Richard Linklater is known for often unfolding his films within a 24-hour period, but with Tape he takes his approach of capturing dramatic realism one step further by filming in real-time and from within a single hotel room for the entire 86-minutes.  The film is centered on the reunion of sorts between three high school friends - Vince (Ethan Hawke) Jon (Robert Sean Leonard), and Amy (Uma Thurman) - who clearly have some unfinished business with each other.  Vince's immature, self-destructive, and socially irresponsible behavior can be attributed to his inability to see his own faults and after a bit of self-righteous lecturing from the seemingly mature Jon (a up-and-coming filmmaker who is in Michigan to see the premier of his film at the Lansing Film Festival), he goes on the offensive, verbally battling with him about a date-rape incident that occurred 10 years ago.  We learn that Vince dated Amy for several months in high school and that the event in question happened between Jon and Amy soon after they broke up.  A comment from Vince about Jon's defensiveness whenever he mentions Amy clues us in that this argument was 10 years in the making and the inescapable proximity between the two men has finally made the confrontation inevitable.  I mention these plot-points only because this dialogue-heavy film makes it impossible to discuss without at least a basic familiarity with what is being discussed.  The early scenes have a straightforward feel of two friends arguing because of the frustration that stems from how they have slowly drifted apart due to how different they are.  Linklater's dialogue is frank and realistic here, but the narrative shift that occurs about halfway through forces the characters and the audience to reevaluate everything that occurred before.

After coaxing Jon into admitting that he raped Amy, Vince not only reveals that he taped the entire conversation but that Amy is already on her way to the hotel room.  What follows is a deeply moving portrait of three people attempting to come to terms with their past by sifting through the confusion, lies, and hidden agendas that continue to reveal themselves throughout the night.  Once Amy enters the picture, she forces Vince to question his motives for forcing this situation upon them and Jon to consider the sincerity of his apology.  The contradictions and hypocrisy of the two men is exposed in a brutally frank manner that never would have been possible if Hawke, Leondard, and Thurman didn't each turn in one of the very best performances of their career.  Because the film is shot entirely in digital video, Linklater is able to create meaningful compositions while keeping a gritty, realistic look and the ability to insert a few quick back-and-forth handheld shots to emphasize the dizzying pace at which all this information comes out.

The natural feel of the film is key to the uncomfortable intimacy we share with the characters, but as the narrative becomes more layered and complex, it is evident that Linklater is testing the boundaries of what can be done with digital video, thematically as well as visually.  Underneath the story of the three characters, he takes a very personal look at the responsibility of artists to follow through with the moral dilemmas and take responsibility for what they create.  In many ways, Vince and Jon represented two sides of Linklater that he was coming to terms with - one who has created something dangerous which soon becomes out of his control and the other who offers something sincere, but whose motivations must be questioned.  I've never felt he was even a remotely irresponsible director and in Tape it is clear why that's the case.  As Jon and Vince become aware of the reality of what has happened and are given the opportunity to take responsibility for their actions, Linklater is acknowledging the importance of the characters, plots, and films he himself makes.  Within in the confines of a strictly plotted film, he has given us something that can be interpreted in many ways, both within the relationships of the three characters and in relation to him, the author of the piece.