Taxman

This is an offbeat, often funny film about a taxman who is investigating a crime when he meets a Russian family and eventually begins to care about them. There are twists but it is mostly a character driven film. Joe Pantoliano is (as usual) great as the taxman. Elizabeth Berkley does a good job as the Russian daughter. Her accent is on target. Robert "The Meteor Man" Townsend is also in it who does an okay job as a lawyer. Joe Pantoliano never gets praise when praise is due. He always puts at least a little effort and energy into all his roles. He usually steals all the movies where he is a supporting character. As evident with this film, he is definitely ready for the lead roles.

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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.

Joe Pantaliano, Wade Dominguez, and Robert Townsend make for a most interesting crimestopping team. This is a blue collar, unglamorous tale. Pantaliano's character is no superhero: he's a tax investigator and a family man (Great line: "I'm not interested in sex. I'm married.") with a rough-hewn manner and an unpleasant disposition. Dominguez is a great balance who goes along with Pantiliano for the ride as he does in life. The film is dedicated to his memory so he died very young. Townsend is perfect as the ambitious D. A. who finally agrees to take the case. Michael Chiklis (The Commish) nearly steals the film as a sympathetic Russian businessman being hunted by Russian mafia hit men. He is terrific in all of his scenes and teaches the boys about Russian life in Brighton Beach.

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.