★ 5 / 10
The plot follows Paz, a young woman who becomes reacquainted with "the family", friends of her father who are taxi drivers and part of a Neonazi faction in Madrid.
ahchaffe
Taxi lacks the subtle commentary of Saura's previous films under Franco like Los Golfos (1960). Without censorship, Suara has attempted to directly portray the…
Taxi lacks the subtle commentary of Saura's previous films under Franco like Los Golfos (1960). Without censorship, Suara has attempted to directly portray the real violence in Madrid during this time period but the result is somewhat contrived and the addition of the love story moves the focus away from what might have otherwise been an important commentary. Between the blatant violence and predictable love story, something is lost and the audience fails to connect the horror and overt symbolism to something meaningful. The obviousness of the subject demands a presentation of a solution or at least the implication of one, however, all that is given to us is the overt symbolism of the protagonist Paz who disapproves of violence. At the culmination of the film in which Paz and Dani reunite does not address problems presented but simply suggests that peace is good, violence is bad and that love overcomes everything, including Neonazism.
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★ 7 / 10
Thrilling and thought-provoking Carlos Saura film with a deep denounce to xenophobia and racism
ma-cortes
A young girl (Ingrid Rubio) no passing a degree exam , leaves university and cuts her hair , then her father (Angel Andrés López) puts her working as a taxi…
A young girl (Ingrid Rubio) no passing a degree exam , leaves university and cuts her hair , then her father (Angel Andrés López) puts her working as a taxi woman . Soon she discovers that her daddy is not only a driver but also a member of a racist group formed by other cab workers . They form a dangerous and xenophobe gang (Agata Lys , Eusebio Lázaro , Francisco Maestre) who are taking down immigrants , gays , transvestite , junkies and black people . Meanwhile , she falls in love with a young boy named Dani (Carlos Fuentes) , also a taxi-driver and a colleague of the fascist band , and son of Reme (Agata Lys).The film delivers a sour denounce against racism and xenophobia from a family perspective , concerning about a nasty band who is eliminating people they consider social scum . This issue was formerly treated by Manuel Gutiérrez Aragón in his successful movie ¨Camada Negra¨ . This Saura film tried to create a sort of Spanish Neo-Realism by tackling the fascism and the extreme-right wing from a sociological point of view . Unlikely and non-sense screenplay by Santiago Rivero that has some flaws and gaps . It contains violent and crude scenes as well as improbable happenings . The story relies heavily on the love story of two protagonists . Nice acting from the two debuting actors , Carlos Fuentes and Ingrid Rubio who play and speak naturally . Ingrid Rubio stands out as the young girl who after failing an exam , is forced by her father , a taxi-driver, to learn his profession , she shines with her big eyes and spontaneity . Support cast is frankly excellent such as : Agata Lys , Angel Andres López , Francisco Maestre , Eusebio Lázaro , Rodolfo Sancho , Maite Blasco , Pilar Castro , among others . Special mention for the glamorous and brilliant cinematography by the great cameraman Vittorio Storaro , showing a mysterious Park of Retiro full of lights and shades at the end of the movie . And an evocative musical score plenty of Flamenco songs . The motion picture was well directed by Carlos Saura . The film won numerous prizes and nominations as Camerimage 1996 , Nominated Golden Frog Vittorio Storaro , San Sebastián International Film Festival 1996 Won Special Mention Ingrid Rubio , Nominated Golden Seashell Carlos Saura , Spanish Actors Union 1997 Won Newcomer Award Ingrid Rubio , Nominated Award of the Spanish Actors Union Film : Performance in a Minor Role Pilar Ordóñez . Saura is a well accepted director both nationally and internationally, and in proof of it he won many awards among which there are the following ones : Silver Bear in the Berlin Festival for La Caza or The Hunt (1966), his greatest success in 1965, and for Peppermint Frappé (1967), in 1967. Special Jury Awards in Cannes for La Prima Angélica (1974), in 1973, and for Cría Cuervos (1976) his second big hit , in 1975 . Also, the film Mamá Cumple 100 años (1979) got an Oscar nomination in 1979 as the best foreign film, and it also won the Special Jury Award at the San Sebastian Festival. Along his long career he has won several Goya awards as best adapted screenplay writer and best director.
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AUDIENCE
6.4/10
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