[7.50/10] Buried (2010)

Buried (2010)

When Paul Conroy awakens six feet underground with no idea of who put him there or why, life for the truck driver contracted to work in Iraq instantly becomes a hellish struggle for survival. Buried with only a cell phone and a lighter, his contact with the outside world and ability to piece together clues that could help him discover his location are maddeningly limited. Poor reception, a rapidly draining battery, and a dwindling oxygen supply become his worst enemies in a tightly confined race against time. Spanish filmmaker Rodrigo Cortés' second full-length feature film is, hands down, the most utterly claustrophobic movie ever made, as it's entirely shot in a single narrow wooden coffin! "Buried" is super uncomfortable to watch and a nightmare-come-true for people, like me, who have issues with claustrophobia. "Buried"'s 'limited space' settings create an atmosphere of claustrophobic intensity, leaving the viewer unable to take a deep breath, literally gasping for air. Plus, the impasse that the character finds himself in, contributes to the film's overall effectiveness. "Buried" is single-handedly driven by Ryan Reynolds's exceptional performance as the doomed truck driver Paul, who does everything he can to save his life, fighting panic and frustration. Reynolds's acting skills have improved tremendously over the years, and it really shows here. He carries the whole movie on his shoulders, and performs terrifically - he's believable, emotionally expressive, and very convincing in portraying genuine fear and desperation .Moreover, Raynolds brings a true fighting spirit to his character and makes him consistently engaging, earning and retaining audience sympathy throughout. "Buried" is very hard to shoot movie, due its limited scope and settings, but Rodrigo Cortés does an outstanding job. His direction is highly competent, providing a great variety of camera angles, with all of the movements paced excellently. Rodrigo Cortés' creativity and incredible shooting versatility compensates for the film's lack of various set pieces, and the result is rather impressive! All in all, "Buried" can be considered as an experimental type of film, but a very good one - it's an inventive, unpredictable, gripping and super-tense thriller, that possesses an undeniable originality.