Buried (Cortés, 2010)

[ayaa1977]

IMDb Link

Get this: Paul is a U.S. contractor working in Iraq. After an attack by a group of Iraqis he wakes to find he is buried alive inside a coffin. With only a lighter and a cell phone it's a race against time to escape this claustrophobic death trap

Here's a film which is set in Iraq that I really really wanna see. It premiered in Sundance and was highly appreciated, and no wonder, the director Rodrigo Cortés is a Spaniard, and those guys know how to make great thrillers. 

Trailer:

 

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/GWVoUBgVcf8&rel=1" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/v/GWVoUBgVcf8&rel=1</a>

[kaytee]

Ok first up the film is not set in Iraq, it is set in a coffin. And only has Ryan Reynolds on the screen for 90+ minutes, so if you don't like the guy you better not bother.

I was surprised as to how he held up the movie by himself and the credit has to go to the writing team to make a solo man movie so engaging.

I would have liked it even more if the movie would have used handheld cameras and attached them in the coffin rather than showing wide angles where the camera pans out and the whole effect of claustrophobia and fear that the protagonist is going through is lost.

The is one movie that sticks with the script and does not cop out in the end just because the studios don't agree to it.

A solid 4/5

[shariqq]

Wow. Was waiting for someone from WM to see this. Gotta watch it now!

[X.]

Ok first up the film is not set in Iraq, it is set in a coffin. And only has Ryan Reynolds on the screen for 90+ minutes, so if you don't like the guy you better not bother.

Thanks, Kaytee. You have saved me.

[ayaa1977]

I will echo KT's sentiment. This is a fucking terrific film! It is so thrilling and suspenseful, and it holds one's attention for the whole run. On the surface, it is a gimmick film, but despite that, it is an achievement. To set a film inside a box and stick to it for the whole run is not the easiest of tasks, but to make this interesting and not bore the audience is truly the biggest feat. This was achieved by a terrific scripts and a very strong performance by Ryan Reynolds who is a very likable actor, but not known for very dramatic roles before. You don't have to be a fan of his to like the film, because it is not about his charisma, in fact Paul is kind of an asshole so disliking him is not really a problem.

 I wish there is a spoiler button as it used to be, because I want to say more but I can't. For instance, there is a scene with a snake that was one of the most terrifying and suspenseful I have seen in a while. The ending is terrific and is not a cop out which made me like the film even more.

Now I am really awaiting  Mr. Cortés next project; a thriller with Robert De Niro and Cillian Murphy called Red Lights. Should it be nearly as successful as this film, I would be very happy with that.

My Rating 4/5

[animatedude]

in case you didn't read the news last year! 

http://insidemovies.ew.com/2010/12/30/buried-screenwriter-campaign-letter-academy-members/

[theoddball]

I just saw this ALONE in movie theatre #9 at Megaplex Ibn Battuta, and I'm still trying to breath properly. (I'm not even claustrophobic.)

Whatever your opinion of Ryan Reynolds, he will floor you here with a gruelling physical and emotional performance. Respect also to director Cortes; this is minimalist filmmaking at its most fucking epic, topped off by the best ending. Ever.

Rating: 5/5 Recommended

[ayaa1977]

It is an underrated great film. I would think that seeing it in the cinema would do it more justice than on TV, unfortunately, many of us did not have this option.

[fizz]

I agree with everything Oddy has written. This is the most suffocating, claustrophobic movie experience I've had since The Descent and I didn't even see that film on the big screen. When I got out, I was glad to see blue skies and feel fresh air. That's how effective it is. The ending is gut wrenching, in your face, unexpected. Kudos to the director, who keeps the focus on his actor, and hats of to Reynolds, for who I now have new found respect. The films 95 running time is entirely, entirely centred around him. In some ways, this is a companion piece to the equally good 127 Hours but while that film was about hope, this one is about despair. A monumental achievement.

Rating: Highly Recommended

[theoddball]

**SPOILERS AHEAD**

That's right, Fizz. In 127 Hours, we already know Ralston will survive, therefore the element of suspense is not a factor, and Boyle has to rely on inventive camera work and sound design to keep us both interested and emotionally invested. In Buried, we are continuously toyed with, literally to the last few seconds. Also, knowing this is, in essence, a European film, those of us versed in the industry end up forcibly battling with the denial game: On one hand, we want the film to maintain its hard realism—ending and all. On the other hand, our mainstream instincts keep screaming (pleading, rather), "They can't kill Ryan Reynolds! Not after everything he's gone through! He will be saved!"

What Cortes eventually decides to do is, I dare say, in the same in-your-face, stroke-of-genius category as Fincher's Se7en, only this one is even more devastating because it's laser focused within the span of less than 10 seconds, after which the sound dies, the screen turns black, and we're left to decide how many more seconds will pass before we inhale again.

[kaytee]

So finally you got around to seeing it, glad you liked it. Shariqq you are up next.

[shariqq]

Today was supposed to be the day. But my son decided to stay awake. It is my immediate next watch (as soon as I can).