REVIEW: DVD Release: Taxi

Film: Taxi
Release date: 14th October 2002
Certificate: 15
Running time: 86 mins
Director: Gérard Pirès
Starring: Samy Naceri, Frédéric Diefenthal, Marion Cotillard, Manuela Gourary, Emma Sjöberg
Genre: Action/Comedy/Crime
Studio: Prism Leisure
Format: DVD
Country: France

As the ‘80s passed us by and the ‘90s emerged, we entered a new age in cinema. The postmodern slowly developed into the post-postmodern, an age of remakes and intertextuality. The old adage that, “Anything that can be invented, has already been invented” now seems to have been accepted as an unwritten rule of cinema. Taxi is a perfect example of intertextual postmodern film, and was written and produced by one of the finest exponents of the art: Luc Besson.

Daniel is a taxi driver who drives a super-taxi at the highest speeds possible. He drives so fast, in fact, that his car is a blur when captured on any speed cameras. One day he is caught by Emilien, a very unlucky policeman, and Daniel is faced with having his license taken away.

The Mercedes Gang, from Germany, are so good at robbing banks that they always announce where and when they plan to strike next. So far the gang have eluded capture and now they are targeting Marseilles. Desperate for a lucky break, Emilien offers Daniel a chance to keep his taxi license. Daniel, who despises the police, reluctantly agrees to help Emilien catch the Mercedes Gang…


This crime/comedy was an instant classic upon its release in 1997 and has since been remade by Hollywood, with Queen Latifa taking over the lead role. However, Taxi takes more from Hollywood than it does from its apparent French influences and perspectives.

On the surface, Taxi presents the viewer with a distinct homage to Hollywood crime movies. In fact, the music in the opening titles is the song Mirsolu from Pulp Fiction (the rest of the soundtrack is mostly French hip-hop). Mirsolu has become so iconic that it tells the audience exactly what to expect from the rest of the film. There are also numerous references to Tarantino and other big budget crime movies throughout Taxi, such as the Reservoir Dogs style bank robbery scenes, and the ending, which is visually reminiscent of Heat.

However, this relationship with Hollywood goes even deeper than its face value. When watching Taxi there is a strong sense of hyper-masculinity, which triggers memories of Alain Delon and French crime thrillers of the ‘50s and ‘60s, such as Le Samourai, Borsalino and A Bout de Souffle. Daniel is not just a taxi driver; he is the greatest driver alive. The Mercedes Gang are not simply bank robbers; they are super bank robbers. Even the cars they drive are fantastical and encased in their own folklore. It is also worth noting that the quintessentially French city of Marseilles is the typical setting of any French heist movie or gangster film.

The most striking aspect of this movie is the way the stunts and driving scenes are shot. Many of the action sequences act as set pieces to the plot, driving (no pun intended) it forward to the spectacular finale. The story begins with Daniel being ‘saluted’ by a troop of pizza delivery bikes, who put on an impressive display of tricks and stunts. This is then taken to new heights when Daniel unleashes his modified taxi. The way in which the cars are shot makes them look incredibly fast, but without any CGI glossiness. The cinematography and soundtrack build upon the visual style to further enhance the ever present coolness to great effect.

Despite the driving and stunts being central to the plot, these set pieces are interspersed with cleverly constructed comedy, which is best enjoyed with subtitles, as jokes sound very corny in the London gangster-style dubbing. Many of the characters come across as being caricatures of themselves, particularly when coupled with their exaggerated hyper-masculine abilities and traits. Daniel is a cool, suave diamond in the rough. Emilien is the accident prone, pathetic nice guy who brings the bulk of the comic relief.

This odd combination of prodigy and spoof adds further charm and complexity to the double act without infringing on either the action or the humour. There is also the sense that Daniel is the hero and Emelien is a sidekick who is there to bring credibility to Daniel’s prowess, as with most action films. So, the duo act as both a Laurel And Hardy-style comedy act and the Leathal Weapon-style buddy team.

Luc Besson supposedly wrote the script for Taxi in just thirty days, which is particularly impressive given the film’s success and popularity. The acting is capably portrayed, with Samy Naceri playing a laid-back, yet smooth lead, indicative of a modern Jean-Paul Belmondo in A Bout de Souffle crossed with a French version of Sean Connery’s Bond (complete with a gadget packed Peugeot!).


Taxi has much to offer the discerning viewer with its unique mix of action and comedy. It embroiders a textured intertextual tapestry and, at the same time, carves its own niche far beyond these roots. It’s easy to see how this endearing film has spawned a further three sequels and a US remake in little over a decade. DOB