Some audiences may resent a film in which we can’t feel superior to anyone, but there’s enough material here to keep you stuck at the water cooler for months.
Primer (2004)
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Reviews Counted:113
Fresh:81
Rotten:32
Average Rating:6.5/10
Consensus: Dense, obtuse, but stimulating, Primer is a film for viewers ready for a cerebral challenge.
Theatrical Release:Oct 8, 2004 Limited
Box Office: $392,420
Synopsis: Former engineer Shane Carruth announces himself as a force to watch with PRIMER, his first film. Carruth wrote, directed, edited, produced, photographed, scored, and stars in the film, which won... Former engineer Shane Carruth announces himself as a force to watch with PRIMER, his first film. Carruth wrote, directed, edited, produced, photographed, scored, and stars in the film, which won the Grand Jury Prize at the 2004 Sundance Film Festival. He plays Aaron, who, with his business partner and best friend, Abe (David Sullivan), experiments with a device that seems to have more power than they could ever have imagined. Playing with batteries, refrigeration, and other techniques and materials in Aaron's garage, they discover that their machine just might have the ability to move back in time. Originally dealing with Weebles figures and wristwatches, Aaron and Abe are soon considering making a box large enough to transport a human being--with remarkable results. An indie hit, PRIMER was made for about $7,000. Carruth shot the film with a purposefully grainy look, as if it were made in the 1970s. The retro feel works well with the futuristic elements of the story, which lead Abe and Aaron to question reality, truth, and their own physical and mental being. Because he learned about film on his own without going to film school or making any previous shorts, Carruth brings a freshness to the genre that is invigorating, with unexpected plot twists and complex narratives that invite multiple viewings. PRIMER is an unusual, unique, challenging, and thoroughly entertaining movie. [More]
Starring: Shane Carruth, David Sullivan, Anand Upadbyaya, Casey Gooden
Starring: Shane Carruth, David Sullivan, Anand Upadbyaya, Casey Gooden, Carrie Crawford, Jay Butler, John Carruth, Samantha Thomson
Director: Shane Carruth
Director: Shane Carruth
Screenwriter: Shane Carruth
Producer: Shane Carruth
Composer: Shane Carruth
Studio: ThinkFilm
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Reviews for Primer
In steady, assured hands and a well-thought-out script, time travel can make for sizzling tension and paradoxes that present mind-wringing puzzles.
Has such an engaging, offbeat first half that it's all the more frustrating when it gets lost inside its own convolutions and delayed revelations.
It's hard to always know what Primer is saying or where it's heading, but it looks fantastic while it unfolds and you won't be able to forget what you've witnessed.
One of the most wilfully obscure sci-fi movies ever made, Primer will either blow your mind or drive you out of it.
What's impressive -- aside from the fact that Carruth got the thing made in the first place -- is that the movie's tone skates right between coherence and an appreciation for endless, even infinite possibilities.
The oomph in this clever conceit comes from the intensity of its lead characters.
A terrific little film about afterhours industry, tenderfoot genius and, of course, the evil in men's souls.
'Primer' is so convoluted that it makes 'Memento' look like 'The Straight Story.'
In the last act Carruth seems to be wandering in search of a way out of his box and enters the space warp of sci-fi breakdown.
'By avoiding cheesy revelations and typical characters arcs, Carruth has created a small but intelligent film bursting at the seams with ideas.'
Latest News for Primer
March 16, 2005:
Ebert's Overlooked Film Festival 2005
A 70-mm French comedy by Jacques Tati will open my 7th annual Overlooked Film Festival this April, and a Bollywood musical starring "the most beautiful woman in the... More...
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