.gif)
Taxi (1998 film)
Encyclopedia
Taxi is a 1998
French
action-comedy film
starring Samy Naceri
, written by Luc Besson
, and directed by Gérard Pirès
.
, France
, and involves an aspiring racecar driver named Daniel (Naceri), who initially works as a pizza delivery boy, but changes jobs to become a taxi
driver. With a supercharged engine he eludes the police while quickly transporting his fares to their destinations. Finally caught by the police for a huge speed infraction, he is forced to help Émilien (Frédéric Diefenthal
), a down-on-his-luck police inspector, on the trail of German bank robbers. Trying to juggle a budding relationship with his beautiful girlfriend Lilly (Marion Cotillard
) and a need for high-speed chases, Daniel helps Émilien so that he does not lose his license and quite possibly his job.
, Queen Latifah
and Brazilian supermodel Gisele Bündchen
.
The 2004 Bollywood
film Dhoom
also draws heavily on the plot of Taxi.
1998 in film
-Events:* February 14 - Sharon Stone marries Phil Bronstein.* Former child star Gary Coleman is charged with assaulting a young female bus driver at a California shopping mall.-Top grossing films:...
French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
action-comedy film
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
starring Samy Naceri
Samy Naceri
Samy Naceri is a French actor known for his work in the four Taxi movies and The Code .-Childhood and Career:...
, written by Luc Besson
Luc Besson
Luc Besson is a French film director, writer, and producer. He is the creator of EuropaCorp film company. He has been involved with over 50 films, spanning 26 years, as writer, director, and/or producer.-Early life:...
, and directed by Gérard Pirès
Gérard Pirès
-Filmography:* Guo bao zong dong yuan * Les Chevaliers du ciel * Double zéro * Steal * Taxi...
.
Plot
The film takes place in MarseilleMarseille
Marseille , known in antiquity as Massalia , is the second largest city in France, after Paris, with a population of 852,395 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Marseille extends beyond the city limits with a population of over 1,420,000 on an area of...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, and involves an aspiring racecar driver named Daniel (Naceri), who initially works as a pizza delivery boy, but changes jobs to become a taxi
Taxicab
A taxicab, also taxi or cab, is a type of vehicle for hire with a driver, used by a single passenger or small group of passengers, often for a non-shared ride. A taxicab conveys passengers between locations of their choice...
driver. With a supercharged engine he eludes the police while quickly transporting his fares to their destinations. Finally caught by the police for a huge speed infraction, he is forced to help Émilien (Frédéric Diefenthal
Frédéric Diefenthal
Frédéric Diefenthal is a French actor and director.-Biography:Diefenthal began acting in the early 1990s; he held a main role in the French television series Le juge est une femme , where he first gained a degree of notoriety...
), a down-on-his-luck police inspector, on the trail of German bank robbers. Trying to juggle a budding relationship with his beautiful girlfriend Lilly (Marion Cotillard
Marion Cotillard
Marion Cotillard is a French actress and singer. She garnered critical acclaim for her roles in films such as La Vie en Rose, My Sex Life... or How I Got Into an Argument, Taxi, Furia and Jeux d'enfants...
) and a need for high-speed chases, Daniel helps Émilien so that he does not lose his license and quite possibly his job.
Box office
In terms of box office admissions, the "Taxi" series is one of the most successful French franchises ever, grossing a reported total of $200 million worldwide and 23 million admissions in France.Remake
An American remake loosely based on the French version was released in 2004 starring Jimmy FallonJimmy Fallon
James Thomas "Jimmy" Fallon, Jr. is an American actor, comedian, singer, musician and television host. He currently hosts Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, a late-night talk show that airs Monday through Friday on NBC...
, Queen Latifah
Queen Latifah
Dana Elaine Owens , better known by her stage name Queen Latifah, is an American singer, rapper, and actress. Her work in music, film and television has earned her a Golden Globe award, two Screen Actors Guild Awards, two Image Awards, a Grammy Award, six additional Grammy nominations, an Emmy...
and Brazilian supermodel Gisele Bündchen
Gisele Bündchen
Gisele Caroline Bündchen is a Brazilian fashion model, occasional film actress and goodwill ambassador for the UN Environment Programme.In the late 1990s, Bündchen became one of the first in a wave of Brazilian models to find success...
.
The 2004 Bollywood
Bollywood
Bollywood is the informal term popularly used for the Hindi-language film industry based in Mumbai , Maharashtra, India. The term is often incorrectly used to refer to the whole of Indian cinema; it is only a part of the total Indian film industry, which includes other production centers producing...
film Dhoom
Dhoom
The title track "Dhoom Dhoom" was released in a remixed version song by the Thai-American singer Tata Young. The song and it's music video featuring Tata Young proved to be a major hit in India during 2004 and 2005. The original song was sung by Sunidhi Chauhan. Other tracks on the soundtrack...
also draws heavily on the plot of Taxi.
See also
- Taxi 2Taxi 2Taxi 2 is a French film directed by Gérard Krawczyk and released in 2000. It is a sequel to Taxi written by Luc Besson and directed by Gérard Pirès in 1998. It was followed by Taxi 3 in 2003.-Plot:...
, the 2000 sequel to Taxi - Taxi 3Taxi 3Taxi 3 is a 2003 French comedy film directed by Gérard Krawczyk. It is the sequel to Taxi 2.-Plot:A group of thieves calling themselves the Santa Claus gang are wreaking havoc, and the Marseille police are, as usual, unable to keep up. Superintendent Gibert is distracted by a Chinese journalist ...
, the 2003 sequel to Taxi 2 - Taxi 4Taxi 4Taxi 4 is a 2007 French comedy film directed by Gérard Krawczyk. It is the sequel to the 2003 French Action/Comedy film Taxi 3. As with all the other films in the Gallic Taxi franchise, Samy Naceri plays taxi driver "Daniel Morales", this time in a Peugeot 407 unlike the 406 in the previous films...
, the 2007 sequel to Taxi 3 - TaxiTaxi (2004 film)Taxi is a 2004 American remake of the 1998 Luc Besson-penned, Gérard Pirès-directed French film of the same name, starring Queen Latifah, Jimmy Fallon and Gisele Bündchen, and directed by Tim Story.-Plot:...
, the 2004 remake, starring Queen LatifahQueen LatifahDana Elaine Owens , better known by her stage name Queen Latifah, is an American singer, rapper, and actress. Her work in music, film and television has earned her a Golden Globe award, two Screen Actors Guild Awards, two Image Awards, a Grammy Award, six additional Grammy nominations, an Emmy...
, Jimmy FallonJimmy FallonJames Thomas "Jimmy" Fallon, Jr. is an American actor, comedian, singer, musician and television host. He currently hosts Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, a late-night talk show that airs Monday through Friday on NBC...
and Gisele BündchenGisele BündchenGisele Caroline Bündchen is a Brazilian fashion model, occasional film actress and goodwill ambassador for the UN Environment Programme.In the late 1990s, Bündchen became one of the first in a wave of Brazilian models to find success...
.