a review by Jeffrey Overstreet
•
Produced, written, directed and edited by Shane Carruth
Director photography – Shane Carruth.
Released by ThinkFilm.
80 minutes. Rated PG-13 for … what, exactly? Beats me.
STARRING: Shane Carruth (Aaron), David Sullivan (Abe), Casey Gooden (Robert), Anand Upadhyaya (Phillip), Carrie Crawford (Kara) and Jay Butler (Metal Shop Worker).
•
Stick with me here. This does, believe it or not, have a lot to do with the movie Primer.
A friend of mine — we’ll call him “Jay” — has just hit the jackpot.
No, wait … what he did has nothing to do with gambling. In fact, it’s the opposite. Jay just experienced a powerful blessing.
Jay’s been given the chance of a lifetime. Out of the vast masses of aspiring young actors, he has been offered the chance to do what he does so well, and do it for a living. On a high visibility platform. For countless viewers. And he’ll be working with some of the top people in show business.
What is more, he’s going to be rich. Where a month ago, he considered it an achievement to pay the rent, suddenly, he’s looking at a contract that will deliver him a paycheck that would make most actors do a double-take.
Now, it’s not the money that makes this story a thrill. It’s that my friend is seeing his dream come true. Not everyone in this business who has talent and works hard gets such an opportunity … only a handful ever do. Jay worked hard. He showed up. He did his part. And when the Grace Train came down the track, he was ready, bags packed, ticket in hand.
Nevertheless, even though Jay has worked long and hard, the biggest tests of his character are still ahead. He and his family will undergo major changes in the next few years, adapting to a different location; a new routine; a very different community; and a much, much different budget. Just moments after I heard the news and the waves of joy crashed over me, a smaller wave — an undertow, if you will — tugged me in a different direction. I became deeply concerned. Jay is blessed with a strong marriage and wonderful children. And it doesn’t take much research to see that becoming rich and ramous can be a devastating blow to a family man. It can ruin marriages, alienate parents from children, and throw fuel on the fires of bad habits. Now, don’t get me wrong: I have faith in Jay and his family, that they will weather the coming storms. And my prayers are with them every step of the way.
What in the world does this have to do with Primer?
Primer is about the same fundamental issue. It’s about Aaron and Abe, two guys with big imaginations, a lot of talent, and no idea of what is about to happen to them. Their hard work pays off, suddenly, unexpectedly, and in ways they never imagined. At first, it seems like the most wonderful event of their lives. They’ll be rich. They’ll be famous. They’ll have opportunities most people don’t even dream about. But then, as they begin to realize the power at their fingertips, their baser instincts begin to overcome their wisdom, their loyalty, their honesty, and their good intentions.
My friend Jay, I am confident, will not fall into the pits that these guys do. That would be a tragedy.
But filmmaker Shane Carruth turns this story of things falling apart into a remarkably coherent, compelling science fiction film. In some ways, his work is astonishing–he made this movie for about $7,000. That’s pocket change for most Hollywood filmmakers.
Even more amazing: The guy wrote it. He directed it. And he starred in it. Carruth, acting alongside another newcomer named David Sullivan, choreographs a completely convincing workd, drawing us into the tension of a garage laboratory, where Aaron, Abe, and some friends are working hard to make some kind of technological breakthrough. The film recalls 2001: A Space Odyssey and THX 1138 in that Carruth drops us into a situation where we do not understand what is going on, where the characters speak in technical terms that leave us grasping for a hold. But then, little by little, Carruth cleverly reveals where all this is going.
The less I say about the plot, the better. Suffice it to say that Aaron (Carruth) and Abe (Sullivan) deliver completely convincing performances as the two engineers whose friendship is tested by their awe-inspiring discovery. As they begin to conspire different futures for themselves, and respond to different fears, you can see the cracks spreading through their relationship, and before long, you know it’s going to get worse before it gets better … if it gets better.
Pay close attention to Primer from the very first frame, because your attentiveness will be rewarded as you leave the theatre trying to fit the pieces together, trying to understand exactly what happened in those dizzying final minutes. If you’ve seen Memento, then you have some idea of the ingenuity on display here.
If Carruth can do this for $7,000, it’ll be interesting to see what he does with a bigger budget. Some artists thrive when they are given harsh restrictions. Pressure and limits can provoke genius, whereas vast resources can create a world of distractions and delays. My hope is that this is the beginning of a fascinating career for an inventive filmmaker. I also hope that Primer is successful, and that Carruth has the wisdom to stick with his strengths even if he’s given a bigger budget next time around. If he’s learned the lesson of his own film, and if Primer leads him to great success and huge opportunities, then let us pray he remains humble, focused, and dedicated to those who helped him pull this film together.
I trust my friend “Jay” will do just that. And when his first movie hits the big screen, I’ll be back to report on it. I’ll be using his real name when that happens. So stay tuned. In the meantime, he … and the rest of you … should go see Primer.