Taxi 656 (2008)

Directed by: Saskia Diesing | 38 minutes | drama, comedy, short film | Actors: Fred Goessens, Alix Adams, Sandra Mattie, Juda Goslinga, Ton Kas, Jip Loots, Louis Lijmer, Frits Lambrechts, Rachid Larouz, Christine van Stralen, Ton Pompert, Felicity Wielzen, Sarah Chronis, Bodine van Zalk, Elvan Akyildiz, Franky van Dorts, Mike Lebanon, Rifka Lodeizen, Sylvia Poorta, Rene van Zinnicq Bergmann, Benja Bruijning, Rogier Schippers, Sieger Sloot, Martijn Fischer, Rian Gerritsen

The tragicomic ‘Taxi 656’ is about a couple who have been together for about twenty or twenty-five years and where the spirit of the relationship has somewhat faded. The man, Cor (Fred Goessens), is rejected as a plasterer and is only allowed to do sedentary work by the doctor. His wife Lydie (Alix Adams) sits in the waiting room waiting for her husband’s redeeming word, but has to make do with looking at his back when he walks past her without saying a word from the consulting room to the exit. . It is indicative of the marriage; Lydie tries her best, but annoys her husband with her well-intentioned actions and comments. Their only son, Ramon, has recently moved abroad, where his great love lives, and Lydie is quite upset about his departure. Several times a day she tries to call him, but as if it shouldn’t be, she keeps fishing behind the net and can’t get hold of him. As pathetic as that is for her, you can’t help but laugh as she panics across the room looking for the cordless phone, while Ramon leaves a short message on the answering machine because she’s just too late to answer. Even when his friend is at the door and Ramon speaks briefly on his mobile phone, you can see the longing in Lydie’s look, but she doesn’t dare to bite.

Meanwhile, Cor is being retrained as a taxi driver. In the beginning it is difficult; Cor does not seem to have the necessary qualities for a taxi driver: fatter as he is, he observes his customers more than he communicates with them. A series of colorful customers pass by; from his first ride, a beautifully dressed transvestite who carelessly removes his wig and false eyelashes in the backseat and gets him smoking again to the group of happy and singing girls on their way to a party, who are agonizing over the phone call that Cor – hands-free of course – gets from Lydie.

Acting performances by Fred Goessens and Alix Adams are excellent, it is indeed completely natural that they have been married for years and are struggling with their new identity: Cor in his role as a social worker, who sometimes is a taxi driver, and Lydie as a lonely woman whose two husbands from her life suddenly don’t need her anymore, even the lunch she faithfully makes for Cor every day is emptied in the trash can in the cafe. Eveline Verwoerd’s scenario is funny because of the many recognizable situations. Under the good direction of Saskia Diesing, who already made the film ‘New shoes’ in the first series of One Night Stands, ‘Taxi 656’ is a film to close to your heart.