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I am impressed by the daring feat of making a movie about a man trapped inside a box, set in the box, and nothing but the box. When I went to see this movie I still expected the movie to be partially set in the coffin but for some of the storyline to unwrap in flashbacks. But I was mistaken and not disappointed. Buried (starting out with a title homage to the master of suspense, Hitch himself) is an intense and electrifying experience that will keep you on the edge of your seat like many other perfectly executed thrillers. However, the unique and extremely unsettling setting of the film makes the experience of watching it the more rewarding. The horror of being trapped in a box translates well from the big screen to the audience, I know it did for me. And although there is only so much you can do in a box, the movie never gets boring or ludicrous (no visions or anything), kudos goes out the scriptwriter. The film does touch on some moral and political issues, as the protagonist can communicate with the outside world, the views about right and wrong are discussed and questioned by the protagonist and the audience. The conclusion of the film is really the best the filmmakers could have gone for and it requires a bit of thinking to fully understand what happened, great. Ryan Reynolds performance is okay, but it is the direction that truly makes this shine. I found the lack of light, the claustrophobia and the failing mobile phone just as terrifying as hordes of zombies could ever be. Fantastic and bold filmmaking. Unmissable. The “half-star” deducted from the rating is only due to the fact that rewatching is probably not worthwhile, as the novelty might wear off after a while. HX

Pitch de départ sympathique que de nous proposer un gars enfermé dans un cercueil pendant une heure trente de film. Il restait à savoir si Cortés pouvait tenir la distance. La réponse est oui, mais avec quelques grandes faiblesses quand même. Outre des effets de caméra parfois inutiles et un scénario cliché nous ramenant sur le fait que les bureaucrates s’en foutent de vous, que la guerre c’est horrible, etc. etc. Certains n’apprécieront pas la fin qui est totalement cynique, mais elle est coutumière du genre. Déception aussi que de voir le film contenir finalement assez peu de suspense puisque à force d’être enfermé dans une boite, on a tendance à s’habituer à l’endroit. Il reste donc un acteur que l’on voit une heure trente ou presque, mais qui se débrouille bien et une oeuvre possédant du rythme, ce qui fait qu’on ne s’ennuie pas. Mais ça ne valait certainement pas un tel buzz.

SPOILERS***

While I watched Buried, director Rodrigo Cortés’ latest film, two directors were popping in and out of my head: Michael Haneke and Alfred Hitchcock. I certainly wouldn’t place Cortés in the same class as these directors, but there were definitely similarities.

The opening credits aren’t the sole reason for this comparison (they are vintage Hitchcock, except more intense), but I kept thinking about Rope, in that we are secluded to a single room throughout the film. In Buried, Paul Conroy (Ryan Reynolds) wakes up to find himself buried alive. His truck was ambushed in Iraq by terrorists (he’s not a soldier, but employed by a supply company), and then he is forced to use a cell phone to find a way out. It finds a line somewhere between “horror” and Hitchcock’s “thriller.”

The rest of the film consists of Paul calling various people from the cell phone, including the FBI, a hostage negotiator, his workplace and his wife. We are forced to deal with his frustration over the phone (you thought you hated fake voicemails?), the likes of which I make the comparison to Haneke. I am reminded of Funny Games when Tim Roth’s character tries to dry off a cell phone with a hair dryer before his attackers can come back and reek havoc on his family, all the while nursing his injured shoulder. In any other film this scene would be quick and to the point, but Haneke drags it out, creating a sense of frustration for the character and impatience for the viewer.

Therein lies the genius of Buried: Cortés never leaves the coffin. No flashbacks or cutaways to people on the phone. We don’t see anything unless Paul can, which only occurs when his lighter is lit or his phone is on. When Paul tries to turn his body around in the coffin, which seems it would be impossibly uncomfortable, we are subjected to the entire process, sometimes only hearing his grunts when the light from his lighter is blocked. A similar scene occurs at the beginning, where Paul wakes up and slowly realizes his situation. We can’t see anything during the first minute of the film, but we can sure as hell picture the expression on his face. Your heart will probably be beating as hard as Paul’s was.

