Taxi Drivers / Taximetrişti
Romania 2023
Directed by Bogdan Theodor Olteanu, comedy, 97 min, eng subtitles, 16+
Written by Bogdan Theodor Olteanu, Adrian Nicolae
With Alexandru Ion, Rolando Matsangos, Maria Popistașu, Victoria Răileanu, Mădălina Stoica
Two friends drive their taxis across Bucharest by night, meeting TV anchors, self-proclaimed DJs and influencers, gangsters and unrequited lovers (one of them played by the most famous Romanian stand-up comedian). Lică (Alexandru Ion) is loud, full of himself, a big know-it-all and exasperating – until he gets tired and nostalgic for the one girl who had dumped him. Liviu (Rolando Matzangros) is a polite intellectual who lacks ambition but would take any job to support his wife. Their exchanges with the assortment of passengers sketch novel definitions of capitalism, gender theory, family values, migration and its repercussions, caring for the elderly, the meaning of art and taste, all with a very wide range of vocabulary and vocal variety.
A wonderfully executed adaptation of an independent theatre play of 2018, written by the same scripting duo.