Hellcab DVD Review:

It is a rare treat to think that you know what a movie is going to be like, and then find that it is nothing close to what you imagined, and is in fact far better. With a terrible name and a misleading tagline, Hellcab is nothing like it sounds. In fact, nothing on the cover of the DVD should be taken seriously, from the tagline, “Do You Dare Pay the Fare?” to the list of actors starring. The cover and title make the film sound like a bad horror film, when in fact it is a thought provoking character piece which is hysterical at times and insightful throughout the entire film.

It is the darkest day of the year, winter solstice, in Chicago, and a cab driver has one of the longest days of his life. The assortment of strange characters entering his cab leaves him dumbfounded and often furious and afraid. Some of the people that call for his service are kind and generous, while others threaten his safety. As the day turns into night the characters turn darker or in some cases simply drunker.

Hellcab boasts talent such as John Cusack, Gillian Anderson, Laurie Metcalf, and Julianne Moore, all of which are definitely in the film as well as John C. Reilly and an assortment of other recognizable actors, but none of them remain for more than a few fleeting moments. The film belongs to Paul Dillon, who plays the role of the morose cabdriver. In essence Hellcab is a one man show, and a great one at that. Based on a play of the same name, it is easy to see how this character driven film would be as good on stage. There isn’t much action to the film which may be disappointing to some after renting a film called Hellcab, but what there is plenty of is great dialogue. It is incredibly humorous, and blends gently into poignant and insightful.

Made in 1998 it is doubtful that many people have seen this sleeper, and even with the new DVD release it may still go unnoticed, which is a shame. There are a great deal of amazing scenes in this collection of small bits and pieces as a fare enters the cabdriver’s world briefly. Some of them leave a mark on him, and others are only the money they give him, but each one brings a pleasant surprise to the film. This empty DVD is deceiving from the cover to the title, but promises to be one of the best choices for films to re-released on DVD.



Ryan Izay