Live Review

Buried –

• 1st Sep 2010

Early buzz word has already been getting out there on this one. Let us state for our record here then that the positive buzz on director Rodrigo Cortés and Ryan Reynold’s performance are completely justified. The film is being sold as 90 minutes in a box and in those 90 minutes we never leave the box. All true.

Reynold’s is a supply truck driver in Iraq who wakes up in an old school create like wooden coffin. After his initial panic he fumbles around in the space to discover he has a few items left at his disposal: A few lights, a drink and most importantly a working mobile phone.

With his nerves on edge he starts his desperate bid to escape. Making contact with the outside world proves easy at first, but actually getting a bit of co-operation on the other hand proves more of the task that you may think.

What follows is a series of dramas that test the very nerves of our protagonist, but never the audience. It’s frankly amazing that Rodrigo Cortes has managed to direct such a tight and compelling piece of cinema.

What is great about this film is that although it does offer moments of levity and even comedy, the harsh tone of the setting and the situation is never really watered down, a prime example is when the company he works for contacts him back to go over his contract. What starts as confusion soon turns to tears and the loss of hope as the character literally can only listen as his life on the outside starts to shut down around him.

If they have any sense they will be getting awards out for this one come next year.