FREE ON CINEGEEK.DE Richard Limklater - Tape 

In the end, I thought to myself that the things that happen in Richard Linklater's Tape would probably have happened the same way in real life - a big deal for a movie! Yet Tape would have to seem artificial through and through: Everything takes place in a hotel room, there are only three characters, dialogue, and all of this is also based on a theater play. Nevertheless, the direction, script and actors are so convincing that everything seems real! One no longer thinks about the limitations of Tape, but the freedoms! Especially the freedom not to present silly characters saying silly things. On the contrary; Amy (Uma Thurman), Vince (Ethan Hawke) and Johnny (Robert Shawn Leonard) are articulate and smart. They put each other to the test. But Tape also takes the liberty of NOT showing off any big events for once. And Tape takes the liberty of NOT putting a bombastic score underneath. He takes the liberty of NOT showing what we expect. Certainly the filming was very special. Together in a motel room with no place to hide from the camera. Tape was shot as video, which is why the camera is free to turn back and forth, taking up all the space. But it's also not one of those jerky nervous handheld camera movies thankfully. First we see Vince, alone in the room. He seems to be getting ready for something. He's drinking beer, putting the furniture together. Then there's a knock at the door. Johnny walks in. They used to go to high school together, now Johnny returns to town because his movie is playing at an indie festival. So what? Are they happy to meet? Or are they trying to be? Johnny seems poised, confident and solid. Vince snorts some cocaine. He's unstable. He steers the conversation to Amy, his first love. But: Amy and Vince never loved each other. Amy and Johnny, on the other hand, made love during their senior year. Then Amy knocks. A surprise for Johnny. And then we get to the tape. On this tape, the past is captured.... Richard Linklater has the gift of using the video format without it using him. He uses it to approach his characters intimately and freely. It's never about the style. It's about the ideas in Tape. And they are fresh and never stifled by style.