Way back in 2001 director Richard Linklater made a film version of Stephen Belber’s play, ‘Tape’. Starring Uma Thurman and her then husband Ethan Hawke alongside Robert Sean Leonard as three high school friends who meet up in a Michigan hotel room where revelations, and recriminations are made. Linklater has returned to this Cantonese remake as executive producer on set in Hong Kong. This version is bookended initially at a beach party with the three in high spirits as they finish High School with the mainstay of the film catching up with them 15 years later. It’s Wing (Adam Pak) who orchestrates their reunion in a hotel room with Jon (Kenny Kwan) arriving first unaware that Wing is covertly recording the bombshell that he is about to drop on him.
All of their lives have changed since High School and Jon has become a filmmaker back in to town for a festival screening of his new film whereas Wing is life guard supplemented by drug dealing but what connects them both is having been former flames of Amy (Salena Lee) with Jon having dated her after her relationship with Wing had ended. Amy, has just graduated and has been invited along but a little later in the evening giving Wing the opportunity to challenge Jon about an incident that has the potential for catastrophic repercussions and reputational damage if made public. Now we all have a history and there’s a central question that’s asked by them , ‘Have you ever done something you’ve regretted?’ It’s a question that was crying out to be asked in that Prince Andrew TV interview. Equally its one for the half witted, drug addled, ginger numb nut Prince Harry and as for failed business woman and internationally reviled jam selling, flower sprinkling, race baiting yacht girl there’s surely enough material there for Netflix to commission a series that audiences really would want to watch.
In keeping with Linklater’s low budget oeuvre director Bizhan Tong retains the one location for much of its duration making the claustrophobic setting on the explosive revelation which Jon especially wants to keep a lid on. But its Amy’s arrival that turns the tables and builds to an ending that doesn’t work as effectively as the filmmakers might hope when analysed. Tape never really escapes its stage origins and it is a little overlong but the three central performances keep it anchored.
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We chat to actor Adam Pak about his role in the film…….
Here’s the Tape trailer…..
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