Film Reviews

Primer

• Rating:
• Director: Shane Carruth
• Starring: Shane Carruth
• Details: US / 77mins (15s).

Abe (Carruth) and Aaron (Sullivan) are two members of a small group of scientists conducting their own extra-curricular experiments in a garage at home when they discover something strange. While fiddling around with their pet project, they find that their new device has some unique capabilities, one of which allows them to travel back in time to right what once went wrong in their lives. As the device rips paradoxes in the universe, it also slowly consumes the pair from the inside and tensions between them become strained as they watch what was once a great idea fall apart around them. First time writerdirector Carruth has a degree in mathematics and it really shows in the dialogue in the opening half of Primer, as he doesn't pander to the audience and you really feel you have to pay attention in class in case you miss anything. Most of the lines could be translated as 1101001110 but it still makes for an interesting story line because the quality performances really keep you spellbound. Not altogether clear from the first viewing, and coming across like Quantum Leap with serious consequences, this smart low-budget Dogme-style science fiction movie will stick in your head as you scratch it until your fingers bleed in an attempt to figure out just what the hell is going on.

Review by Declan Burke