Vince (Ethan Hawk) is a volunteer firefighter who deals drugs to pay the bills. Johnny (Robert Sean Leonard) is his best friend from high-school and a budding independent filmmaker. Amy (Uma Thurman) was Vince’s girlfriend in high school; she now prosecutes for the district attorney’s office.

      Vince has come back to his hometown of Lansing, Michigan, to see the premiere of Johnny’s first film playing at a local film festival. Johnny joins Vince at Vince’s motel room to relive a few old times. Vince’s questions are not focused at first and appear to be intoxicated ramblings. Very quickly, perhaps, in real time, the noose begins to tighten, but around whom?

      Richard Linklater’s latest film “Tape” released on the heels of “Waking Life” is a wonderful claustrophobic experiment. The entire film takes place in a single grungy motel room that provides a staging area for three hypnotic acting performances. It made me uncomfortably dizzy sort of the way I felt throughout “Memento.” You see, I don’t clearly remember my own actions at points 10 years ago; they have all been filtered, altered, adapted.

      It is like the death penalty. In theory, it makes sense. In practice, it is a failure. After many, many years of appeals, the person once a monster has become a different person, perhaps, a better one. People change, events shape them, experience is the best education and life with time is the recipe.

      “Tape” is shot on digital video and its one room set is the perfect frame for this medium. Upon first viewing the film, I knew that it was shot in DV, therefore, as I often do, I studied the look of the film. It is amazing to me how authentic people look on video. It must be the lighting. No, I know it is really all the shadows. Ethan Hawk’s grunge attached to his character Vince is pleasantly magnified here. Video encourages “a let it all hang out” attitude.

      Even taken outside, digital video can be effective, as Erica Jordan showed me with her film “In the Wake,” a movie completely edited on a Macintosh. Linklater, however, has given even greater credibility to the format with “Tape.” Filmmakers, the message is clear: digital video can work with the right material, it is quickly becoming a safe alternative to film. Note that most of the films sent to me are shot on some form of video tape. The results vary greatly, but the potential is huge.

      “Tape” benefits from three careful performances and dialogue that could compete with anything from David Mamet. It is penned by first time screenwriter Stephen Belber from his play, a one act I’d like to catch sometime. Still, the delivery of the natural language employed here depends on precise pacing otherwise we might end up with another PBS filming of “Our Town.” Much of the credit belongs to Linklater who has a knack for capturing a slice of life on film and making it watchable without interfering with artificial enhancements. Linklater’s approach is why Mutual of Omaha’s “Wild Kingdom” will always be superior to video ripoffs like “When Animals Attack.”

      Ethan Hawk as Vince is grimy and affected the way I’ve seen so many cocaine users act. It is a studied piece of acting with the right amount of facial ticks and nose smears. His skin looks the part and I doubt that makeup was heavily involved.

      Robert Sean Leonard’s Johnny is convincing especially when he begins to loose control. He made me appreciate being cornered. Johnny’s memory is filtered and has adapted, you see it, the face of guilt and rationalization in flashes in his eyes and the changing colors of his face.

      Leonard and Hawk play off one another well. Their level of comfort may have to do with the fact that they have worked together before in “Dead Poet’s Society.” The script called for them to be old friends from high school. They fit the part nicely. Old friends can get away with a lot between one another. In time, however, the pot begins to boil and emotions flow out all over everything. “Tape” made me think about the impossible relationships that cannot be reforged given the changes people go through even in a few short years. People evolve into different people and must abandon old friendships in favor of more appropriate ones. But does this mean that our duties to our old friends no longer exist? This is one of the questions raised by “Tape.”

      Ms. Thurman plays her role with subtle intelligence indicative of a crafty district attorney. At first, I wondered why her character would even visit Vince in his slimy motel room, but, in time, it all makes sense. Ms. Thurman doesn’t always look good on video here. It is the way she holds her head or the texture of her hair, I can’t quite put my finger on it. I liked her in “Gattaca,” where she appeared along side of Mr. Hawk, but in “Tape,” she is more natural and brutal too.

      “Tape” is a worthy provocation. It made me answer the email of an old friend instead of deleting it. In time, I may even find room in my address book for the old friend’s email address, but, for now, it is enough to respond warmly with kind words. Still, we are reminded by “Tape” to refrain from hasty judgment and to listen intently for that tiny comment that tells you it is time to move on.

Jonathan W. Hickman, 2001