessly quotable. Watching the movie for a second time, I was reminded that just about every line of narration that comes out of De Niro’s mouth could be a bitter epitaph on the gravestone of some troubled person.

Martin Scorsese has crafted a real classic with Taxi Driver, a film that is thought provoking and moody, and takes us to the deepest, darkest places in the human mind.

Nicholas Van Orton (Michael Douglas) is a cold hearted but successful investment banker. On Nicholas’s 48th birthday, his brother Conrad (Sean Penn) gives him an unusual present: a gift voucher for a game, courtesy of a company called “Consumer Recreation Services.” Although no one will tell him exactly what the game entails, he decides to visit the company’s office, and undertakes a series of psychological and physical tests. When Nicholas is informed that his application has been rejected, he is upset; however, strange things begin happening in his life, starting with the discovery of a clown doll sprawled in his driveway. The next day he meets a waitress (Deborah Kara Unger), and what follows is a non-stop progression of twists and turns, frame-ups, and betrayals.

Directed by David Fincher, The Game is an utterly preposterous film that is flawlessly executed, but falters in terms of set-up and plot structure.

Michael Douglas gives a very nice performance, displaying well the lead character’s unhappy, cold-as-stone personality. Nicholas is not entirely unsympathetic, however, as his demeanor is subtly attributed to having witnessed the suicide of his father, who was 48 at the time (the same age our protagonist has just turned). Besides being haunted by a tragic event, Nicholas has a shaky relationship with his capricious brother, played amiably by Sean Penn, in a strong supporting role.

Direction has always been a strong suit in David Fincher’s films, here being no exception. The deliberate use of color tones and visually creative camera shots creates a somber, dark tone which lasts throughout most of the movie. I constantly admire the director’s knack for using mood to enhance his pictures, which is used in The Game both to the film’s success and detriment. I say “detriment” because many plot elements betray the style Fincher seemed to be going for.

Contrived and “overly-twisty” plot turns are abundant, and have no place being in what could have been a very strong mystery story. For this reason, the movie’s first 30-40 minutes or so are its strongest, until the “unbelievability factor” sets in. The plot has run out of steam by the time we reach the ending, which, by the way, is so implausible and ridiculous that it undermines most of what came before it. The finale is fairly predictable, and simply contains one twist too many. Without spoiling anything, ending the narrative one scene earlier would have at least kept the film in line with the film’s dark nature; instead, we are left with something crowd-pleasing and silly.

However, look past the film’s godawful ending and sporadic camp, and you’re left with a surprisingly good, well acted thriller. Most of the movie is really fun to watch, though its tone is often too serious to support its wackiness. Michael Douglas brings depth to what could easily have been a one-note performance, although his character doesn’t go through as much of an arc as one might expect. Still, David Fincher “lite” is still David Fincher, so this game is definitely worth a play.

David Norris (Matt Damon) is about to lose a campaign run for U.S. Senator, and is making his concession speech in a bathroom. By chance, he meets Elise (Emily Blunt), a young woman who Norris instantly falls in love with. After some conversation and a kiss, she inspires him to make a news-worthy speech, which puts him on track as the front-runner for the next election. Later, David and Elise stumble upon each other for a second time, on a New York City bus. The only problem is, the meeting is a mistake: A mysterious group of men in hats was supposed to stop them from seeing each other again…

George Nolfi directs The Adjustment Bureau, a romantic thriller about a team of people (or so they seem to be) who monitor the entire world, making sure that things happen according to plan. Religious overtones aside, the film poses questions about free will, chance, fate, and love. Damon and Blunt’s characters have such wonderful chemistry, one can only hope that they stay together forever. However, although multiple run-ins seem to show that the couple is fated to be in love, the Adjustment Bureau will stop at nothing to tear them apart. In this sense, the film’s greatest forte is the chemistry of its leads, as we can literally feel the frustration and longing that shows itself on the characters’ faces.

