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Tape 2001 |
Review by Jonathan Cornwell |
Directed by Richard Linklater
R, 84 min. (language, drug content) |
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Starring: Ethan Hawke, Robert Sean Leonard, Uma Thurman
Producers: Gary Winick, Alexis Alexanian, Anne Walker-McBay
Screenplay: Stephen Belber
Cinematography: Maryse Alberti
Distributor: Lions Gate Films
Released: 11.02.01 (Limited) |
Rating:
 (out of ) |
I think Roger Ebert summed up Tape the best when he stated that the film has "freedom from the expected." Since the
entire film is shot in one location, a small hotel room, with the new digital video technology, Tape has a lot of work to
do to engross its audience. Amazingly, the film succeeds on almost every level - it's a highly watchable, intense examination
of intelligent dialogue, superb acting, and superior directing. Richard Linklater, who also directed the currently playing Waking Life, has an ability to hold characters in the eye of the viewer's mind for an entire picture. His film is free from
the shackles of obligatory action sequences, a brooding soundtrack, and bland, insignificant supporting characters. What
he has accomplished here (as in Waking Life) is to create a new directing style all his own - one that depends heavily on
character interaction in claustophobic-like atmospheres with smart interplay between those characters. Tape must produce
in these categories, and it does so brilliantly.
The story is simple but extremely complex underneath its cool exterior. Vince (Ethan Hawke), a pot-dealing volunteer
fire fighter from California has arrived in a small town in Michigan to attend the directing debut of his close friend
Johnny (Robert Sean Leonard), an independent filmmaker. He's set up shop in a small motel room, where Johnny arrives excited to see him. After
catching up with each other's lives, the conversation turns deadly serious when Vince brings up a touchy subject - his
ex-girlfriend, Amy (Uma Thurman), from high school, whom Johnny slept with at a party when both were drunk. Though
Vince was no longer her boyfriend, he'd never slept with her - something that has always bothered him. Soon Johnny has
confessed that his encounter with Amy may have been a rape, and Vince has cleverly taped his confession. When
Amy shows up at the door for a pre-arranged date with Vince, Johnny is shocked and now both he and Amy must confront
what really happened that night ten years ago, while Vince must confront his own jealousy that threatens to destroy their
relationship.
Tape toys with a fascinating concept - that two people can clearly remember an event that happened long ago.
While Johnny is pretty sure is was rape, Amy is not so sure (at least at first) that anything amoral happened. Vince is
pushing for a confession from Johnny, while Johnny has pushed the memory so far back in his conscious mind that he
has trouble accepting what he did that night. However, once it's out in the open and an apology is issued to Amy, things
turn ugly and bitter emotions overtake the senses. Amy has lived in denial, but now that it is clearly remembered, a fierce
hatred has emerged from deep within her - she was betrayed, crushed, and abandoned. Now it's Johnny's turn to feel
helpless and despondent.
In order for Tape to be effective, superior performances are demanded, and Hawke, Sean Leonard, and Thurman are more than
up to the task. Although all three are impressive, Hawke's troubled but intelligent Vince steals the picture. At first glance,
he's an irresponsible and childish loser, but it's not long until we understand his motivations and ingenious plan. He's
created a web that neither Johnny nor Amy can escape form, at least not until the truth has been revealed. Unfortunately, it's
a can of worms that he never expected. Because of a tight shooting schedule and budget constraints, the three actors
had only three weeks total to complete the project - an impressive accomplishment. But with the steadying hand of
Linklater, the film is much more believable than most mainstream films dealing with a similar plotline.
Tape proves that effective filmmaking need not be grandiose or epic in scope, just competently-constructed with gripping
subject matter and dialogue that makes it hard for viewers to ignore. Films of this quality are disappointingly rare in
cineplexes today, and the fact that this picture will be seen by very few movie-goers is a shame. Studio executives would
quickly distance themselves from any picture that didn't contain numerous eye-catching stunts or locations to cover up any
real message the film was trying to communicate. And that's the treasure of the video store, that anyone can get a hold
of quality films like this one if they miss it in the theater.
© 2001 Jonathan Cornwell
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 |
 | Masterpiece - Film perfection |
 | Excellent - A Must See |
| Good - Highly Recommended |
| Fair - Worth seeing |
| Average - Viewable, but not recommended |
| Below average - View at own risk |
| Poor - Avoid at all costs |
| Very poor - An embarassment to the film industry |
| Zero | Awful - One of the worst films ever made |
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