[Vision2020] Movie suggestion: Primer

[Paul Rumelhart]

I just watched this movie for the second time, and I'm still confused.  
That's a good thing.

The movie is a low-budget one ("about the price of a used car" is what 
the director who is also one of the stars claims it cost to make), with 
no big-budget special effects at all, but is really entertaining to 
watch. The movie actually came out in 2004, I think.

The movie follows it's two main characters, Aaron and Abe, as they 
stumble upon a discovery while attempting to make (I think) a 
room-temperature superconductor; they have found a way to create a very 
limited type of time travel.  The viewer follows them as they make the 
discovery, learn to make use of it, and try to live with the side 
effects and problems it creates.  The film is very smart and witty, with 
subtle dialog full of scientific terms.  The acting, especially since 
there are few if any professional actors involved, is very good.  The 
conversations are realistic, and you get the idea that this is actually 
how this kind of thing might go down if it really happened.  It also has 
what is now one of my favorite movie quotes in it: "Are you hungry?  I 
haven't eaten since later this afternoon."

This is one of those movies where you might just feel compelled to get 
out pencil and paper and try to graph out what just happened.  It's 
probably more for the geek or engineer crowd, or for those who like to 
tinker with things on their own time.  If you're looking for a summer 
action flick, this will probably bore you.  If you like a movie that 
treats it's audience members as if they have actual neurons in their 
heads and aren't afraid to use them, definitely give this one a go.

Paul