Primer
(dir. Shane Carruth)
"I haven't eaten since later this afternoon…" Always been a fan of time-travel films, but you've got to love one that really finds something new to do with the whole time-paradox conundrum. Shane Carruth apparently made this white-collar sci-fi for $7000, using Super 16 short-ends - bits of film stock left over from other shoots, filmed it mostly in his garage and with his friends. It shows - but not in the usual lo-fi excuse kind of way. This is one of the first films in ages where you're struggling to keep up, but in that great way where you're convinced that it will make sense if you do. We follow some geeky science buffs working on some new projects in their spare time, trying to hit on something they can license on. Two of them work on a box which is giving them some unusual results - somehow they've built a time machine. What follows is a series of increasingly paranoid scenes, a looping plot, and a lot of hanging out in hotel rooms all afternoon. It's like a less self-consciously cool Donnie Darko, that almost seems believable. Definitely one to watch again. and again… the best kind of small-scale project, where they've spent time on a great script and a smart story that holds together.
20th Aug 2005 - Tumblr
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