Upstream Color

With so many pieces to its puzzle, it's difficult to summarise, but in a nutshell Upstream Color is a bio-sci-fi drama that's part mystery, part romance. As Shane Carruth's second feature film, it's undeniably a commendable effort – a cinematic experience that stays ticking in your brain a while after its conclusion. However, its story and ambition outweigh the impact of the final product; Upstream Color is heavy on the allegory, yet skimps on human connection. This is due, in part, to the numb portrayals of the two protagonists, Kris (Amy Seimetz) and Jeff (Carruth) –  even when they react strongly they come off wooden. Although, admittedly this is consistent with their clouded, muddled headspace after experiencing traumatic events they can't seem to recall.

It's contradictory in that every scene – every sparse bit of dialogue, every close-up of plantation, every time the camera follows a hand's movement – feels like it's calculated and contributing to the film's meaning, but nevertheless, much of the time we're left with the impression that most of the depth is the 'of field' variety rather than the emotional kind. Behind every connection between the several plotlines, you can see the shadow of Carruth's hand, nudging it lightly towards you: 'here's the next clue, pay attention'. Despite some overly languid shots, it's all gorgeous – muted tones heavy on the blues (symbolic!) and dreamy blurs around all the edges – with a riveting sound design based on noises taken from nature.

Dense in thematics, Upstream Color is worth watching to be a part of its discussion, moreso than merely in and of itself. It's a film that is ripe to be theorised and analysed but, considering many of the events that occur, is disappointingly unaffecting.