A Taxi Driver

Name: A Taxi Driver
Genre: Action, Drama, History
Released: August 11, 2017
Duration: 137 min
Rating: 69
Cast: Daniel Joey Albright, Gwi-hwa Choi, Hye-jin Yu, Hyuk-kwon Park, Jun-yeol Ryu

2017

METASCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 7 Critic Reviews

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USER SCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 35 Ratings

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7.8

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7.8	User Score Generally favorable reviews based on 35 Ratings

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A Taxi Driver

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Movie Details & Credits

Showbox/Mediaplex | Release Date: August 11, 2017 | Not Rated

Starring: Daniel Joey Albright, Gwi-hwa Choi, Hye-jin Yu, Hyuk-kwon Park, Jun-yeol Ryu, Kang-ho Song, Thomas Kretschmann

Summary: In this true story set in 1980, a down-on-his-luck taxi driver from Seoul is hired by a foreign journalist who wants to go to the town of Gwangju for the day. They arrive to find a city under siege by the military government, with the citizens, led by a determined group of college students, rising up to demand freedom. What began as an easyIn this true story set in 1980, a down-on-his-luck taxi driver from Seoul is hired by a foreign journalist who wants to go to the town of Gwangju for the day. They arrive to find a city under siege by the military government, with the citizens, led by a determined group of college students, rising up to demand freedom. What began as an easy fare becomes a life-or-death struggle in the midst of the Gwangju Uprising, a critical event in modern South Korea. [Well Go USA]… Expand

Director: Hun Jang

Genre(s): Action, Drama, History

Rating: Not Rated

Runtime: 137 min

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Critic Reviews

Sheri Linden

Aug 16, 2017

In unexpected and wonderfully satisfying ways, A Taxi Driver taps into the symbiotic relationship between foreign correspondents and locals, particularly in times of crisis. Read full review

Michael Rechtshaffen

Aug 10, 2017

Grafting the buddy picture onto the framework of the classic political thriller, director Jang Hoon also manages to find time for lighter moments of human comedy, and those seemingly disparate elements are deftly navigated by Song and his fellow fully dimensional characters. Read full review

Movie Nation Roger Moore

Aug 13, 2017

A Taxi Driver is a Korean epic, a tipping point in the history of South Korea. A little old-fashioned and a touch melodramatic, it’s still a compelling Korean “Year of Living Dangerously.” Read full review

Andy Webster

Aug 10, 2017

The film climaxes with a breathless escape from Gwangju, as Kim and Hinzpeter elude government vehicles with the aid of other cabdrivers. But most impressive is Mr. Song, who persuasively conveys a working stiff’s political awakening. Read full review

Maggie Lee

Aug 16, 2017

While the film clearly taps into the national zeitgeist, buoyed by a sweeping show of people’s power that ousted the president, international audiences should also appreciate the actors’ feisty turns. Read full review

Jason Bechervaise

Aug 10, 2017

A Taxi Driver can over-reach towards its final chase sequences, which enter the realm of fantasy, but they’re not enough to de-rail this fine film. Read full review

RogerEbert.com Simon Abrams

Aug 11, 2017

Song's performance makes me wish the rest of A Taxi Driver was as thoughtful. Read full review

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User Reviews

aminamin

Aug 14, 2020

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. It is a very impressive and excellent film and I think South Korean cinema is very admirable and respectable.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

SPARKOS

Jun 15, 2020

This film is a brilliant historical lesson that utilized Song Kang-ho's emotional acting remarkably. Many have criticized the film for being propaganda in South Korea, but it is so close to non-fiction, that South Koreans should replace some textbooks with 'A Taxi Driver'. Some parts of theThis film is a brilliant historical lesson that utilized Song Kang-ho's emotional acting remarkably. Many have criticized the film for being propaganda in South Korea, but it is so close to non-fiction, that South Koreans should replace some textbooks with 'A Taxi Driver'. Some parts of the film could definitely explain the excessive tension between the protagonists, but overall, this will always be a exciting, spine-chilling, funny and heart-wrenching two hours for anyone from anywhere.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

JLuis_001

Jun 12, 2021

One of the blackest pages in the South Korea that eventually rose to democracy is portrayed in this well-intentioned but not so thoughtful film.

A Taxi Driver tells a true story, as well as taking place in a real historical event. The development of events narrates journalist JürgenOne of the blackest pages in the South Korea that eventually rose to democracy is portrayed in this well-intentioned but not so thoughtful film.

A Taxi Driver tells a true story, as well as taking place in a real historical event.

The development of events narrates journalist Jürgen Hinzpeter's trip to South Korea to report and demonstrate to the world what was happening with the Gwangju Uprising that occurred in May 1980, during which citizens rose up against the then president Chun Doo- hwan and oppose his dictatorship.
Citizens were violently repressed, and it's estimated that more than 2000 people were killed by the military.

Now that's the background to other real story. Since Jürgen Hinzpeter was driven in and out of city of Gwangju with the same taxi driver who helped him during the time that he was in the city recording the incidents that occurred there.

This film portrays the events faithfully up to a point, and evidently fictionalizes others. That was to be expected.
However the transition that is made to develop the character of Song Kang-ho - the taxi driver - doesn't feel the most fitting.
That's not a negative criticism of Song Kang-ho's work, but let's just say the script doesn't allow him much.

Thomas Kretschmann plays Jürgen Hinzpeter, but the truth is that he doesn't have much to do. I mean his character is 100% relevant, but in terms of acting, the film belongs to Song Kang-ho

Also, even though the film is a tribute to the reporter, and what he did, his story is ultimately anecdotal in front of the terrible event that he was reporting, and despite not trivializing what happened there in any way, I feel that the creators preferred not to be so openly critical, and perhaps it was necessary because from what I understand, they were harassed by the government during the filming.

I liked. I definitely liked it. But I also think it lacked more punch.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

Mauro_Lanari

Dec 15, 2019

(Mauro Lanari)
A "hero" by chance (Frears 1992) and student protests lacking a proposal, the new partisans and revolutionaries inexperienced
since without a "pars construens", the skills and competences of founding, constituent, reforming fathers: a film that history has already proposed to(Mauro Lanari)
A "hero" by chance (Frears 1992) and student protests lacking a proposal, the new partisans and revolutionaries inexperienced
since without a "pars construens", the skills and competences of founding, constituent, reforming fathers: a film that history has already proposed to us too many times.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

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