Digenis.org

Whenever I come back to the States, I make a point (and a list) to see films and buy books which haven’t made it to Russia. Lately, both Kelly and Kottke have been singing the praises of Primer, the independent film which won the Grand Jury Prize at last year’s Sundance Festival, so this one was at the top of the list. It didn’t hurt that comparisons were being made to Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and Memento, two movies which I’ve really enjoyed.

Just like the films it’s been compared to, Primer is a jigsaw puzzle of a movie that leaves you mapping out timelines long after the credits roll. It tells the story of two engineers, Abe and Aaron, who, while developing a device which alters the apparent mass of objects, accidentally invent a time machine. When they realize the power they now posses, it becomes a true test whether they can trust each other - or even themselves.

It would be easy to overlook this film seeing as the whole time travel genre has been way overdone by Hollywood. Still, even though Primer revisits some of the same concepts and questions concerning time travel, ethics, causation, and fatalism it stands out high above the rest. It’s also worth noting that this remarkable film was practically singlehandedly made by Shane Carruth, who wrote, directed, starred in, and arranged the score for Primer all for around $7000.

Still, though the storyline is awesome I think the acting leaves a bit to be desired. Carruth and David Sullivan just weren’t convincing to me as two men who experience invention, monumental discovery, ethical struggle, betrayal, and so on. Their acting was cardboard.

You’ve got to see Primer. Probably even multiple times if you really want to catch everything. Kottke posted a few explanations, but I’d recommend seeing the film first before you read them:
1. Primer timeline discussion #1
2. Primer timeline discussion #2
3. Detailed visual timeline

The film was just released on DVD and is available at Amazon.