Wednesday, August 25, 2010

Tape, ultra-low budget flick with a clever premise

Tape (2001)
Jamal's Rating: 4 stars
Netflix Average Rating: 3.0 stars

Filmmaker Richard Linklater had already done big movies like Dazed and Confused and Spy Kids by the time this film was made; here he takes it back to his indie days to make a boiling, tense film set in one ordinarily drab motel room, starring Uma Thurman and the two leads from Dead Poet's Society: Ethan Hawke and Robert Sean Leonard. The pacing is good, but there is some repetitive dialogue like "give me the tape"; the repetition lends a realness to the situation, but takes away from the economy of the film. Basically the setup is one friend gets the other to admit to something unwittingly on tape, then lords it over him, partly for personal reasons and partly because he's really messed up on drugs and is trying to prove a point. The information on the tape has potentially legal consequences, and the drama heightens. There are some nice twists, and a really great third act, where everyone's viewpoints and motivations become startlingly clearer. It's a testament to what one can accomplish with a good script, small budget, and some really fine actors. Four stars.

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