Movie #36 Buried

I love a films that can make me have a visceral reaction to them.  I enjoy the manipulation of being made to feel sad or angry or sick to my stomach.  But this weekend I had an experience like I have never had before.  The movie staring Ryan Reynolds (and only Ryan Reynolds) made me squirm from the feeling of claustrophobia.  That is a feeling I have never had before.  Generally I kind of enjoy being alone.  Tight spaces have never really bothered me before.  But this film had me stretching in every direction, attempting to gain some sense of peace and comfort.

The film is a cinematic experiment.  It is the ultimate in single location filming.  It takes place entirely within a coffin that has been buried.  Ryan Reynolds character is a US truck driver in Iraq.  His convoy is ambushed and he wakes up in his own grave.  After freaking out for about 10 minutes straight he finds a few things his imprisoners have left him.  He has a cell phone, a couple of glow sticks, a lighter, a pencil, a small pocket knife and a flashlight that is on the fritz. 

Director Rodrigo Cortes does an excellent job in using every trick in his cinematic bag to keep the visuals fresh and exciting.  Never once do we get out of the coffin.  The farthest we get from our protagonist is once he gives up hope and begins to make peace the camera pulls back making the coffin look 10 feet deep.  Kind of an homage to Trainspotting when Renton OD's on heroin and falls deeply into the red carpet.  The only other reprive from the grave is when Reynolds has a brief halouncination of being rescued.  The coffin lid begins to open and white light pours in.  The light floods out any other visuals and then we are quickly snapped out of it back into the grim reality.

The story is a little thin and you have to overlook a few continuity errors (the coffin depth ranges from inches above his nose to him being able to turn over on his side).  You are also required to take a leap of faith in that he can get cell phone service underground and that he isn't burning up all of his oxygen wiht his Zippo.  But these are nit picky critisims.  This film won me over big time.  It is bold and fearless.  Like many horror films you are comforted by a knowledge that someone has to survive the ordeal.  With Reynolds being the only character in the film, you fear for his life but with that spark in the back of your mind that surely they won't kill him off.

Buried was a Sundance favorite, but hasn't tested well with other audiences.  I was fortunate to be the only one at my screening.  That atmosphere really added to the loneliness and abandon feelings Reynolds character was going through. 

This film has a few weak political threads thrown in towards the end.  It is as much a movie about bureaucracy and the absurdity of governments and business and the relationship between them.  This is like Brazil for the post 911 crowd.

I loved this movie.  I will give it a 4.5/5 stars.  Check out the link below to view the trailer.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DVMUwoNZs2Y