Buried is a thriller film directed by Spanish director Rodrigo Cortés. It stars Ryan Reynolds (Just Friends, The Proposal) as a US truck driver in Iraq who wakes up buried alive in a wooden coffin, a mobile phone his only salvation.
Set entirely within this wooden coffin, both director and star gracefully interact to convey not only intense claustrophobia, but a relentless narrative both thrilling and heart-pounding. The camerawork and lighting are phenomenal, darkness certainly relied on at times but never used as a cheap disguise. This is a beautiful, dirtily shot film that will pull viewers deep down into the leading man’s grim situation beneath the dirt and won’t let go.
Back in 2010, there were two popular movies released which take place entirely (or almost entirely) in a confined space wherein a man is trapped and fighting for his life.
CPC:
Buried is a suspenseful masterpiece of minimalism that would put a smile on Hitchcock’s face.
With Buried, Rodrigo Cortes proves he could very well become a force to be reckoned with. Built on such a simple (and seemingly boring at first) premise, Cortes makes Buried one of the most enthralling and captivating movies of the year. With so little to work with, it’s a wonder, as you watch entranced, how Cortes could draw so much from such a film. This is the way minimalism is supposed to be done. Buried, a suspense thriller that even Hitchcock would be proud of, is so masterfully executed by the new director that you can’t help but marvel at what transpires on the screen while, at the same time, feeling so unnerved that you can’t turn away.
Great review JL! And I concur. Buried delivered the most shocking ending of any movie this year. Cortes, as a director, is on the fast track to stardom.
Glad you enjoyed it Matt. Definitely was quite an ending. That last like 10 minutes really just hammers you. I'll definitely be looking out to see what Cortes is doing next.
Week 2 of That Movie Podcast's challenge to watch 2 movies a day during 2011 and chronicling their thoughts on the second week.
Can't wait to see this film. I've been intrigued by it from the get-go about it being set entirely within the coffin, with only Reynolds. It sounded like a unique experiment, and one I hoped would be pulled off. Now that quite a few positive reviews are coming out I'm even more excited.
I still don't like how most reviewers (this one included) always say that Reynolds is known only for his romantic comedies. He has done quite a bit more than those, and lately hasn't even been touching that genre. I guess since that's where most people really discovered him, that's all the associate with him. He's flexed his acting talents elsewhere before though, and it's why I think he'll do great in any film he's in.
Who knows, maybe this film will help get him some recognition in the more dramatic circles as well.
It's a great film darklordzor, you should definitely go see it!
To be fair (I am the reviewer) I only state that Reynolds is "known mostly for his work in romantic comedies". 'Mostly' rather than 'only', which is quite different when you think about it.
I am aware that he has dabbled in other genres (he was pretty good as Ray Liotta's partner in Smokin' Aces) yet overall, he will be known by most viewers for his work within the romantic comedy genre.
With Buried getting rave reviews and Green Lantern fast approaching though, that may all be set to change!