I missed watching "A Taxi Driver" when it initially became popular but wanting to learn more about the Gwangju Uprising (thanks to currently watching "Youth of May") lead me back. I'm glad I learned a little more of the history before watching it blindly. If you don't know much about Korean history, like me, prepare yourself for a story that's inspiring but brutal and heartbreaking. I love when movies show history from a personal perspective, making it relatable and making me curious to learn more. That's what this movie does so well.

This movie stars Song Kang Ho as Kim Man Sup, a struggling single father and taxi driver, and his performance is brilliant. I've never seen a bad performance from him and this is no exception. It's a character similar to the one he would later play so well in "Parasite", basically a man who uses clever instincts to take advantage of an opportunity that leads him to more trouble than he bargained for. I loved seeing the change and internal struggle within his character. It also stars Thomas Kretschmann as Peter (irl Jürgen Hinzpeter) a determined reporter eager to do anything in his power to film what was really happening in Korea even if that puts him in serious danger. His performance is probably my least favorite of the cast but he still does a good job. I just think Song Kang Ho carried many of their scenes together. It's their relationship that is meant to drive the story, and it does, but I was moved even more by the rest of the cast.

This is the part of the review where I once again confess my love for Ryu Joon Yeol, and admit to being biased, but I loved him so much as Goo Jae Shik. He is so a-dork-able and his smile always automatically puts me in a good mood. Still, under all of that quirkiness is an actor with true depth and he really got me in the feels with this role. Yoo Hae Jin as Hwang Tae Sool is another everyday superhero in this movie, and I love how both actors honor the true heroism of everyday citizens.

What I liked about this movie the most is that it's story is told in a simple enough way that you can understand it all even knowing nothing previously about the real history. I also loved the idea of discovering what was happening through the main characters' eyes. I'm not sure how much of what was in this movie is based on real events or not but it immediately made me want to learn even more about real stories of Gwangju out of respect (thank you youtube lol).

Overall, this is a great film but it can be a little tough emotionally so prepare yourself for some tears to fall. Don't let the cute promotional pic fool you. I also loved the ending, and the idea of how strangers can meet briefly and not only change each others lives but the world around them.