I decided to begin my viewing of Primer with intense focus, being that the film is notorious for its extremely confusing plot. The plot becomes confusing about 35 minutes in. At least, that's where it begins. At about an hour into the film it starts to become exponentially more and more confusing. Then the film ends with calm piano and simplistic credits.
Primer was made for a budget of $7,000, a fact I was not aware of until after viewing the film. During viewing I had no idea. With the exception of the no-name cast and utter lack of special effects, a fact which enriches the film greatly, it is indistinguishable from a drama you would see in the theaters, in film quality. Were this film given a wide enough release to reach my area, I'd have seen it at least once, more likely 2 to 3 times, each time returning with friends to discuss the film's plot complexity with them.
I'm hesitant to discuss any of the film's plot for great fear of spoiling the intricacies of the plot to potential viewers. It was written with great skill, and the plot's chronological threads tie together in a story knot that as a writer myself I envy for its precision. It feels like the kind of writing gold that you do not encounter commonly in Hollywood, really. One must understand the ability to know how much work and sophistication went into it, and to acknowledge how difficult it truly is to create such a thing.
The cinematography is understated, but beautiful when utilized. There are many scenes that would have made equally intriguing posters (as seen above). I was impressed by how they used fairly uninteresting locations to evoke emotions of beauty, or anxiety. The pacing, the lighting, the 1990's world it feels pulled out of, everything is real to the viewer. It could be the low budget and unknown cast, but it feels too well done to have come out of sheer dumb luck. Despite all this, I have no complaints. Not a single complaint for the casting, the story, the pacing, the lighting, the score, or anything as grand and tangible as that. I do have a few disappointments though.
Shane Carruth (Aaron) and David Sullivan (Abe) both play their roles well, but they lack the confidence of experienced screen actors. They both feel capable in the roles, but at times hesitant to emote to what I feel is their full ability. Carruth I give a pass to because Primer was his baby, but Sullivan, who has continued his career in the business more than his fellow, could have been much more of everything. More angry, more frightened, more engaging, just more of everything. He does a fine job, but he could have done better.
My other disappointment, believe it or not, is that the film was not longer. At a run time of 77 minutes, the ending's suspenseful run through its last 15 feels closer to 5, and left me begging for a few more minutes, or an after the credits scene. My mind was racing, my eyes frantically searching the screen, and my desire left un-quenched when the credits rolled. A sequel feels like it would cheapen it, but there's so much left to say!
I can't agree with the poster's claim that "PRIMER is the headiest, most singular science-fiction movie since Kubrick made 2001," but it is among some of the best science fiction I've seen in the last decade, easily in the top 10. If you're looking for an intellectual thriller from a time travel angle, this is the one. 4 out of 5 stars
**** out of *****
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