Taxman

Flipping channels one day and came across this film. Joe Pantoliano has always been good in whatever he does, and then it was 'Hey, Michael Chiklis!,' "Oh look, it's Elizabeth Berkley!" and the clincher was "OMG!! Freakin' Robert Townsend!!" It's a good movie, not a great film. It has a somber ending, fitting the film's almost anti-climatic aftermath...

Worth a rental for sure... It's funny how much cell phones have changed movies, especially cop dramas.

My only complaint .. as usual with Joe P.'s movies .. is his hair. The poor guy needs to just shave that mess... or go big with the transplants... Plus he's blonde in the movie and I just don't seem his as this fair-haired guy.

I originally saw "The Taxman" because I enjoy watching Elizabeth Berkley. Her portrayal of Nadia is her finest work to date. I doubt that it will silence the many critics of this young woman but it does show very well what she is a very capable actress. But beyond the performance of Elizabeth, the film is also very well done. Michael Chiklis is excellent as Nadia's father- a sort of Russian mafia kindly godfather character. But perhaps what really makes the film is the apparently accurate depiction of a tax fraud investigation. A movie about tax fraud investigation is rather unique to begin with and would strike many as rather boring. But a crime related movie that avoids all the usual cliches of mindless violence and fast cars and women is even more rare these days. Yet "The Taxman" manages to both avoid being routine and to be engrossing as well. By the way, I loved Elizabeth's sexy Russian accent.

This was Joe Pantoliano's first starring role, and I've always found him to play interesting guys - AFTER this movie because he's kind of flat in here. His character, "Al Benjamin," doesn't have the normal "Joey Pants" spark to him. Even the narration - and I love narration - is dull. His character also is a little obnoxious to be the "hero" of the story. Unlike others, I was expecting more going into this viewing.

His sidekick, however: "Joseph Romero" (Wade Dominguez) is very interesting. Michael Chiklis also was good as a Russian businessman who has been a target of the Soviet hit men.

The story is a bit convoluted, concerning the Russian and gas stations being used as fronts for tax purposes. Once again, we get the typical Hollywood cliché of the good cop being a renegade on the force. Overall: fair, at best.

He's not Hollywood handsome and can't dance. He has more tenacity than brains and is more impulsive than courageous. He has a tendency to act first, think later, and screw up. He will apologize, but only if it's really necessary and not everything works out in the end for him. Such is the central character in "The Taxman" (Pantoliano), an okay cops vs crime flick with the twist being the hero is a federal tax investigator who stumbles into a mafia-style operation and has almost as much trouble with the system as he has with the hoodlums. "The Taxman" is an earnest effort and a worthwhile watch for those who are looking for a down-to-earth crime flick.

This film reminded me of why low-budget films of earlier decades used to fascinate me: interesting premises, offbeat characters, and even good acting. But one must be tolerant of occasional over-acting (such as by Joe Pantoliano, who is nonetheless good), dialogue that seems at times to be ad libbed, and a screenplay with gaping holes. It is something less than a movie, yet it holds the viewer's interest with an interesting story and characters. There is also some action.