Tape

Rating:
Summary: overrated
Review: so i loved slacker, dazed & confused and waking life immensely. i have nothing but good things to say about richard linklater. but this, this movie, this is an insult. i knew what to expect coming in. 3 characters, no scenery change, dialogue, dialogue, dialogue. cool, i can dig that. regardless of what others seem to think, i thought the acting was terrible and quite unbelievable. i hated all the characters. they were all fake. it seems to me, this is one of those uber-hip flicks, and the only reason people like it, is because it's "indie" and therefore makes me cooler than you.

Rating:
Summary: More Than Meets the Eye
Review: There are no car chase scenes in this movie. There are no monsters, space ships, or robots causing explosions or killing people. Nothing epic about the movie "Tape"," but there is more to it than meets the eye.

"Tape" is about sincere forgiveness and sincere regret. It would make an excellent play for the small stage--and maybe it is somewhere. You have to admire the producers, directors and actors for being willing to make this movie. Yes, it's different. Yes, it takes place in only one room--a cheap hotel room. If you are in the mood for a movie that makes you think, "Tape" would be a good candidate.

If nothing else, watch this movie with friends who like to discuss situation ethics. After the movie discuss it and see what you learn about your friends--and yourself.

Rating:
Summary: Motel room ignites past...
Review: This film took me two days to decide whether I liked it or not. When the final credits rolled, rather creatively at that, I couldn't figure out if this was pure brilliance on the part of Richard Linklater, or if it was nothing more than a group of friends trying to make an independent film. I could not decide. I even listened to the audio commentary of Ethan Hawke and Richard Linklater to see if I could capture their mood of the film to hopefully influence mine. While it was a very interesting audio commentary, it only provided more indecisiveness. After thinking about this for two days, I finally thought about it long enough and realized that if a film makes you think for two days after viewing, there has to be something spectacular about it, and there was. After two days I was able to put my finger on it. You had a very chilling story, a deeply disturbing confession, a powerhouse of acting by Robert Sean Leonard and Uma Thurman, and then there was Ethan Hawke. I put him aside because it was his acting, his portrayal of Vince that took away the inches of film that nearly made it into perfection. Let me explain.

This is a story, that on the surface seems small, is very large in structure. While its only setting is inside a motel room, the written word by Stephen Belber transforms this into a thrilling drama about past lives and future consequences. From the opening scene of Hawke throwing his beers into the motel door until the final dramatic conclusion where Vince is caught up in the web of his own lies, we never really know anything about him. Leonard talks briefly about what he is doing and why he is currently single, but we never really get to know Ethan's character. This is what muddled in my mind for those two days, I continually had to ask myself who Vince really was. Was he a friend trying to help Leonard with a guilty conscious, or was he on the side of Amy trying to give her the conclusion that she wanted. Who knows? I think I needed more structure with Ethan's Vince. We needed more from Linklater to help us understand this self-appointed villain, or even more from Ethan to reveal his ultimate purpose. Instead, what occurred was Ethan just jumping around being annoying with no purpose except what you could hear Linklater telling him. Here is what I could hear: "Ok, Ethan, your purpose in this scene is to ensure that Leonard doesn't leave, do whatever it takes". Ethan takes this direction and adds a couple of swear words and uses screaming to keep him in the room instead of countering with more plot. Does this make sense? I felt like I knew why Leonard and Thurman were there in that room, but WHY Ethan was bringing them together was never told. I know that perhaps it was left up to the viewer, but this story needed a hint. It needed to provide some reasoning for the situation. I felt Ethan held us back from learning that. Someone else in the role may have done better, but Ethan just felt lost and stagy.

As I said before, Leonard and Thurman really carried this film on their shoulders. I was impressed to see Leonard taking such heavy work, but his true acting ability really came forth. The same goes for Uma who successfully took the idea of "husband and wife" away while working with Ethan. I was concerned that it would be a factor in Tape, but luckily these two were able to keep their characters separate. The chemistry that Leonard and Thurman had on screen was shattering. I found myself holding my breath during their parts from both emotion and the tension that they created. Outside of Ethan, they did a great job.

The story was a very tight story. I loved being brought into the middle of this controversy and seeing that a world can be created and destroyed in a hotel room. I thought that concept was a hard one to tackle, but Stephen Belber (who also wrote the play) did a fantastic job of eliminating the corporate element and giving us the pure human drama that exists between these characters. Linklater likewise really pulls this film together well by keeping the tensions high and elaborate as our characters progress through the phases of this predicament. The only trouble I had with Linklater's direction deals with his swirling camera. Whenever two people were talking to each other we found ourselves swirling between the two instead of using one large shot or quick cuts. I thought this was annoying at times, and quite dizzying. It detracted from the words that the actors were speaking and from the impact of the story. That is my only critique of Linklater's direction, which was nearly flawless.

Overall, this was an impressive and very intense drama that will keep you on the edge of your seat due to its strong reality and human element. It took me a while for me to realize this, and will probably take some time for it to sink into your mind, but that is the nature of this film. It is created to leave this lasting impression on your mind and to haunt your mind during your next visit with friends. I think Linklater did an excellent job with the material that he was handed, proving that his work could be compared to early Cameron Crowe material. Leonard and Thurman explode onto the scene, while Hawke leaves a bit more to be desired. I do believe that Linklater should have considered another actor for his role. Either way, this was a great film that took away the classic Hollywood backdrop and gave us nothing but 100% pure acting.

