While big Hollywood studios often miss the most obvious opportunities, world of the independent cinema is less prone to such fiascos. When the simple and effective concept is discovered, the film makers must be really untalented or unfortunate not to use it. That rare misfortune didn't affect Mary Cybulski and John Tintori, directors of 1998 drama Chicago Cab.
The script for the film was written by Will Kern and represents adaptation of his stage play Hellcab, based on author's experiences as part-time taxi driver. The movie lacks traditional plot and it represents nothing more than series of vignettes that take place in a Chicago cab during one day. From the early morning until late in the evening unnamed driver (played by Paul Dillon) has to take fares belonging to various races, ethnicities and social classes. The job is exhausting and at times very dangerous because some of the fares and people at their destination are involved in illegal activities. The worst part of the driver's experience is the endless series of tragedies he has to witness at the back seat without any ability to help.
The best thing about Chicago Cab is that the audience knows very little about protagonist - his background, his private life or his probable future . What the viewers know is that the driver is, or at least tries to be, a decent human being and that his daily exposure to the various forms of human misery affects his mental health. Paul Dillon, relatively unknown character actor, handles this difficult role with subtlety and great skill. In doing so he is aided with the small army of good and sometimes well-known actors like Gillian Anderson (in a role which is anti-thesis of her Scully character in The X-Files), John Cusack or Julianne Moore. The script, just like real life, mixes tragedy and comedy and the little vignettes are all very interesting. The only major flaw of the film is bad choice of music. Because of it the simple concept of Chicago Cab fails to reach its full potential. Despite that, it is still very entertaining and moving little film that shows how simplicity can be effective in today's cinema.
RATING: 6/10 (++)
(Note: The text in its original form was posted in Usenet newsgroup rec.arts.films.reviews on March 24th 2004)
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