Monday, April 10, 2017

Sci Fi Top 100, #37: "Primer" (2004)

Movie Stats:
Released 2004 (USA)
American, in English (minimal, mostly non-translated, French)
Director - Shane Carruth
Stars - Shane Carruth, David Sullivan

Plot Summary:
Friends Aaron (Carruth) and Abe (Sullivan) accidentally create a time machine and eventually clash over its best application.

Warnings:
Very minor violence; even more minor gore; very minor blue language.

Bad Stuff:
It’s difficult to follow.

The production values are quite obviously very low.

It’s mostly just a lot of (often quite technical) talking.

Good Stuff:
Despite the low production value, I thought the acting was good.

It’s nice to see a cerebral entry on the list.

I liked the concept (I think). This is not your standard time travel story. I appreciate that the characters were aware of, and tried to compensate for, the time travel paradox.

The Verdict:
I’m not entirely sure that I know WTH just happened. Two guys make a machine and they talk a lot and then they have a falling out over the machine. The end. I did enjoy how the tale grew more and more sinister as it went along. I liked that it was short (nothing worse than a story with too much filler). Overall, the film had a realistic feel. I think that I liked it, although it’s hard to say, given that I still don’t quite understand it. In the end, it felt like a film my husband (who prefers more cerebral stories) would have liked more than I did.

I give it 3 stars.

3 comments:

Patricia said...

Has said husband seen this motion picture?

This is another movie on the list I've never heard of. And it ranks so high! I checked IMDB to see if the poster would jog my memory, but nada.

Patricia said...

IMDB tells me this was made for $7,000.

balyien said...

Nope. He chose not to watch this one with me, which is unfortunate, because I think he would've loved it.

A month or two before I decided to do the sci fi movie project, I read about Primer on a list of "great movies you've never seen." It may have even been a sci fi-themed list. I don't remember. But that was the first I'd ever heard of it. I tried to watch it and couldn't get into it. It's always so much easier to complete films when I know I have to write a review. :)

And I can totally believe it was made for $7,000.