merklekranz All hope for a coherent movie was dashed as soon as the narratives began. Of course without Joe Pantoliano spoon feeding the story you would have no idea what was going on. This low budget affair is not only confusing, but vacillates wildly between grab ass bantering and sudden bloody violence. To make matters worse there are unnecessary scenes like the wedding party that go on forever, without advancing things one iota. I found "Taxman" about as much fun as an IRS audit. Despite the presence of "Joey Pants" and even Mike Starr as his blustery boss, the weak story line drags this one right down to the mat. Not recommended. - MERK

pete-293 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.

Movie Mania007 If you haven't seen this one, I would run out and rent it. Pantoliano deserves an Oscar nomination for his portrayal of a New York Tax investigator. ....and not to forget the beautiful and talented Elizabeth Berkley--what an unbelievable performance! A must have to any movie collection....

Ed Fitzgerald I caught this on HBO while channel surfing and was almost immediately pulled into it -- it was so refreshing to see a cop film that was realistic, with believable characters who weren't superheroes, the kind of cops who get winded when they chase after a suspect and manage not to kill everyone in sight (in slow motion and utilizing more moves than the entire Romanian Olympic gymnastic team). The two main characters were real human beings who screwed up, went down blind alleys, made wrong assumptions, exploded in frustration when they should have stayed silent, did the right thing for the wrong reasons, and yet, in the end, did some good. I've noted in some of the other comments that people were put off by the fact that these guys were flawed, but that was exactly what attracted me about them.I thought the direction of the film was very understated, yet avoided the kind of studied casualness that's considered stylish these days. The story was engaging and kept me involved. The film moved along at a good clip, but took time out for the lead character to contemplate the situation as it developed. Although there may have been a few holes in the plot, I wasn't overly aware of them, and they certainly weren't as egregious as those we've grown used to in most blockbuster films.This was not a perfect film, and the elements from which it is put together (outcast cops buck the system, persevere and triumph) border on the cliche, but it's a film I would gladly watch again, and perhaps even want to keep in my permanent collection