Friday, June 14, 2013
Have you ever seen a movie and instantly knew that you would need to see anything by that filmmaker? No? Well, screw you! That’s exactly how I feel about Shane Carruth. After seeing his feature debut, Primer, back in 2004, I just knew that I was going to love his next movie. I didn’t expect it to take nine years, but the whole time I was biding my time and waiting for him to release his next masterpiece. After waiting through all of the studio/financial bull, I finally got to see his second film this past week...and let me just say: it was worth the wait.For those of you who are unfamiliar, Carruth is a former software engineer who, one day, decided to make a very technical time-travel movie called Primer. The film was an absolute bullseye. He took his technical background in software engineering and mathematics and applied it to make this science fiction plot seem less fiction and more like pure science. Casting himself in one of the lead roles was a genius decision on his part (and probably even more so financially) because the role required such a relatable everyman who could deliver all of this technical jargon in a completely accessible way. But, I digress. Needless to say, Primer was a cult hit, and so many people have been waiting on pins and needles for his newest film, Upstream Color.
Upstream Color is another science fiction film, but this time, instead of having lots of explanation of the science, it is more about a relationship. The relationship is between Kris (Amy Simetz) and Jeff (Shane Carruth), who meet on a train and start a relationship together. I really don’t want to get into the plot anymore, because I think it is best seen rather than described. Let’s just say that there is a sci-fi aspect to it that is just...wow.
My biggest problem with this film is also the biggest strength of the film: Shane Carruth. In Primer, it really worked for him having all of this technical background and being about to act out scenes that only he could really do. But in this film, it seems like he unnecessarily cast himself in the lead role. He wasn’t terrible, I just felt that there was something missing in the role of Jeff that a more experienced actor could have brought to the role. It also might have helped him focus on the rest of his duties on the film...but I don’t think he really needed that.
Carruth is an absolute beast when it comes to film production. Just like with Primer, Carruth was the: screenwriter, director, cinematographer, lead actor, editor, composer, and producer. Those are a lot of hats to wear for one man, but somehow he absolutely nailed it, at least in most of those roles. I think that sometimes taking on so much responsibility can be a burden, but for the special few who can do it, it can be an absolute godsend. Being able to write, film and then edit your own material means that you can make the exact film that you went out to make. And that is exactly what I think Carruth did. 
Upstream Color really stands out in one aspect to me: the visuals are simply perfection. Carruth has an eye for shot composition that rivals that of Terrence Malick. No lie, this man knows his way around a camera and how to perfectly capture the visuals that need to be shown. And I think he knows just how good he is. I only say that because of his screenwriting. When you look at his script, it is very light and doesn’t really convey much through dialogue. He knows how to tell a story just with his camera SO WELL that he doesn’t even write dialogue to go over it. His films are perfect examples of the old adage: a picture is worth a thousand words.
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While not as good as Primer, Upstream Color continues to showcase Shane Carruth’s stunning camera work and directorial talent. The acting was strong (mostly from Amy Seimetz), but could have been even stronger with a more seasoned actor for her to play off of. The science fiction plot is great, but a little thin. I think this is more of a romance story than anything, and that doesn’t bother me one bit.
Writing: 7/10
Directing: 9/10
Acting: 7.5/10
Pacing: 7/10
Rewatchability: 7.5/10
Score: 7.6/10
