La Jetée (1931)

19 November 2019

I was expecting a gangster film with Taxi! (1931), but it was moreso a drama than anything. Starring James Cagney and Loretta Young, it's 50/50 between a romance and taxi turf warfare. I enjoyed it for what it was, and it's 70 minute runtime makes it a quick watch (I got through most of it waiting for my flight out of LAS).

As movies go, it's best known for Cagney's "You dirty rat, you killed my brother!" misquote (the actual phrase is more: "Come out and take it, you dirty yellow-bellied rat, or I'll give it to you through the door!") There's also a bit of dancing involved (Cagney did more of that in Yankee Doodle Dandy (1942)).

It's an alright film, but it feels very dated nowadays. Ruby (Leila Bennett) as the chatty friend of Young's character feels very out of place, breaking the story with long-winded out-of-place monologues. It stands out, and it's pretty weird. Of Cagney films, there are far better ones out there though. 5/10