Upstream Color
Following up on Kathleen’s post, and since I am currently in Austin taking in as many films as possible during the SXSW Film Festival, I’d like to highlight one film in particular, a remnant from Sundance in January but with enough staying power that the talk about the film has continued into March. In fact, while in line for the film, Upstream Color, I heard nothing but comment after comment from people who had seen it once or twice, but wanted to see it again, to see what they might get from it this time.
I think it is probably most filmmakers’ dream not just to create something that people want to see, but to create something that people want to see again and again, that will reward the viewer not just while they watch it, but after and forever. In that sense, Upstream Color has succeeded in a way few films do.
The film is the long-awaited follow up to director, writer, actor, and producer Shane Carruth’s 2004 indie hit Primer, and the wait, though certainly frustrating, seems to have been worth it. Shane had been in different stages of production for another film, but when it seemed to be going nowhere, he started working on this film instead. Though the narrative is somewhat abstract, the performances, the score, as well as the beautiful visuals and editing keep the film together, resulting in a poetic meditation that is simultaneously gripping and suspenseful.
Without a doubt, wider audiences will soon be seeing this film after the festival circuit.
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