# Chicago Cab (1998)

### reviewed by
Susan Granger

Susan Granger's review of "CHICAGO CAB" (Castle Hill Productions and Dream LLC)

All of us have plopped ourselves down in the back of a cab to go somewhere but - have you ever thought of all the different passengers thatdriver has encountered in one 24 hour period? That's the premise of "Chicago Cab," adapted by Will Kern from his long-running, award-winning play, "Hellcab," drawn from his own experiences driving a cab in the Windy City. Paul Dillon recreates his stage role as the lonely cab driver, delivering a sweetly solitary performance as he attempts to evoke some warmth and humanity in the midst of a cold, chaotic Christmas season. Mary Cybulski and John Tintori, a husband-and-wife directing team, keep the pace fast and furious as he picks up fare after fare on the day of the winter solstice. Each encounter is a mini-episode, some more poignant, some more repugnant than others. And there are familiar faces: Gillian Anderson popsup as a hurt and angry Southside woman of questionable morals, while John Cusack is simply a scary man. Julianne Moore is distraught and devastated crime victim, whose story is then passed on the Reggie Hayes, an architect with a sympathetic ear. But there's also the religious zealots, the Pakistani who complains he's driving too slow, the pregnant woman who barely makes it to the hospital in time, the deli-chain owner, the stoned girl for whom he buys a do-nut, the guy who got a bad deal on a used car, the seductive suburban mom, and the pretty receptionist whose businessman boy-friend thinks she's a slut. The quirky humor is angry, funny, bawdy and irreverent - all at the same time. On the Granger Movie Gauge of 1 to10, "Chicago Cab" is a boldly original, engaging 6. Hop in for a weird, wild, most unusual ride.

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