Review of Primer (2004) by Wesley R — 08 Dec 2010

What makes this film work is the realism given to it. The characters who create this life-changing, box-shaped device are not super scientists who are intentionally creating something profound in a giant lab.

Rather, they are simply two guys who are trying to get by with their scientific know-how and working from a garage. The creation of their device and its capabilities--like other great inventions--is purely unintentional and born out of accident.

While what the device is capable of has been explored before in film, it has rarely been handled with such delicacy. The two creators--and best friends--treat the capabilities of the device seriously and in a way that we can all relate to.

Actions have reactions and it is enjoyable to see how long the creators can keep things going until things fall apart. There were only two things that kept this film from getting a perfect rating. The first thing is that the film starts off slowly and takes a while to hit its stride.

I feel that some of the characters could have been left out to streamline the story. The second thing is that sometimes the dialogue involves too much scientific or technical jargon. While this does add to the realism of the film it sometimes makes it difficult for the viewer to enjoy or understand.

Despite these two flaws, this is a film that definitely should be viewed by fans of science fiction. An impressive first film by Shane Carruth who will be a filmmaker to watch for in the future.