Rachel Wald
Media
Taxi Driver
Martin Scorcese's Taxi Driver starring Robert Dinero, Harvey Keitel, Jodie Foster, and Cybill Shepard is quite possibly one of the darkest but best movies of all time. The movie follows the path of Deniro's character Travis Bickle on his life as a lonely insomniac who is basically isolated from society as whole. He applies for a job as taxi driver due to his insomnia and this career choice leads him on several interesting ventures. Due to his job he comes across a beautiful young girl names Betsy (Cybill Shepard) and is instantly attracted to her. He burst into her office where she is volunteering for Senator Palantine and boldly asks her out on a date. He tells her what he thinks which is the honest truth, that she is a lonely unhappy woman even though many people surround her. He ends up ruining this relationship by taking her to a porno film for which she doesn't forgive him.
Taxi Driver
English: Faye Dunaway at Fashion for Relief 2007
English: Faye Dunaway at the Cannes film festivalFrom that point on begins Travis' spiral into depression and loneliness he ends up buying a gun and plans to kill Senator Palantine he resorts to the streets filled with prostitutes and makes an unlikely friend with a child prostitute named Iris. His unhealthy attachment to Iris causes him to desperately want to help her. This want to help her results in Travis killing several people at the end and ironically being considered a hero.
In my opinion although Taxi Driver is dark and gruesome it brings out some characteristics of a spectacular movie. Deniro's performance alone could make it one of the best movies of all time. Therefore Taxi Driver included great direction, great performances, and a great storyline. It is one of the best movies of all time.
Rachel Wald
Media
Chinatown
The movie Chinatown directed by the great Roman Polanski including great performances by Faye Dunaway and Jack Nicholson is one of the better crime films of today. It separates itself from becoming one of the genre type crime films. Wit a great performance by Jack Nicholson the story magically comes alive. His radiant attitude and ability to laugh be serious, and an amazing actor is demonstrated during Chinatown. Faye Dunaway gives an equally amazing performance as the real Mrs. Mulray. The story starts off with an imposter Mrs. Mulray who insists that her husband I s cheating on her and that she must get to the bottom o f this. WE later find out that this Mrs. Mulray is indeed a fraud and come to meet the real one who is Faye Dunaway. The movie follows Faye Dunaways story and it leads Jack's character in a n ugly run in with the Los Angeles mob resulting in his nose being cut. It also describes the dark world of rape and incest. When we come to find out that Mrs. Mulray's daughter is in fact her sister as well. These shocking turn of events happen so quickly and the audience doesn't know what to think. However the end is the most disturbing, at the end it seems to be that all the wrong people are alive and all the wrong people are dead. This dark turn of events leaves the audience with a depressing feeling which was provided by Polanski's sorrows due t o his Wife's passing.
Therefore Chinatown contains great performances by Jack Nicholson and Faye Dunaway, performances that we are sure not to forget. This film is also a masterpiece because the great Roman Polanski films it. Chinatown is arguably one of the greater crime films of this century.