Richard Linklater's Tape

This is the first of what will be a bi-weekly feature on movies: "In Case You Missed It the First Time." This week, it's Richard Linklater's 2001 film, Tape. Starring Ethan Hawke and Uma Thurman, Tape had a limited release after successful showings at the Sundance and Toronto film festivals. Look again in two weeks for another great rental suggestion.



This may not sound exactly like riveting cinema, but Tape is a captivating portrayal of relationships and our responsibilities to them. The film tells the story of Vince (Ethan Hawke), Jon (Robert Sean Leonard), and Amy (Uma Thurman) - three adults who were friends in high school and reunite ten years later.

Hawke and Leonard, who met on the set of Dead Poets Society ten years prior to Tap), draw from their own parallel experience as old buddies and paint a realistic picture of two old friends who have grown apart over time. There is an uncomfortable affection between the pair - the kind that exists between friends who spent their formative years together but lost their common bond.

Stylistically, Tape was a different step for director Richard Linklater (whose previous film was the vibrant Waking Life) because of its willful constraints: the 86-minute movie unfolds in real time and its only scene is that of a dingy motel room in Lansing, Michigan.

The film, adapted from a play by screenwriter Stephen Belber, begins after Jon and Vince return to Lansing for a film festival. As a filmmaker, Jon's work is appearing in the festival and Vince is there as moral support. Amy is an assistant district attorney who coincidentally lives and works in Lansing.

Amy, who was Vince's high school sweetheart, slept with Jon at a graduation party. Vince and Jon have conflicting opinions about the amount of pressure and consent involved, varying from Jon's admittance that his actions may have been "morally questionable" to Vince's accusation that Jon raped Amy. Amy offers her own perspective on what happened that night and the differing perceptions of the three throw into question guilt, truth, apologies, confessions, and the way people deal with trauma.

All three actors turn in perfect performances. Hawke portrays Vince as more than just a burnt-out ex-jock. He shows the nuances of Vince's personality - his insecurity after losing Amy, and the single-mindedness of his urge to find out what happened.

Jon, portrayed by Leonard, visibly struggles to maintain his idea of himself as a politically correct modern man, sometimes appearing annoyingly smug and sometimes utterly at a loss as to his own morality. As Vince tries to manipulate Amy like he did Jon, Thurman plays her as someone who has been victimized but who is not a victim. By the end of the film, she asserts herself as the one in control of the situation.

The seemingly stifling directing choices are what allow the story to have an impact - the monotony of color, the limited cast of characters, and the enclosed setting all force the audience to enter these people's psyches. The color scheme is composed of mostly browns and sepias, and there are only three characters in the entire film, one of whom does not appear until about halfway through.

There is something realistic about the conversations in the film. Unlike usual movie banter, the characters do not always deliver stinging barbs or make profound points. Conversations are drawn out and circuitous; and at one point, it takes about two and half minutes for Jon to get Vince to explain why he broke up with his girlfriend.

In response, Vince admits that she thought he "played rough." Indeed, "roughness" is a theme in Tape. All three characters suffer and inflict violence - sometimes physical, sometimes psychological - which makes the viewer think about the masochistic nature of friendships.

When Jon defends his moral fiber, you want to back him up but have a twinge of conscience that says not all is not right. You agree with Vince when he gets fed up with Jon's preaching and tries to catch him in a lie, but you also feel his self-loathing. You can understand Amy's feelings of betrayal and you support her desire for vengeance.

None of the characters are all good or all bad - they're just like us. By the end of Tape, when the motel room door opens and you can finally leave, you're ready to get away from these three and confront your own demons.