{"id":15499,"date":"2013-08-30T20:30:43","date_gmt":"2013-08-30T19:30:43","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.filmdetail.com\/?p=15499"},"modified":"2013-08-30T23:23:45","modified_gmt":"2013-08-30T22:23:45","slug":"upstream-color-review-carruth","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.filmdetail.com\/2013\/08\/30\/upstream-color-review-carruth\/","title":{"rendered":"Upstream Color"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Upstream<\/a><\/p>\n

The long-awaited second film from Shane Carruth<\/a> is a mind-bending puzzle filled with striking images and sounds.<\/p>\n

Back in 2004 Carruth startled audiences at Sundance with his ultra low-budget time travel drama Primer<\/a>, which has since become a significant cult film.<\/p>\n

He quickly became something of an enigma – apparently one long cherished project was stuck in development hell – prompting questions about when and what his new film would be.<\/p>\n

But earlier this year he was back at Sundance (nine years after his debut film) with Upstream Color, which prompted eager anticipation.<\/p>\n

Suffice to say, Carruth has lived up to expectations with a film that is both absorbing and uncompromising.<\/p>\n

When a young woman (Amy Seimetz<\/a>) is involved in a bizarre series of events after being drugged, she forms a connection with a man (Carruth) who has had similarly surreal experiences.<\/p>\n

Although that is a very basic outline of the story, part of the pleasure is seeing how it veers into surreal realms encompassing roundworms, pigs, flowers and Henry David Thoreau’s Walden<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Just trying to describe the film in words feels futile as this is one that should be experienced on a audio-visual level.<\/p>\n

The sound design by Pete Horner and Chad Chance is a huge part of the film and the seemingly omnipresent synth score is hypnotic.<\/p>\n