Taxi Blues (, translit.Taksi-Blyuz) is a 1990 Soviet comedy-drama film directed by Pavel Lungin. It was entered into the 1990 Cannes Film Festival where Lungin won the award for Best Director. The film was selected as the Soviet entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 63rd Academy Awards, but was not accepted as a nominee. The film tells the story of Shlykov, a hard-working taxi driver and Lyosha, a saxophonist, develop a bizarre love-hate relationship, and despite their prejudices, realize they aren't so different after all.

Plot

In late 1980s Moscow, a blues saxophonist named Alexey Seliverstov and his friends spend a wild night in a taxi, only for Alexey to dodge the fare come morning. The taxi driver, Ivan Shlykov, a hardened, no-nonsense man of Soviet principles, tracks Alexey down, takes his saxophone as collateral, and leaves him jobless and homeless. Feeling remorseful, Ivan returns the instrument, leading Alexey to stay in Ivan's shared apartment. The unlikely pair, an idealistic musician and a staunch Soviet everyman, develop an unusual friendship. While Alexey muses philosophically and struggles with alcohol, Ivan considers artists and intellectuals the root of Russia’s problems. This tension escalates when Alexey floods their building, prompting Ivan to seize his passport and force him to work off the repair costs. Yet, Ivan also tries to reform Alexey’s character, challenging his drinking and urging him to embrace discipline.