Movie Review: Primer (Carruth, 2004)

If you built a machine that allowed you to travel back in time to when you switched it on, what would you do? Think you know? Be realistic, think again.

I picked this movie up at the local rental store, simply because I wanted to watch some sci-fi that wasn't totally crap. This film won two awards at the 2004 Sundance Film Festival: The Grand Jury Award, and the Alfred P. Sloan award, beating a few other popular movies at the time including Napoleon Dynamite (which I stared at with incredulity for a few hours, then threw out the window.)

Now, Primer is not for everyone, and actually has some pretty harsh critics. 'Yes, but what is it actually about' I hear you ask? Well it goes like this:

• Guys try to build gravity-distorting device (of course to make an object appear to have less mass, what else?)
• Guys accidentally build a time machine
• Guys mess around with time paradoxes
• Bad things happen (everyone knows you shouldn't create a paradox in time travel)

Looking at the awards this film won, and the fact that you've probably never heard of it before, should lead you to think that this isn't your average Hollywood Sci-fi digital effects fest. It's quite low-key actually, was filmed on a $7000 budget, and is Shane Carruth's first foray into writing, acting in and directing a film after a career as an engineer.

This film is a puzzle, but a rather exceptional one at that. You need to see it about 3 times to piece things together sufficiently so you don't feel too unintelligent, but it remains fascinating. The story itself isn't actually that visionary, nor is it that dramatic, but it evokes such an unsettling feeling amongst viewers because despite the fact that it's sci-fi, it feels quite real. It is like you are experiencing the chain of events with them, and are as confused as they are, yet are you are detached and unable to affect things. Some people like these types of films, while others do not. It reminds me very much of Donnie Darko, so if you liked that movie, and the way it made you feel, you should like this one.

Not simple entertainment, 4.5/5 stars