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In spite of the caveats, Steve Gelder takes
the role on with a really funny sentiment that makes the title character
in the film worthy of a viewing. Gelder takes the character on with
finesse, and adds a sense of dimension that brings this character into a
different view as this person who is so pathetic, and yet so oddly
compelling. His delusions keep us wondering, and Gelder really dives
into the role.
Unfortunately, much of the comedy played
for, during “Cabbie” doesn’t quite hit the stride as much as it wants
to. The concept of cabbie is a man who takes his job so seriously that
he exaggerates the purpose of the cab driver in American cities. He’s a
bit of a loser, a bit of an optimist, and takes his role with great
importance. And sadly, Brussel’s can never make the format of the
documentary following this cab driver around funny or entertaining
enough to pull us in. I was just curious what the actual purpose was
beyond this one little concept that was more worthy of a film a little
under ten minutes long. “Cabbie” drags on for almost thirty minutes, and
never inspires too much chuckles from me. And that’s saying a lot since
the concept is so genuine and sharp. An aspiring cab driver who
idealizes the job of driving a taxi is rich, and it just never reflects
onto us on-screen enough to garner laughter, or even chuckles. The movie
just seems to use the jokes for the purposes of a preamble for the
convenient finale which is intent on delivering a pretty funny surprise
ending that really didn’t work as well as it should have.
Overall, it's a pretty flat experience, but one saved by Steve Gelder
who manages to take the inept character to a pretty interesting level.
Brussel's short is sadly laughless, and predictable, but it has a unique
concept fit for a shorter format.
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