Intellectualizing a bizarre premise or storytelling strategy is one thing but seeing it come to life is something different altogether as moviegoers around the globe witnessed back in 2001 via Christopher Nolan’s breakthrough sophomore effort Memento
And indeed most of us knew going into the movie precisely the type of structure that Nolan was planning to use since the novelty of Memento
However, as mind-bending as it was to watch a movie flicker before our eyes mostly in reverse, Rodrigo Cortés’s Buried
For regardless of how prepared we think we are to be buried alive alongside married father Paul Conroy (Ryan Reynolds) as he awakens in total darkness bound and gagged before discovering his fate, the reality of the situation is incredibly overwhelming once the movie begins and we’re plunged into darkness, with heightened breathing on the soundtrack and the claustrophobically tight shooting space of a real coffin.
Although it evolves into a taut, intelligent thriller as Paul opts for fight instead of flight, initially Buried
For even though I was more than familiar with the premise and unfortunately a few twists in the first hour thanks to some spoiler happy colleagues, while watching Paul orientate himself in the midst of a well-deserved freak out, I thought I was going to have a heart attack myself.
Trying to remain proactive, after removing the gag and breaking his hands free, Paul makes the most of three dwindling bars on a cell phone included in the box with him to try and coordinate a rescue despite the fact that he has no idea exactly where he’s been buried.
Relying on the phone as a lifeline as he’s been told by an anonymous individual he discovers is his kidnapper that he has roughly the length of the film to raise a ransom, Paul goes into action, dialing anyone and everyone he can think of from skeptical emergency operators to the voice mail boxes of his wife and employer.
Overall, Buried
Yet, it isn’t a mere copycat work of connect-the-Hitchcock-influences as writer Chris Sparling embraces Kubrickian irony as well in National Board of Review award winning screenplay, infusing Paul’s hellish plight with some darkly sardonic opportunities to satirize everything from corporate America to foreign policy and simple phone etiquette.
A harrowingly intense portrait of the human condition as Paul is after all, just a man trying to survive, Buried
Operating on a similar fear based mystery level comparable to David Fincher’s Panic Room
To this end, Buried
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FTC Disclosure: Per standard professional practice, I received a review copy of this title in order to evaluate it for my readers, which had no impact whatsoever on whether or not it received a favorable or unfavorable critique.