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You're reading a really old version of matt-thornton's website. For example, if you're looking at the movie reviews... you'll notice that none of them are of recent films. Indeed, I leave them here for posterity's sake, but I doubt very much that they'll get updated anytime soon. So have a giggle.
You might, if you're lucky, find something recent from Matt at his blog matt's debates. Kernow bys vyken.
Taxi
the one line review:
Adam Sandler... in French
the overview
French films are either a) porn b) shit or c) shit porn (if such a thing exists). This is probably the best film to come out of France in a long long time (Chocolat was crap [and not even French, I think?]).
It's an outrageous action comedy and for some reason, is made all the more funny by the Frenchness and accents used in it.
the plot:
Daniel is a scooter riding pizza bloke who decides to throw it all in to drive a taxi in Marseilles. Though it's not ordinary taxi - it's a souped up Peugeot 406 (I know I know) - but it's seriously souped. Pepped V6, automatic spoiler and wheel fatteners, front skirts and all round leather. Allegedly does 135mph. Nice. Right, so Mr Taxi Driver is caught doing stupid speeds by his passenger (who happens to be a cop). Though he isn't a good cop. In fact he's a baaaad cop. So Bad Cop tells Taximan he'll keep his job if he helps him catch a bunch of Mercedes driving criminals who are doing over banks. Kind of Point Break meets Blue Streak. So and so forth, lot's of hilarious nonensities (!), lot's of high speed driving as Mr Taxi and Mr Cop figure out the case and catch the bad guys.
the verdict:
Love it. OK, so it's in French with English subtitles which means you have to read, but if you know a smattering of French it's easy to follow without having to read. This film is made great by the fact that it knows exactly what it is trying to be. It's sarcastic French people larking about and I have no idea how, but it does it really really well. Maybe it's Luc Besson who wrote it (author of the Fifth Element, starring Bruce Willis...). It's so tongue in cheek that it actually has you in stitches for lots of it. Plus the action/chase scenes are filmed really smoothly and it's an all round good flick.
Buy this film!
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