Buried: Movie Review

Buried: Movie Review

Buried
Rating: 8/10
Cast: Ryan Reynolds
Director: Rodrigo Cortes
Ryan Reynolds stars in this claustrophobic thriller where the clock is ticking in a deadly race against time.
Reynolds is Paul Conroy, an American truck driver in Iraq who awakes to find himself trapped in a coffin with only a cellphone, a few pens and a lighter for company.
As Conroy comes round, he begins to realize the horror of the situation; namely that he's buried alive, with no idea where he is, why he's there and perhaps most importantly, how he's going to get out.
However, as he makes a series of desperate phone calls, he begins to piece together a potential escape plan. Things get more complicated when those who put him in the box call and make demands of him..can Conroy get it together in time and get out alive with time, oxygen and hope running out?
Buried is a good old fashioned thriller with an intriguing premise and a great sense of claustrophobia.
From the moment the Saul Bass/ Hitchcock style opening credits end, you're plunged into darkness and your senses adjust at the same time Conroy's do. Every sound, every nuance is disorienting on the big screen in the dark - Conroy's frenzied panicked breathing puts you on the edge of your seat right away.
But what will keep you on the edge of that seat is Ryan Reynolds - what a performance in what is essentially a one man film. As the camera pans over Reynolds in his captivity, his every performance (whether it's the breathing or freaking out as he realizes how problematic his situation is) is pitch perfect, conveying the horror of the situation and the desperation of a man determined to get out. He goes through the gamut of emotions with ease and emerges a fully rounded character whom we empathasise with immediately - no mean feat seeing as his is the only face on the screen for 90 minutes.
The script could have so easily run out of steam but with time trickling away, it powers along with plenty of pace and deadly realism.
Director Cortes has done a good job too - with close ups, spiralling camera work in the confined space of the coffin, we get every sense of tension; every feeling of intensity is there up on the screen.
There's also some humour in there - Reynolds has issues with answerphones as he tries to get help; a clash with a sister in law is fraught with desperation - but there's also humanity as Conroy talks to those who matter most to him and thanks to the carefully handled script, the situation isn't milked for effect.

Buried is a nervy mesmerizing treat - a tensely claustrophobic affair which is vividly brought to life by a power house performance from a mightily impressive Reynolds.