Grade: **** out of *****

Rating:
Summary: FANTASTIC!
Review: This is a great little movie with a surprising turn of events. As I was watching this movie I felt like I was seeing a play which is perfectly accurate because this movie is based on the stage play of the same name. All of the three actors do a fantastic job with their roles and this little movie is worth watching for the acting alone which is superb.

Ethan Hawke is excellent as Vince the dope dealer and dope user who first confronts Johnny (Robert Sean Leonard)about the possibility that he date raped his girlfriend in high school played by Hawke's then wife the very sexy and talented Uma Thurman (who is wonderful as Amy, the girl that Johnny supposedly raped).

I won't say anymore and I'll let you decide for yourself. I was very impressed with this movie and is a shame that it didn't get the kind of acceptance when it was first release. I don't remember seeing this movie released in theatres. Again, if you don't get anything out of it which I'm sure that you will see it for the acting which is superb by all three actors. I love a movie that has great actors in it. To me that is what is all about the acting. DON'T MISS THIS ONE.

Rating:
Summary: Watch this one more than Once
Review: This movie adaption of an off-broadways play is intriguing and somwhat disturbing the first time through. The second and third viewings reveal a depth and compexity of characters seldom seen in modern dramas, stage or screen. All three actors (Hawke, Thurman, Leonard) give outstanding performances portraying characters that are not simply "good" or "bad", but a little bit of everything, just like any real person. A commentary track, featuring Hawke and director Linklater, is a wonderful bonus, giving veiwers some idea of the visions that came together to make this movie as deeply thought-provoking as it is. This is a must see for anyone interested in quality drama, or the complexity of the human condition, for that matter.

Rating:
Summary: Great Drama
Review: This movie is a nice change from Hollywood movies. It is not about visual effects or soundtracks, nor $20 million actors. It simply tells a dramatic and interesting story about 3 former high school friends. Reading the back of the video, I thought it might be boring, but once I was into the movie I was very interested. Near the ending, I was actually on the edge of seat, waiting to see what the characters would do next.

I give this movie five stars. If you like theatre, you will enjoy this movie; it is an adaptation of a Broadway play. Think of this movie as going to a one set play staring Ethan Hawke. If you do not enjoy the theatre, I would move on to another movie.

Rating:
Summary: WHAT A BORE
Review: THIS MOVIE WAS A SUPREME WASTE OF MY TIME WITH A VERY DISJOINTED PLOT WHICH I BECAME VERY WEARY OF TRYING TO DECIPHER. NEARLY THE ENTIRE MOVIE TAKES PLACE IN A HOTEL ROOM WITH LENGTHY MONOLOGUES. PLEASE DO NOT WASTE YOUR TIME.

Rating:
Summary: Eye-opening
Review: This movie was supurb! First, some of the above reviews have the actors wrong, this movie stars Ethan Hawke, Robert Sean Leonard (NOT Sean Leonardo) and Uma Thurman (NOT Emu Thurman). All three give great performances, but Hawke takes the cake. You don't know if you should love him, hate him or just feel sorry for him. I highly recommend this movie...plot twists leave you on the edge of your seat waiting to find out what will happen next. Great movie!

Rating:
Summary: Don't Erase This One!
Review: This movie with three actors in a seedy hotel room seems useless and inane at first but if you hold out until the end it is well worth considering.

Vince (Ethan Hawke) is found in a seedy hotel in Lansing whooping it up and slamming back a few cheap beers while clamoring about in his boxers. Soon an old friend Jon Salter (Robert Sean Leonard) appears and the story begins. These two "friends" discuss old high-school days, mistakes and regrets leaving the audience to wonder about their supposed friendship. An explanation arrives when Amy Randall (Uma Thurman) knocks on the door. Be careful what you wish for sometimes old memories are better left behind!

Ethan Hawke is eerily great in this role as a crazy, drug induced loser looking for answers about a past he can't seem to leave behind. Robert Sean Leonard is the subdued maturity of this film with his character seemingly capable of leaving a secret long in the past until the error of his ways comes back to haunt him. Of course Uma Thurman is wickedly brilliant as the supposed victim who turns a new leaf and leaves a few surprises. As with most independent films the writing and direction is fantastic in this film but the budget is shot! Some scenes are filmed irritatingly like an amateur videographer with far too much movement for the eyes to bear but other than that it moves like a staged dramatic play. Be prepared for lots of twists and turns and the possibility of no real answers as you reach the end of the tape!


Rating:
Summary: Refreshingly original
Review: This was a great movie, it didn't rely on special effects or computer graphics, babes in leather and big guns.
This movie was fresh and solid, wiht only 3 characters in one room shot in real time.
It made me feel as if I was eavesdropping on some private candid conversation between old friends with some bitter past experiences and problem to work out.
The conversation between Sean Lonard, Ethan Hawke and Uma Thurman, which was the sole purpose of this movir is raw and real, wihtout giving it away, this is a real interesting story that you just can't wait to hear.
It shows how 3 people can interpret something that happened 10 years ago in 3 different ways, but only one of them is true....