[robfosters]

Watched it the other day and just felt bored. I know it's a cinema classic and I should be shot for dissing it, but it just did'nt grab me the way everyone says it does.

[andrew markwort]

I know what you mean, but I wouldn't call it boring as much as something that in hindsight you wonder what all the fuss was about. I saw it in an arthouse cinema when I was a student a couple of years after its release (I hadn't seen it on its initial release because we didn't get that sort of film in Barrow in Furness). At the time I enjoyed it (if 'enjoy' is the right word). I saw it again the other night on Sky - it was a decent print and the picture and sound were way better than when I first saw it, but it now seemed very drab and a bit stuck in its time. I think our attitudes on a lot of things have moved on since the film was made in the seventies and what seemed at the time an interesting study of mental decay in an urban cesspit now just seems tawdry rather than insightful. There are some great individual performances in it, but overall it didn't grip me.

[xit2050]

No, you are not alone.
Besides, don't let others tell you what movies you should or shouldn't like.

It's called personal choice.

[Pecker]

You may not be alone, but that doesn't mean you're right.

Steve W

[robfosters]

No one's wrong and no ones right. It's all down to personal preference.

[featherhall]

although I think it is a masterpiece, I can fully understand why some may not like it. Each to their own.
For instance, I cant stand Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, and I get flamed for saying so.

Opinions - love em'

[SimonH]

In my 10 ten favourites ever, boring ?

I guess it's just as well we don't all share similar taste but I just don't get how anybody could say that was a boring film.

[andrew markwort]

I just don't get how anybody could say that was a boring film

.

For the record, I didn't say it was boring, just rather drab. I think the film is a bit too focused on all that was bad about urban living in the USA at that time, but utterly failed to consider that there were good things as well. The only point at which we move out of the urban environment is when we hear the reading of the letter from the girl's parents at the end, and to me, this sounds like a very patronising message that the only alternative to urban blight is living a dull life in the sticks. Maybe I'm approaching this movie from the wrong direction, but that's how it strikes me.

I should repeat that there is a lot to admire in the film - e.g. the acting by and large is superb.

[SimonH]

Originally Posted by andrew markwort

.

For the record, I didn't say it was boring, just rather drab. I think the film is a bit too focused on all that was bad about urban living in the USA at that time, but utterly failed to consider that there were good things as well. The only point at which we move out of the urban environment is when we hear the reading of the letter from the girl's parents at the end, and to me, this sounds like a very patronising message that the only alternative to urban blight is living a dull life in the sticks. Maybe I'm approaching this movie from the wrong direction, but that's how it strikes me.

I should repeat that there is a lot to admire in the film - e.g. the acting by and large is superb.

Sorry Andrew, I quoted the wrong person, was the other chap who said he was bored.

[Dark Drums]

With the greatest respect to the OP, the film does exactly what it's supposed to do.

It all depends what you expect of the movie; if your going in with the mindset of believing it's some sort of super gory, mindless shoot-em up then I can understand why you would be disappointed.

[Pecker]

I'll just offer this - for a film to be truly boring, nothing would need to be happening.

If something is happening and you're bored, there are four possibilities:

1 - It's a bad film;
2 - The viewer doesn't understand what is happening (if you see a dialogue-driven film in a foreign language, without subtitles, you'd find it boring, but that wouldn't make it a bad film);
3 - The viewer does understand what's going on, but the film is incredibly simplistic and obvious (Transformers springs to mind);
4 - It's just not the viewer's cup of tea.

Lots of real film fans do not find Taxi Driver boring, which implies that there is something of interest happening. Most of the people who like it are not children, teenagers looking for something 'kewl', or populists with no understanding of cinema. That suggests it's no Transformers.

This leaves us with two possibilities for those who find it boring. Either it's not their cup of tea (fair enough) or they don't understand what's going on because they can only read fairly simplistic cinema.

Steve W

[SimonH]

Originally Posted by featherhall

I cant stand Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, and I get flamed for saying so.

Really, thought it was a decent movie, but I'm surprised anybody was in love with it enough to flame you for not liking it. It's not exactly a classic.

Some of JC's best work mind you but lets face it, he's only got about a 30% success rate IMO.

[Pincho Paxton]

Well, it's a film that I have watched only once, didn't particularly dislike, and couldn't be bothered to watch again. This puts it in a very small minority of which only a few of my previous films are placed....

Taxi Driver
Dog Day Afternoon
Ladykillers
Eight Legged Freaks
Black Sheep

Are examples of this list, and this description....

This leaves us with two possibilities for those who find it boring. Either it's not their cup of tea (fair enough) or they don't understand what's going on because they can only read fairly simplistic cinema.

.... I suppose would be a closest fit to boring, but they aren't quite boring.

[Pincho Paxton]

Originally Posted by SimonH

Really, thought it was a decent movie, but I'm surprised anybody was in love with it enough to flame you for not liking it. It's not exactly a classic.

Some of JC's best work mind you but lets face it, he's only got about a 30% success rate IMO.

No... it's a classic. I don't really flame people though.

[pRot3us]

Originally Posted by andrew markwort

For the record, I didn't say it was boring, just rather drab. I think the film is a bit too focused on all that was bad about urban living in the USA at that time, but utterly failed to consider that there were good things as well. The only point at which we move out of the urban environment is when we hear the reading of the letter from the girl's parents at the end, and to me, this sounds like a very patronising message that the only alternative to urban blight is living a dull life in the sticks. Maybe I'm approaching this movie from the wrong direction, but that's how it strikes me.

