Putting ordinary people in extraordinary circumstances is a
hallmark of the thriller genre.
Our heroes make a terrible mistake and put them in the crosshairs of
menacing villains who will do anything to chase them down. In this regard, Taped doesn't do anything new with the genre but instead
effectively utilizes its thriller elements very, very well. Before things get crazy, Johan (Barry
Atsma) and Saar (Susan Visser) are already in trouble with a failing marriage,
so they decide to reignite what's left of their passion by taking a trip to
their Argentinean honeymoon site. Along the way they create a video dairy
chronicling the trip to their daughter back home. Secrets are revealed, destroying any chance at
reconciliation and forcing the couple to go home early. While waiting on the bus, Saar
accidentally videotapes a murder and thus the great chase through streets
begins with dirty cops hot on their trail.
The two lead performances from Barry Atsma and Susan Visser
are incredibly engaging and believable, making the chase all that more
emotionally nerve wracking and intense.
You don't want the couple to be caught, and when danger strikes a little
too close, you feel for them. The
characters they portray emotionally are much better than the characters we see
on the screen. Often times, both
of them will make insanely illogical decisions in favor of convenient
thrills. This is not to take
anything away from the performances themselves. The actors simply respect the
characters more than the script did.
What director Diederik Van Rooijen lacks in a logical script
he more than makes up for with assured direction that consistently increases
the stakes and subsequently the tension with each scene. The visual choice of long takes during
the chase helps display the incredible blocking and planning that must've been
needed for each shot. The film is
at its best when we see these two relatable people in the midst of two battles
(one physical, the other emotional) doing what they can to simply stay
alive. Taped is a taut, intense thriller that consistently delivers the
goods and screams American remake.
