Taxi *** (1998, Sami Naceri, Frédéric Diefenthal, Marion Cotillard) – Classic Movie Review 1384

Sami Naceri and Frédéric Diefenthal star as Marseilles cabbie Daniel and his pal Emilien the cop, who get involved in an often hilarious, fast-paced, high-energy French all-action crime comedy adventure.

In the daft plot, Daniel is done for speeding and, to keep his taxi licence, is forced to help Emilien round up German bank robbers.

Thanks mainly to the two funny star performers and co-producer/writer Luc Besson’s fun screenplay, this essentially silly movie is surprisingly funny, inventive and successful, producing a barrage of daft laughs and exciting car sequences.

It also co-stars Marion Cotillard as Lilly Bertineau. It was her first prominent screen role, which she reprised in two sequels, Taxi 2(2000) and Taxi 3(2003). It earned Cotillard her first César award nomination for Most Promising Actress in 1999.

Emma Sjöberg, Bernard Farcy, Manuela Gourary and Georges Neri also co-star. Director: Gérard Pirès.

Besson wrote the screenplay in 30 days while waiting for the studio to commit to the production go-ahead for his film The Fifth Element (1997). 

Sequels: Taxi 2 (2000), Taxi 3 (2003) and Taxi 4 in 2007. American remake: Taxi (2004).

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© Derek Winnert 2014 Classic Movie Review 1384

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