Tape

Last year was a memorable one for Richard Linklater. Waking Life enjoyed nearly universal acclaim, and Tape, his second film of 2001, was a festival hit and critic's favorite. Adapted from Stephen Belber's play and shot on digital video, the film stars Ethan Hawke, Uma Thurman, and Robert Sean Leonard in a claustrophobic drama set entirely in a rundown motel room. The tight space and agility of the DV format accentuate the tension between the male leads as they verbally spar over events from their collective past. (86 mins.)