Main Cast: Samy Naceri, Frédéric Diefenthal, Marion Cotillard, Emma Sjöberg, Manuela Gourary
Release Year: 1998
Country: FR
Run Time: 86 minutes
Plot
Taxi driver Daniel (Samy Naceri) gets out of a traffic offense by making a deal with arresting-officer Emilien (Frederic Diefenthal). A friendship develops as Daniel chauffeurs Emilien about, and soon the two are in pursuit of German bank robbers. This film was scripted by Luc Besson during the 30 days he waited for Columbia's decision on his The Fifth Element, and it was completed on the day Columbia okayed The Fifth Element. After a fall from a horse put director Gerard Pires in the hospital, director Gerard Krawczyk subbed since permits issued by Marseilles cited a set time period, and the start date could not be changed. More than 100 cars took part in the crashes and chases through the Marseilles streets with stuntwork by famed racecar drivers. ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide
Review
A check-your-brain-at-the-door concoction of automotive adrenaline and jaw-dropping stunt driving, it's easy to see how Taxi's script was cranked-out in 30 days by prolific French director (serving as producer and screenwriter on this outing) Luc Besson. As transparent as the script and characters are, at a brisk 90 minutes, there isn't much time to ponder the details of characterization and plot development amid the ever increasing blur of smashes, crashes, and consistently amusing vehicular mayhem. Loud and obnoxious, though good-humored if not a bit juvenile, the souped-up super taxi will likely re-conjure dreams of the supercharged, gadget-filled James Bond cars of childhood fantasies. Racing through the streets of Marseilles at breakneck speeds and proving that you don't need buckets of cash and computer-generated effects to create an effectively effervescent popcorn movie, Taxi is the epitome of sensory overload over substance. Though more than a little of the film's flamboyantly French humor will likely be lost to international audiences, the easygoing nature of the film combined with its infectiously cartoonish characters and action may not deliver any redeeming social messages or any major cinematic epiphanies, though you're not likely to find yourself checking your watch or drifting off into a celluloid-induced coma either. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
Taxi is a 1998Frenchfilm starring Samy Naceri, written by Luc Besson, and directed by Gérard Pirès. The film takes place in Marseille, France, and involves an aspiring racecar driver named Daniel (Naceri), who initially works as a pizza delivery boy, but changes jobs to become a taxi driver. With a supercharged engine he eludes the police while quickly transporting his fares to their destinations. Finally caught by the police for a huge speed infraction, he is forced to help Emilien (Frédéric Diefenthal), a down-on-his-luck police inspector, on the trail of German bank robbers. Trying to juggle a budding relationship with his beautiful girlfriend Lilly (Marion Cotillard) and a need for high-speed chases, Daniel helps Emilien so that he does not lose his license and quite possibly his job.
An American remake loosely based on the French version was released in 2004 starring Jimmy Fallon, Queen Latifah and Brazilian supermodel Gisele Bündchen. The 2004 Bollywood film Dhoom also draws heavily on the plot of Taxi.
Luc Besson wrote the script in 30 days.
In terms of box office admissions, the "Taxi" series is one of the most successful French franchises ever, grossing a reported total of $200 million worldwide and 23 million admissions in France [1]
