Review of Upstream Color (2013) by Corey B — 17 Apr 2013

"The water before you is somehow special. It is better than anything you have ever tasted. Each drink is better than the last." Shane Carruth, you fuggin genius. If I was only allowing myself two words to review this movie, they'd be "hauntingly beautiful.

" Hmm, good thing I can write as much as I want :D Just like Primer, he makes every shot count. Less logically based than Primer, more sensory and temperamentally based, but still just as mysterious, and still very much a sci-fi flick.

But unlike Primer, try not to "figure it out." With enough gumption and elaborate explanations, you still might not be able to, but I don't think Shane wants you too. The movie is meant to make you feel something.

Feel for the characters, feel for their (and your) emotions, and yes, this will sound corny, feel life. If you let it, this movie will take you on an emotional roller coaster. Also, Amy Seimetz, who plays the main character, shines radiantly as one of the up and coming actresses to watch for.

It's nice to see that Shane was finally given a bigger budget, and it's by no means a large one. Just substantially more than Primer is all you can tell. Once again, he is the director, writer, actor, producer, editor, and composer.

I'd like to highlight the score as a huge selling point. During the Q&A (yes, he's just as cool and down-to-earth as you'd think), he divulged that he was influenced by Cliff Martinez for the soundtrack.

And although he won't openly admit it, he's also taking quite a few queues from Mr. Reznor, which makes me very happy. By the way, the trailer for the film is a style I love: quick cuts that barley show you the movie.

By the end, you know literally nothing about the film, but are extremely intrigued. I'd like to end the review by making comparisons: think Tree Of Life, meets 2001: A Space Odyssey, meets Close Encounters Of The Third Kind, meets.

..well, something else entirely. If you like any of those mentioned, or if you were a big Primer fan like myself, it'd be wise to see this one. Just know though, it is nothing like any of those.