Most reviewers scathed Primer for being hard to understand. I personally don't mind a good puzzle every now and then. And I certainly got that -- even Donnie Darko and Memento didn't need as much concentration as this movie. In fact I doubt that many people will figure out what's going on right away (especially during the last 15 minutes) -- as all good puzzles this is something you take home with you and spend another few hours connecting the pieces. And if you end up throwing in the towel, the official site has a message board where you can obtain clues...
I appreciated how non-linear the narrative was (duh, what did I expect from time travel?) and how the explanations were realistically hidden in the dialog instead of being spoon-fed to the audience the blockbuster way.
The low cost shows in both the acting jobs and the sound/video quality, but anyone who really cares about these is not going to fish among the indie fare anyway. You go to indie movies to see indie ideas, not to be blown away by special effects (and when it happens after-all -- like in the case of MirrorMask, it's just all the more fun).
This little production shot right up there to the pantheon of my indie favorites. My only regret is that I wasn't there to see it during Sundance 2004.
I appreciated how non-linear the narrative was (duh, what did I expect from time travel?) and how the explanations were realistically hidden in the dialog instead of being spoon-fed to the audience the blockbuster way.
The low cost shows in both the acting jobs and the sound/video quality, but anyone who really cares about these is not going to fish among the indie fare anyway. You go to indie movies to see indie ideas, not to be blown away by special effects (and when it happens after-all -- like in the case of MirrorMask, it's just all the more fun).
This little production shot right up there to the pantheon of my indie favorites. My only regret is that I wasn't there to see it during Sundance 2004.