‘Tape’s’ Tense Reunion Showcases Strong Acting

With “Tape,” Richard Linklater moves from his venturesome but problematic recent work to a traditional but more rewarding chamber drama, a deft and engaging adaptation of Stephen Belber’s three-character play set in a Lansing, Mich., motel room.

Shrewdly, Linklater doesn’t try to play against the inherent theatricality of the material, but trusts in its power and in the talent and skill of Ethan Hawke, Robert Sean Leonard and Uma Thurman to draw us into the drama. Linklater and cinematographer Maryse Alberti, who are their own camera operators, depict this world with such a dynamic sense of imagery, movement and pace that “Tape” never lapses into merely a filmed play.

Hawke’s Vince is a scruffy guy in his late 20s who describes himself as a volunteer fireman from Oakland, a city that most likely has had professional firefighters for a century. He also happens to deal drugs and could well be his own best customer. He’s come all the way to Lansing ostensibly to lend support to his best friend from childhood, Johnny (Leonard), a promising filmmaker who’s been invited to show his new work at their hometown film festival. Vince and Johnny have stayed in touch over the years, and Johnny had hoped that his friend had gotten his act together, which clearly is not the case.

It’s painfully clear that the polished and well-dressed Johnny is on his way up and Vince is on his way down. It’s equally clear that Vince has something more on his mind than going over old times with his pal--something, in fact, that has been eating at him since he and Johnny graduated from high school a decade ago. He even intends to involve Amy (Thurman), a girl in their class whom he hasn’t seen for five years and Johnny hasn’t seen since graduation.

Linklater’s actors all dazzle, which is not surprising given their respective accomplishments in other films. Hawke co-stars with Denzel Washington in the current box-office hit “Training Day” and was a knockout in the title role of “Hamlet,” set in present-day Manhattan. He continues to extend his versatility as the ferrety Vince, not too smart but dangerously shrewd in a small-minded way. The irony here is that his obsession with evening a score for some past event could actually be good for Johnny, who is eager to bury an incident he tells himself he has come to terms with but actually has not.

Leonard is most convincing as an intelligent, basically decent guy gradually facing up to the past. Thurman makes her appearance well into the drama, but her Amy, who has become a sharp, no-nonsense assistant district attorney, leaves both guys at the starting gate once she swings into action in regard to what may--or may not--have happened way back when.

Through the interplay of these three dealing with the past in the present, “Tape” illuminates the evolving relationship between men and women, and demolishes some cherished male evasions and rationalizations in the process. “Tape” makes its points--and how--but never for a second forgets to be thoroughly engrossing.

*

MPAA rating: R, for language and drug content. Times guidelines: The film also has considerable blunt discussion of sex.

‘Tape’

Vince: Ethan Hawke

Johnny: Robert Sean Leonard

Amy: Uma Thurman

A Lions Gate Films release of an Independent Film Channel Productions presentation of an Indigent Production in association with Detour Filmproduction. Director Richard Linklater. Producers Alex Alexanian, John Sloss, Anne Walker-McBay, Gary Winick. Executive producers Caroline Kaplan, Jonathan Sehring. Screenplay Stephen Belber; based on his play. Cinematographer Maryse Alberti. Editor Sandra Adair. Costumes Cat Thomas. Production designers Alberti and Linklater. Running time: 1 hour, 28 minutes.

At selected theaters.