Chrysanthepop Shot on DV in one night at 'Tape' makes the viewer feel like a voyeur peeking into a motel room. It's set in a motel room where two friends reunite after 10 years (ironically Hawke and Leonard also appear together on screen more than a decade after their last film 'Dead Poet's Society') and have a private conversation that turns from the common catching up to unravelling secrets.The entire movie is pretty much a conversation but it is a layered film with layered characters. The writing is brilliant. The editing it very tight. As the events unfold with clever twists, it becomes an intense human drama and a thrilling experience for the audience. While we are provided with sufficient background information on Amy and Jon, Vince remains somewhat of a mystery. His intentions remain for the viewer to interpret as there are hints that point in different directions. The hand-held camera mostly acts as hidden camera that lures the viewer to look into a private moment of these three character's lives. The swirling camera actually acts like a person itself, who's just sitting there while no one is aware of its presence. Once Linklater builds the tension, he sustains it and keeps the viewer engaged right through the end.Being a conversational piece, it relies strongly on acting. The performances are solid. Ethan Hawke does a fine job of the (drug-induced) hyper but manipulative Vince. His character may be a bit ambiguous but he plays the part to the T. Robert Sean Leonard is adequate but in some places he seems a little lost. However, after Uma Thurman's entry, he is remarkable. Uma Thurman looks sensational with simple makeup. This is one actress who can look very plain when needed and supersexy when required. Her acting is excellent as she puts the pieces together while cleverly blindfolding the audience allowing them to figure out what happened.While some people may feel confused at the end, it is very thought-provoking movie as one would try to figure out the puzzle. On the whole, 'Tape' takes us into a different territory that only a few Hollywood films have done. It has some great performances, good direction, brilliant writing and will very likely keep you glued to the screen.

robert-temple-1 What an amazing experience this is! Stephen Belber's screenplay, based on his play, is magic, pure magic. Richard Linklater, with his daring direction, has done the impossible and made a totally compelling film with only three characters in a single dreary motel room. How does one do that? How would you ever get funding for such a crazy project? This is just about as extreme a cinematic risk as it is possible to take. But they more than pulled it off, they triumphed. And by 'they' I include the three spell-binding actors: Ethan Hawke, Robert Sean Leonard, and Uma Thurman. What a showcase of acting genius this film is! It is impossible to fault any of the three in even the slightest flicker of a facial muscle, or the slightest whisper of dialogue. One wonders whether they may possibly have rehearsed for six months and all lived together day and night to do this. Were they in fact cooped up in that motel room for the duration of the shooting? I would believe it. This film goes beyond honesty, it goes beyond revelation, it goes beyond nakedness and baring of an actor's soul, it is an X-ray film, or even a gamma-ray film, where every organ can be seen, and every pulsation or heartbeat viewed through the transparency of the shimmering and aetherial forms which they all have. One wonders whether Belber may have lived through this. Can he possibly have imagined it? Could anyone? Uma Thurman meets these two fellows for the first time in ten years, since high school. They inflict their traumas on her, and she inflicts hers on them. This is mutual laceration which is as brilliant as that found in Edward Albee's 'Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?', which may have inspired Belber. Thurman's character has pride, and does not wish to be dragged into the open admission of a past indignity, whereas Hawke's character is driven obsessively to expose it, ostensibly in her interests, but really in his own. Leonard's character is in a way the hapless victim of both, although he was the perpetrator and the original guilty party. The psychological dynamics of all this are as complex as a NATO war game. We are on the edge of our seats every second, or we are if we are interested in human nature. This is spectacle without concession. This is raw, seriously raw. Everything is ripped away here. This is what might happen at the Day of Judgement. There is nothing left to hide.

Chris Giampietro My roommate and I were just chilling one night and this movie came on, and throughout the whole movie, we could not remove our eyes from the screen. I honestly don't know what it was about it that made me watch it, but we both agreed that there was something about the movie that put us in a trance. After it ended, we both looked it up and couldn't believe it. I never thought a movie containing 2 actors and 1 actress in a single hotel room could hold my attention. Great film, I agree with the previous commenter, it's a hit or miss, you like it or you don't. I would definitely recommend the film to anyone who seems the least bit interested. It's an interesting story and an interesting look at life. I would try to relate to other titles, but I honestly can't think of any. Don't think of this movie like another "phonebooth" movie though, that movie was just dumb. Peace.

triple8 SPOILERS:Wow, what a film. I'd heard of this before I saw it and really enjoyed the whole movie. I will be recommending this to everyone I know.I am assuming most people reading this review already know about the movie, especially since I did list this as having spoilers,(and it will continue to have spoilers) but for those who don't know much about it and are still reading.....it's about two male friends and a woman. Way back in the mens' pasts an event occurred between one of the men and the woman. The other man wants to find out the truth of what happened and force a confrontation between the woman and his friend and himself. There is so much more to it but that's a kind of basic sketch...being as general as I can be.This is an indie movie purist's dream come true. The movie really grabbed me and there wasn't one boring moment throughout. That's significant because of the type of movie it is. It has only three characters and it all takes place in a hotel room. Now many movies in general, even good movies, heck even GREAT films, can drag at times or have a few dull moments. And so, being that many movies can drag or have their dull moments, one might figure this little indie film, taking place in a room and consisting of..essentially words and conversation would have many.It has none. Not a one. There isn't a dull, draggy, or unimportant moment in the whole movie. It's absolutely riveting and I was taken with the whole thing. In terms of action there is little. Nobody ever leaves the hotel room. There are three characters. It's talky to the point where it could have been agonizing to watch but somehow the whole thing works. I'd strongly recommend it.And the scene stealer is...Uma Thurman. What a performance from her. She is fast becoming my favorite actress and even though she doesn't make an appearance to well into the flick she's great. So were the two males. (By the way is it me or does Ethan hawk's performance remind one of a few Sean Penn movies?) But Uma dominates the screen here.I'd give this a high 8. 5 of 10. Watch it as it's a gem. Strongly recommended.