I assume that a lot of Rinkies are fans of science fiction, and furthermore that they're fans of intelligent sci-fi. If this applies to you, I strongly suggest you go out and rent the film "Primer" (2004).

I watched it last night and was mostly confused by it. I liked it well enough while watching it, but afterwards I did not understand it. But it's one of those movies that has spent all day crawling through my mind, and with a bit of help from theorists on the Web I think I get it. And I know I like it quite a bit.

In short, the movie is one of the few sci-fi films I can think of that seems concerned with science over spectacle. There are no explosions, no laser guns, not a whole lot other than two guys slowly exploring the ramifications of a device they've built. The subject matter itself is not new, but some of the ways it is handled are. And there is always a strong focus on the characters and how the technology affects them -- the hallmark of good sci-fi.

The story of how the movie was made is almost as interesting as the film itself. It was made on a shoestring budget (it cost $7,000 which all went to film and camera rentals; the cost to blow it up to 35mm from 16mm to show it at Sundance cost more than the total production) but it does not seem that way. The acting is a little wooden, but it makes sense for the characters to be that way. The director -- who also wrote the screenplay, composed the score, edited the movie and played the lead role -- was a first-timer but he clearly has an eye for shot composition. More importantly, he understands rythym and pacing better than many Hollywood directors and editors and he allows the movie, which runs only 78 minutes, to move along at a perfectly speedy pace.

This is not a movie in which the characters stop to explain things to the audience. The script is demanding, and you are required to listen carefully from the very beginning to understand what's happening on screen. The characters are people who have known each other for a long time and have histories together that are hinted at but never spelled out. It heightens the realism because we never feel like we're watching scenes that exist only for our benefit, with the exception of a bit of voice-over narration that is vital for understanding the end.

At times this demanding pace is something of a liability. The movie is reminiscent of films like "Memento" in which part of the fun is figuring out exactly what took place and when, and how much certain characters knew and when they knew it. These sorts of movies are like games for the audience -- as much fun to talk about afterward as they are to watch -- but they often annoy me, because they provide no means of solving the puzzle ("Memento" is like this in one or two points and some films such as "Mulholland Drive" so completely pull the rug out from under us that one cannot even begin to solve them). I am happy to say that there are answers for almost every riddle in "Primer."

You'll notice that I have said almost nothing of the plot of the movie. I hope this glowing write-up is compelling without my having to disclose the plot, but anyone who wants a basic gist can find it elsewhere. While it's not a movie where knowing the basic premise will substantially weaken it, I think seeing it completely "cold" would be the most fun.

Stephen