Tape

This makes good on that old Dogme promise by discarding the crutches of conventional movie drama and concentrating on the raw essentials of character and story. It concerns former friends separated by time and career trajectories, reassembling on the edge of town for a reunion that soon turns sour. Stephen Belber's play-turned-screenplay offers shades of Mamet and LaBute, but Linklater is as interested in its probing of subjectivity and severance as in the macho contention. Shot on dingy DV entirely within the motel room's walls, yet tautly structured, resourcefully framed and vigorously performed, the result is neither drab nor theatrical, but credible and compelling.