Two Ethan Hawke films. In Richard Linklater’s Tape, Hawke’s a drop-out, returned to his home town to confront arty high-flier Robert Sean Leonard over old girlfriend Uma Thurman. Confined to Hawke’s motel room, it’s a pressure cooker.

Hawke directs the digitally-shot Chelsea Walls, set in the timeless New York hangout. A good attempt at apeing the kind of meandering independent movie that appeared in the late ’60s?but just as trying. Great cast of chums, though, notably Little Jimmy Scott (singing “Jealous Guy”) and Kris Kristofferson (trying to be Hemingway).