Buried

Rented the Blu-ray of Buried and watched it without any expectations. I may have been a little bias with my preconception of absolutely finding Ryan Reynolds to be a bad actor.

The film is a little hokey, but delivers for the most part. If you don’t know, the entire is film is simply Reynolds trapped in a coffin. We stay in that coffin for 94 minutes!

The plot reminded me of something like Phone Booth, and the premise is actually very similar. However, what makes Buried more suspenseful than most “intense” action films is the break-through performance by Reynolds and the carefully anxious directing of Rodigo Cortes.

Reynolds still acts like a smart ass in a couple of scenes, but mostly he gives a believable performance. The film goes deeper than just plot and can be viewed in a strong socio-political context.

Also, the psychological pathos displayed in hostage situations is delivered in an almost exuberant and surreal manner. In the end, the trained viewer will ask questions that dig deeper than what was intended.

Overall, it’s not for everyone. There should be a disclaimer that the duration of the film takes place in a coffin. It’s as unconventional as mainstream can get, and Reynolds gave me just a tad bit of hope for The Green Lantern.

8/10