Before the Bureau begins playing a role in the film, every scene is believable and well constructed. In part, this has to do with the very solid performances churned out by Damon and Blunt, as well as the tight direction and screenplay. Once the fateful group arrives, however, the movie devolves into “fun.”

The script has enough plot holes to sink a ship with, though Nolfi (who wrote the screenplay in addition to directing) does a pretty good job at plugging most of them up. However, in order to really enjoy The Adjustment Bureau, one needs to get past the following:

1)In the scheme of all the world’s problems, the organization would spend so much effort trying to break up a perfectly happy couple.
2)After all the love David and Elise have shown each other, it takes such a long time for the Bureau to warm up to their being together.
3)Inconsistencies with Bureau members’ “powers” (sometimes they can teleport freely; other times they are bound by restrictions).

The above are only a few glaring problems that took me out of the film; a handful more (albeit less distracting ones) exist. Much of the plot is hokey, due in part to how certain scenes play out, and partly because the movie contains too much faulty exposition.

All said and done, however, I had a pretty enjoyable time with this one. The film begins to fully embrace its contrived nature in the final act, leading to an odd but fun climax. Additionally, the one element that never falters is the believable romance between David and Elise, and the best sequences are the ones where they are together. It’s a flawed oddball film, but certainly original, and more than just sporadically amusing.

After stealing a car and shooting a police officer, Michel (Jean-Paul Belmondo) runs to his American girlfriend, Patricia (Jean Seberg), and shacks up with her in Paris. While cops work overtime to catch the murderer and bring him to justice, Michel tries getting a loan so that he and Patricia can flee to Italy. As detectives begin closing in, Michel’s main concern is attempting to seduce his girlfriend. He is emotionally attached to her, but Patricia’s independent nature is an obstacle which he relentlessly tries vanquishing, trying to get her to sleep with him.

Jean-Luc Godard’s debut film, Breathless, is considered one of the finest and most influential films of the French New Wave, and rightfully so. Out of any movie from 1960 that I have seen, it feels the most modern. Godard uses the medium of film to its full potential by implementing many cinematic techniques into his picture such as cross-cutting, voice over, and camera zooms. Take the opening scene, for instance, which shows Michel being chased by the cop that he ends up shooting. The lead character hilariously narrates most of the scene, turning a grim situation into a darkly comedic one. By taking the viewer into the antihero’s mind, the sequence ends up being existential, but uproariously funny at the same time. Oh, and this is all done via hand-held camera on a low budget.

Godard also wrote the screenplay, based on a scenario by none other than Francois Truffaut (another key player in the New Wave movement). Much of the dialogue is improvised, and flows very smoothly. A long scene between Michel and Patricia in the latter’s apartment simply consists of talking while the former tries seducing her. Instead of being repetitive and feeling dragged out, the spontaneity of the conversation makes the scene funny, and sheds light onto each character’s motivations and traits.

The two leads are wonderful here. Belmondo defines “cool” with his sunglasses and Humphrey Bogart persona. Seberg plays the female counterpart with a wavering sense of independence and a flirty nature. She is a delight to watch, whether frustrating Michel or playing along with him. The pair has wonderful on-screen chemistry, which serves as a nice addition to (or maybe it’s the cause of) the seemingly effortless conversational scenes.

With Breathless, Godard has shaped a fairly basic story into a highly entertaining, funny picture. It is a prime example of style helping out a film, as the rapid jump-cuts help create its frenetic pace. The acting, dialogue, and excellent direction harmonize, creating a finely tuned, expertly crafted movie. So much of its success relies upon the leads’ chemistry, making Belmondo and Seberg excellent casting choices. Just a year after Truffaut accomplished a similar feat, Godard made a debut film that blows many experienced directors’ movies out of the water. My only problem with it is that it’s running time is too short, as the film is so much fun to watch. It may be a cliche, but it is certainly true to say, Breathless will leave you breathless.