Buried (2010)

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  TheMovieDiorama

  7 / 10

  Buried is a unique thriller that is set all in one location: a coffin. Now now, I know what you are thinking. "How can a film set entirely in a small box be exciting?". To which I would've agreed with you, yet somehow director Rodrigo Cortés electrified me with his solid directing style. To have a camera freely moving with a person inside such a compact space is an achievement in itself. The story is about truck driver Paul Conroy who wakes up gagged, buried and running out of oxygen. He is forced to figure out how he got there where his survival skills are put to the ultimate test. What I admired was the balance of fear, thrills and dark comedy. In a situational film where character development is pushed aside, it is imperative that our lead character is likeable so that it is worth investing the time. They could be running through fire, swimming in shark infested waters or even drifting endlessly in space, if we can't relate to the character on an emotional level then there is no point. At all. After a slight rushed start, I can say this film worked. All thanks to Ryan Reynolds with one of his best performances by far. Multiple layers to his character that were well expressed. Laughing in times of crisis, angry in times of frustration and emotional in times of solace. He made Paul Conroy human. I sympathised with him and the situation he was in. Forget about the solitude of being in a tiny dark coffin, this film teaches you not how to survive in circumstances like this...no no. It teaches you how absolutely infuriating being put on hold is. My word it is the worst! So yes, I felt Conroy's rage and would've reacted the same way. There were times where the story dragged but it was bound to happen. Creating a 95 minute story in one small location is an achievement. Cortés' direction was so tight! He impressively captures the feeling of claustrophobia using low lighting and consistent shots of the walls, highlighting the sense of being trapped. The musical score didn't work for me, would've preferred silence. But a damn decent thriller with an outstanding performance.

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