Primer part 8

Film: Primer
Directed by Shane Carruth
United States (2003)
Science Fiction/Psychological Drama
8 Parts/ 77 mins


With optional English Subtitles (you might need the subtitles for some scenes of technical dialogue)
Please be sure to turn on the CC (closed captions) button to view subtitles
Subtitles are translatable to any language and can be moved by clicking and dragging the subtitles.

(Rated PG13 by MPAA)


Prepare your brain to be put through a blender with this ultra low-budget gem (made on a budget of $7,000) by first time director Shane Carruth and winner of the Grand Jury Prize for dramatic film at the 2004 Sundance Film Festival. A thinking man's (or woman's) science fiction film that has generated a cult following because of its innovative plot structure and complex, technical dialogue. A rare science fiction film does not insult the intelligence of its audience by sugar-coating the science behind the fiction of the timeworn subject of time travel so often seen in other less-imaginative sci-fi films, and as a result, the director presents and reworks ideas and themes of past films in the genre in a refreshing manner. The most attentive viewers may have trouble finding their bearings as the film opens with a quick flow of engineering jargon, and anyone who can follow the temporal twists and inversions of the film's final third probably deserves an engineering degree. Primer is a witty, well-shot, and convincingly acted science-fiction brain twister, leading one to suspect that on repeated viewings a rock solid narrative will reveal itself. (And trust me, YOU NEED TO WATCH THIS FILM AT LEAST 2 OR 3 TIMES.)

Synopsis:

A group of four tech entrepreneurs, toiling away in a garage, have successfully created an error-checking system for their clients. But their recent work seems to have created an unexpected and seemingly impossible side-effect. Suddenly, two members of the group realize they are in possession of a device that can double, or perhaps even quadruple, the space-time continuum of anything that enters it. What at first seems like a windfall of astronomical proportions eventually proves to be much more than they bargained for. As the duo attempt to manipulate time to their financial advantage, when they begin to use the device to manipulate their personal lives, the two find themselves in an endless series of paradoxes and a growing amount of distrust. What seems like the standard foray into science fiction is revealed to be an ethical and philosophical rumination on the subject it tackles.

There is a moment in Primer that sums up the filmmaker's point-of-view quite nicely. It's not the line quoted in many reviews, where one addled engineer asks another, "Are you hungry? I haven't eaten since later this afternoon," although that line exemplifies Carruth's prickly wit. It takes place before the main characters' great, accidental discovery when two men discuss NASA's efforts to develop a pen that would work in zero gravity. After spending millions trying to work out the problem, the agency ended up using a simple pencil. Primer is the science-fiction film equivalent of that pencil, and the remarkable amount of bang the film gets for its buck is only one of its virtues. Primer is also a textbook example for young filmmakers that a film can be as big as you want it to be when creativity is your budget.

Category:

Film & Animation

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[complexoxo]

What the actual fuck

Back to 80 minutes ago!

[JSwiftMedia]

This was a fantastic movie that proved that you don't need a million dollars worth of special effects to tell a riveting, engaging story. I'm not really a fan of sci-fi movies, but I found this to be really enjoyable and thought-provoking. It's a shame that trite like "Transformers" and "Green Lantern" get all the publicity when outstanding, independent films like this are all over the place.

[daddyboom1]

wtfdidijustwatch.png

[DeathByBlunderbuss]

Don't try sleeping after watching this, I think my brain is over stimulated because I put so much thought and attention into watching this. So hence I can't sleep properly,

[DownDiggaDeDoo]

Wait... What ?

[Suolperos]

@mechwarreir2 I was pretty damn confused when I watched this the first time, too. Anyone who claims to fully "get" this movie after watching it only once (or even twice) is full of bullshit. I don't care if that person wrote a dissertation all about Feynman diagrams and all that - STILL full of bullshit. :P

I've probably watched this movie upwards of 40 times now in the last few years and I still notice new things EVERY time I watch it.

[Suolperos]

@mechwarreir2 Lol that's normal - watch it a couple more times and pay close attention to even the smallest details - they matter. ;D

[Suolperos]

@pamelatify Nice! I never thought of that but that is a distinct possibility that would go far in explaining how in the hell Granger of all people managed to find and use the machine...

When I first saw that I thought it was there to illustrate the chaotic results of time travel, and that it was "just so" - but if there's anything I've learned from watching this movie a gazillion times now, it's that NOTHING in this film is "just so"...

That's good thinking, my friend. I like it.

[spadehatesscrewtube]

@JSwiftMedia yeh. im still getting over the poisoners handbook.

[spadehatesscrewtube]

@complexoxo if you would watch the entire actual movie, you would see what the actual fuck. it is a godamn GREAT movie. not the best ever, but damn near close.

[spadehatesscrewtube]

this is where the shit hits the fan. like lesie neilson said in airplane.

[mechwarreir2]

wtf did I just watch. I am so confused X_X