Review: Buried

How does a movie about a man buried alive in a coffin stay interesting for an entire 95 minutes?  In the case of Buried, very easily, if very tensely.

Paul Conroy (Ryan Reynolds) wakes up inside a wooden box with no light save his lighter. He has no idea who put him there, or why, and for the next hour and a half he manages to desperately try to free himself. Despite only one person appearing on camera, the film has is an extensive cast list. Paul eventually discovers he has a phone, which is his only lifeline. The problem is he doesn’t know exactly where he is, which makes convincing anyone to help him even more challenging.

Director Rodrigo Cortés, writer Chris Sparling (An Uzi at the Alamo) and cinematographer Eduard Grau (A Single Man) focus only on Paul. Keeping all the action within the box, and only knowing what Paul knows, keeps the tension high throughout the film. Almost all the shots are contained with the same dimensions Paul is trapped in, giving it a claustrophobic feel that may cause some audience members real distress. Even those without fear of enclosed spaces will find themselves reacting to the constraints of the images, although it eases up after the first half-hour.

Paul tries to get help through the phone and encounters all the same frustrations as anyone else experiences who needs to reach someone. It's impossible to stay uninvolved with the film as Paul frantically tries to get through to someone, anyone who can help him. Metaphorically speaking, Paul is "buried" in more ways than one. He's not just trapped in a box, his efforts to free himself are buried in bureaucracy and even what little advantages afforded by what little technology he has. 

Casting Reynolds is genius; his boyish good looks and everyman charm makes it easy for audiences to identify with him. And he's clearly brave enough to risk a role with a first-time feature director, and helping Cortés' film gain attention. He's got a talent for dark comedy, making it easier to laugh as some of the ridiculous conversations he gets into, even while fearing for Paul's life.

Just because Paul is alone in the box, doesn't mean Reynolds is the only cast member; several talented actors lend their voices to the film. Most memorable is Stephen Tobolowsky, whose distinct voice as a corporate stooge is both comical and possibly the biggest risk in the story, although one that could be argued is essential to the theme of the story.

Buried is better seen sooner rather than later in its theatrical release, as people are going to talk about it. Unlike some films that try to use "just see it" as a marketing ploy, it really is better seen without much foreknowledge.  Buried is a mesmerizing thriller. Go see it.