Taxi (1998)

“Daniel” (Samy Naceri) is a record-breaking pizza delivery man in Marseille who is on the cusp of attaining his two greatest wishes. Sex with his pal “Lily” (Marion Cotillard) and his licence to drive a taxi. Then his phone reminds him that to achieve the latter he will have to, temporarily he hopes, forgo the former and get to the licensing centre. By way of some celebratory foolishness, though, he doesn’t have it long as he drives his cab like he rides his bike, and the local constabulary aren’t so impressed. Luckily, it’s the pretty hapless “Émilien” (Frédéric Diefenthal) who apprehends him and he has bigger fish to fry with some elusive bank robbers. He reckons he can use his new friend’s driving skills and intimate knowledge of the city to help him track the criminals down (he can’t actually drive!) and so now an unlikely pairing is born. Luc Besson has crafted an entertaining movie here that is a spoof of just about every cop/buddy-cum-heist film you’ve ever seen and for the most part it works. There is plenty of action on the streets, but there’s also some good fun to be had as the bromance develops and it soon becomes clear that “Daniel” would make a far better gendarme than “Émilien” ever would. Add to the mix the latter man’s frustrated affection for his colleague “Petra” (Emma Wiklund) and his ineptness seems to know few bounds. Both Naceri and Diefenthal work well together presenting an engaging, borderline slapstick, comedy that ends with an enjoyably high-octane homage to the “Italian Job” (1969) before scenes that might hint sequel! I enjoyed this.