Buried

“I need one million dollars by nine o'clock tonight or I'll be left to die in this coffin!”

Buried tells the remarkable story of an American truck driver, Paul Conroy (Ryan Reynolds), as he awakens after a terrorist attack buried in a coffin six feet underground. With no more than a dying lighter, an Iraqi cell phone and a limited supply of oxygen, Paul must escape his seemingly inevitable fate as he is slowly buried alive.

Claustrophobics beware. Buried is a pulsating roller coaster ride of emotion, tension and sheer brilliance, a fine achievement for a film shot entirely in a coffin underground. The film’s story is driven mainly through its dialogue: the conversations undertaken on Paul’s phone between loved ones, the American embassy and his Iraqi captors as he desperately tries to escape. The film also goes so far as to criticise the American government, questioning their concern and support for their own citizens. As the plot twists and turns, the audience are kept in a constant limbo with regard to Paul’s survival odds, and it’s not long before suspense builds and tension rises towards a compelling, yet slightly disappointing conclusion.

However, the real basis for film’s success has to be the incredible solo performance of rising megastar Ryan Reynolds who more than impresses in this unexpected breakthrough role. Perhaps the scene that will shock most mainstream audiences comes in the form of a snake finding its way down Paul’s trouser leg to rest menacingly at the base of the coffin. Reynolds shows maturity and conviction in even the most emotional of scenes, for instance the long awaited conversation with his wife near the end of the film which will bring tears to your eyes. So where does Canada’s most promising young talent go from here? With Oscar season coming up, who knows?

The film’s director, Spanish born Rodrigo Cortéz, is a man of only two feature films to date so considering his work has been compared to the work of legendary director Alfred Hitchcock, known to many as the ‘King of Suspense’, he’s definitely one to watch out for in the future. His direction here is uplifting but also heartbreaking with every event that occurs, both in the coffin and in the outside world. On a more technical level, the film’s score, or lack of score in most scenes, creates an incredible sense of realism, so that every sound that comes from the coffin, the flick of a lighter and hiss of a snake echoes around the cinema, bringing the audience further into Paul’s claustrophobic prison. In terms of cinematography and editing, the film skilfully looses focus as its gripping conclusion draws near and Paul begins to lose sight on reality, slipping into hallucinations resulting in cleverly constructed false hope.

It really is no wonder this film rocked the Sundance Film Festival last February. Buried is energetic, original and brutal, with a real sense of respect and understanding for anyone who may have lost loved ones in the Iraq war. A truly brilliant spectacle and the best Indie film I’ve personally seen this year.

Add Comment

You must log in to submit a comment.