Its a an honest movie about New York at the time, why you would want it to be a disney-esque feel good movie about urban living is beyond me

The film is largely a reaction to the state of New York of the time which was an utter, utter hole of a place to live in the 70s, literally hell on earth ; gangs, high crime,highest murder rate in the world, streets were filthy with rubbish, massive rat and sanitation problems. To many it looked like the start of the fall of western civilization, particularly looking back to what a great,iconic city it had once been.

[Starburst]

To sum up it's a product of it's time which is always going to alienate a large portion of a future audience

[andrew markwort]

Its a an honest movie about New York at the time, why you would want it to be a disney-esque feel good movie about urban living is beyond me

I didn't say this. But being bereft of light and shade, the film becomes monotone. To some extent, Scorcese just parrots the common mindset of the time that large American cities were cesspits, everything was doomed, blah, blah, blah. And at that level Taxi Driver has no more insight into the real world than e.g. Death Wish. And that's dishonest.

It's a film about inner mental decay matching the external decay - but my point is that any salvation that's offered is presented as undesirable, and this is plain wrong (and coming from a director who nearly became a priest, it's astonishing). In the same way, the doomsayers were wrong about New York, which transformed itself in the next few years.

[AgentCool]

I have to admit that, though it's undoubtedly a decent film and one of Scorsese's best, 'Taxi Driver' isn't something I'd choose to watch more than once every ten years or so because it can be rather dull and monotone. No doubt many would say the same about something like 'Vertigo' (Jimmy Stewart driving around San Francisco won't excite the '2 Fast 2 Furious' crowd) but the difference is that the Hitchcock film is utterly timeless, consistently absorbing and its genius becomes more and more apparent on repeat viewings. In my opinion, 'Taxi Driver', though often regarded as a classic on the level of 'Vertigo', doesn't truly excel at any of these things.

[rebel_scum]

I can't call it boring, but there are continuity errors that bugged the hell out of me.

[FamicomHero]

I am travis

[Leumas_10]

Originally Posted by Pecker

Lots of real film fans do not find Taxi Driver boring, which implies that there is something of interest happening. Most of the people who like it are not children, teenagers looking for something 'kewl', or populists with no understanding of cinema. That suggests it's no Transformers.

This leaves us with two possibilities for those who find it boring. Either it's not their cup of tea (fair enough) or they don't understand what's going on because they can only read fairly simplistic cinema.

Steve W

I'd probably go along with most of that. Taxi driver is one of my favourites, but a mate I regularly watch films with found it rather dull. We have differing tastes and I guess that's what it all boils down to; he insisted I watch Hellboy II the other week and I was bored to tears (although the sound is quite impressive ). Those sort of popcorn films I could take or leave, I like a film to grab me and make me think a bit.

Although, I wouldn't class myself as a 'real' film fan and him not, it's just horses for courses. Proves a bit difficult in blockbusters when he heads for the latest flashy release and I'm browsing those middle sections not many bother with

[paul.w]

in mho taxi driver is one of the most over hyped films of all time.
when reading about the film it reminded me of art critics banging on about the quality and importance of a piece of artwork that the rest of humanity knows is just a piece of crap. or a wine buff extolling the virtue of a £300 bottle of clarret that tastes worse than a £6 bottle of merlot !
having said that, i recently recommended the film sideways, to a friend of mine, who having watched the film, said he found it boring ! so it just goes to show, one mans meat is another mans poison.

[chrismart83]

Not sure if i found it boring, but i found it to be over-rated. Whenever i say to my friends i didnt enjoy this film (the same with Scarface), they always have a go at me.

[Leumas_10]

^ Now scarface is a film I did find pretty overrated, I enjoyed it but wouldn't regard it as highly as some do. It seems to have been adopted as a chav favourite too

[Kieran83]

TBH i find Taxi driver being one of those films that i can easily forget. Yes De niro does a good job but its one of those films that is 30years old and not a film that there is a particular 'mood' for unlike '' i feel like some comedy to cheer me up, or i feel like some carnage to get me through the day''

Everyone has their own opinion though

[Pecker]

It's out on Blu-ray Disc soon. I don't think Me Julie has ever seen it, so she's in for a treat...or not depending on your her point of view.

I'll let you know what she thinks.

Steve W

[norliss]

You're probably not alone but certainly not in agreement with me. I find it riveting and could easily watch it again and again.

This a film which you either love or not,I feel it is a great movie.

The BBFC once took offence at the scene with Jodie Foster unzips Robert DeNiro's flies and removed the audio zip noise,because at the time Jodie was underaged,but now is intact.

I've watched it twice now as the first time around I thought I had missed something so watched it again a couple of months later but just I could'nt get into it. Agree De Niro is a great actor and have liked him in most things, but did find this film pretty boring to be honest.

[Todd Tomorrow]

I don't find Taxi Driver boring, but like with many of Scorsese's films I admire it rather than love it. I don't share his preoccupation with Italian American machismo and I tend to prefer his earlier films which deal with different subject matter (Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore, New York New York). I feel the same about Raging Bull. I can see why it's a great film and why it's held in such high regard, but I don't enjoy watching it that much..