Buried

Buried is surprising in that it’s not an indie festival flick, but a mainstream movie. Some viewers may consider that to be a drawback, but for me, the film’s ability to captivate and move the masses with a single actor in such a small place is its greatest asset. It thus comes closest to Joel Schumacher’s Phone Booth, in which the desperate protagonist squirms in an equally confined space, though standing upright and with a better view:-). Buried is superbly written, filmed and acted, with an ending that delivers an uncompromising knock-out blow. (12/06/2011)

The equipment from which MacGyver would make a mining drill, an air supply that exceeds the physical limit of volume and a phone signal that would make a regular operator pay in gold are compensated by an unpredictable plot and an excellent Ryan Reynolds. What is most surprising is that the director squeezes the original concept throughout the entire runtime, without any significant slump or climax. Rodrigo Cortés is a concept for the future, and not just for those opening "Hitchcock credits." 4 ½. (12/29/2010)

Logic takes a beating in a much harsher way than I'm used to in the thriller genre, and everything relies solely on Ryan Reynolds. He delivers a performance as likable as usual, but unfortunately he doesn't have, nor could he have, the ability to carry the whole film on the surface of a single coffin, even with enough oxygen and signal. The salvation of this good but poorly executed concept is the ending, which, despite my slight apathy towards the protagonist's actions, stretched me to the brink of breaking. (01/09/2011)

FUUUUUUCK! A tricky situation, don’t you think? An ingenious idea to shut a guy in a coffin and then to take all his hopes away one by one. That in itself has the potential for at very least some breathtaking, erm... entertainment (?) that can be completely emotionally draining for the viewer. Buried remains somewhere in mid journey, and its main enemy is time. If the movie were an hour long and it could have been absolutely perfect, this way it’s one and a half hours and is “merely" above average. The side-stories are so unlikely that they are damaging and take the attention away from the most important aspect, intruding into the stifling atmosphere which the absolutely amazing direction managed to create. The camerawork and the lighting are first rate. And we also have Ryan Reynolds who gives the performance of a lifetime. An extraordinary picture. What’s your social security number? (12/23/2010)

Reynolds has really been climbing the ranks for me lately, and Buried only solidifies that. If you're expecting a predictable, boring one-note thriller, you're in for a surprise. This is a well-crafted psychological game played out in a 3x1 meter space filled with pure terror and hopelessness—80%. P.S.: If you’re claustrophobic, maybe don’t watch this in a confined space. Trust me, this film makes even open spaces feel a little too tight. (12/26/2010)