Jafar Panahi’s Taxi (2015)
88%RT Audience Score: 79%
Awards & Nominations: 8 wins & 9 nominations
Jafar Panahi’s Taxi is a cinematic masterpiece that showcases the director’s ability to create a thought-provoking and entertaining film despite the limitations imposed upon him. The film’s use of a taxi as the sole spatial reference is a stroke of genius, allowing Panahi to weave together a complex narrative that reflects the social and political realities of contemporary Iran. The film is a testament to Panahi’s resilience and creativity, and his ability to turn his punishment into a work of art that is both poignant and humorous. With Taxi Tehran, Panahi cements his place as one of the most important filmmakers of our time, and a true master of his craft.
Jafar Panahi’s Taxi is like a wild ride through the streets of Tehran, with unexpected twists and turns that keep you on the edge of your seat. Panahi’s clever use of a taxi as the setting for his film allows him to explore the complexities of Iranian society in a way that is both entertaining and thought-provoking. From the hilarious conversations with his passengers to the poignant moments of reflection, this film is a must-see for anyone who loves cinema that challenges and inspires. Panahi proves once again that he is a master of his craft, and his resilience in the face of adversity is truly inspiring.
Production Company(ies)
Distributor
NA
Release Type
Streaming, Theatrical, Theatrical (Limited)
Filming Location(s)
Tehran, Iran
MPAA / Certificate
Not Rated
Year of Release
2015
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Color:Color
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Sound mix:Dolby
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Aspect ratio:NA
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Runtime:NA
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Language(s):Persian
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Country of origin:Iran
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Release date:NA
Genre(s)
Drama
Keyword(s)
Jafar Panahi’s Taxi, directed by Jafar Panahi, written by Jafar Panahi, Iranian movie, social commentary, dissent, martyr, art, Iranian society, taxi, driver, passengers, conversations, cutting, comic, troubled, profound, formal restrictions, visually lively, accessible, cheeky, playful, subversion, masterpiece, recommended, fun, brave, committed, necessary, punishment, essential cinema, dense, thematically strong, light on its feet, critic reviews, reviewed by Jake Wilson, Anthony Lane, Scott Marks, Steven Rea, Jonathan Romney, Donald Clarke, Yasser Medina, Ruhaan Shah, Mikel Zorrilla, Lucía Ros Serra, Mattie Lucas, C.J Prince, audience score, not released yet, featured reviews, Tomatometer, Fresh Kernels, box office performance, budget, MPAA rating, starring Jafar Panahi
Worldwide gross: $3,906,227
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $4,876,020
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 2,184
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 531,736
US/Canada gross: $321,642
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): $401,496
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 2,383
US/Canada opening weekend: $22,531
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): $28,125
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): 2,385
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): NA
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): NA
Production budget ranking: NA
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
ROI to date (est.): NA
ROI ranking: NA
Self – Jafar Panahi
Director(s)
Jafar Panahi
Writer(s)
NA
Producer(s)
NA
Film Festivals
Berlin, Telluride, Toronto
Awards & Nominations
8 wins & 9 nominations
Academy Awards
All Critics (106) | Top Critics (38) | Fresh (102) | Rotten (4)
iven the option, Panahi might prefer to move onto fresh material — but as man and artist, he seems to be surviving as well as could be hoped.
December 22, 2015 | Rating: 3.5/5
Jake Wilson
Sydney Morning Herald
TOP CRITIC
Panahi’s status as a martyr for his art could have gulled him into loftiness and pride; and yet, by some miracle, Taxi stays as modest as his smile, the point being not to recruit us to his cause but to put us on the side of his compatriots.
December 8, 2015
Anthony Lane
New Yorker
TOP CRITIC
Taxi is easily the director’s most accessible work to date.
November 13, 2015
Scott Marks
San Diego Reader
TOP CRITIC
Jafar Panahi’s Taxi looks onto a world where the social order and the spiritual order are at odds, in flux, where the conversations are sometimes cutting, sometimes comic, sometimes troubled, sometimes profound.
November 5, 2015 | Rating: 3.5/4
Steven Rea
Philadelphia Inquirer
TOP CRITIC
Panahi has made a work of invention and brio that remains visually lively throughout, despite its formal restrictions.
November 1, 2015 | Rating: 5/5
Jonathan Romney
Observer (UK)
TOP CRITIC
Panahi follows up the excellent This is not a Film and the slightly dry Closed Curtain with his cheekiest and most playful subversion yet.
October 30, 2015 | Rating: 4/5
Donald Clarke
Irish Times
TOP CRITIC
Taxi Tehran’s pleasurable strength is ingenious at all times because Panahi takes the wheel to sneakily tell the story of his life and the country he lives in. [Full review in Spanish]
June 26, 2020 | Rating: 7/10
Yasser Medina
Cinemaficionados
The car is the only spatial reference Panahi provides, and within that small vehicle, we are offered his silent dissent and resistance as well as his unquenchable need to make movies.
May 16, 2020
Ruhaan Shah
Film Companion
‘Jafar Panahi’s Taxi’ is not a masterpiece, but it is a highly recommended film that works both in its most reflective aspect and if you only want to have a fun time. [Full Review in Spanish]
April 14, 2020
Mikel Zorrilla
Espinof
‘Taxi Tehran’ is a brave, committed and undoubtedly necessary film due to its reflection of Iranian society. [Full Review in Spanish]
April 11, 2020
Lucía Ros Serra
Espinof
Panahi is a master craftsman who continues to make bricks without straw, turning his punishment into some of the most essential cinema of the decade.
August 7, 2019 | Rating: 4/4
Mattie Lucas
From the Front Row
One of Panahi’s greatest skills as a filmmaker is how he can weave such dense and thematically strong material into a film that can feel light on its feet.
May 24, 2019 | Rating: 7.5/10
C.J. Prince
Way Too Indie…
Plot
Jafar Panahi’s Taxi follows the director as he drives a taxi around Tehran, picking up various passengers and offering a glimpse into Iranian society.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
Fresh Kernels doesn’t provide any goofy or funny comments about Jafar Panahi’s Taxi, but they do mention that the director, Jafar Panahi, is also the star of the film.
Jafar-Panahi.jpg