While immersion is the key, an idea like this can become bogged by sluggishness in plot and limits in creativity. On both fronts, Cortés delivers again. There’s another kickback to Hitchcock, as scenes’ intensity heightens because of the camerawork. When the close ups zoom in quickly in segments, the action amplifies; when the camera circles the coffin, we feel things slow down and concentrate on the importance of the situation. The only shots that feel out of place are when Cortés ventures outside the coffin, where he chooses to slowly pull away upwards towards the surface. It takes away from the claustrophobic factor of the filmmaking, while also creating a forced sense of sentimentality, which he largely and smartly ignores to do during most of the film.

Information is slowly leaked throughout the film through conversations and, much like the recent Source Code, we learn information as Paul does. This tactic is useful in keeping the viewer’s attention, knowing very well that each conversation could bring forth answers or new mysteries. It creates a plot that seems dull on paper, but is executed to the point that it satisfyingly fills the 95-minute runtime.

Many have criticized this film for as a “statement against government or big business,” but I don’t see it that way. The most prevalent theme of Buried is paranoia. Paul is suspicious of anyone and everyone who tries to help him, often questioning why they “aren’t doing more,” suspecting some sort of grand and elaborate scene incorporating everyone he talks to. Sometimes Paul is justified: his employer uses its conversation with Paul as an opportunity to relieve itself from paying his family any kind of insurance money. But Paul even then takes it too far, suspecting that the company prompted the attack from the terrorists. These kinds of ideas are purely fabricated from Paul’s exhausting situation, not planted by the director as some sort of political message.

The film’s emotional aspect doesn’t feel forced, despite what I’ve read in some reviews. It simply isn’t gripping, but honest nonetheless. Paul is clearly divided on how to use his cell phone battery, which slowly drains through the film. He wants to call the FBI and the hostage negotiator to get free, but he also wants to make amends with his wife and children. The conversation with his mom, who apparently lives in a nursing home and has Alzheimers, is particularly depressing and moving, contributing to Paul’s seemingly hopeless situation. Ryan Reynolds is clearly an actor who will always be under-appreciated because of movies like Waiting… and Van Wilder, but he gives another great performance to go along with an impressive résumé.

Cortés isn’t Hitchcock or Haneke, and neither is this film. It doesn’t contain the drama and suspense of Rope, nor does it hold the captivation of Funny Games. It’s an immersive, dramatic horror/thriller that sports a vague mystery and great camerawork. The central character isn’t extremely interesting, but enough is left in the dark to slowly trickle out. I can’t reveal too much about the plot (as it would take away from the experience), but I will say that certain scenes had my eyes bugged and heart pounding. It’s a hard film to watch, but rewarding to those who are patient.

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People weren’t kidding when they said this movie was a claustrophobe’s worst nightmare, and I honestly couldn’t believe how well they did it. When you’re sitting in a dark silent room and the only thing you see is what’s going on in the movie, it sort of gets to you after a while. I thought the story of him just being a truck driver and his convoy being ambushed was believable and not too over the top to hurt my enjoyment of the movie.

The struggles he has with first accepting that he has been buried alive and then trying to find a way out are both excellently done and really add a layer of realism to the movie. A part of that layer however, is thrown away when they decide to involve a snake with him. First of all, if he is indeed buried alive the snake would have no where to go since there would literally be walls of dirt surrounding the coffin. It just seemed really unneeded for the snake to get involved in the first place.

SPOILER ALERT:
The conversations he has with both his wife and the man trying to get him out (I can’t remember his name for some reason) both seem very genuine to me and really got my hopes up for a possible release. The ending of the movie was extremely well done, and I really thought that they were going to find him. The moment when he is informed that they found the body of the person he thought had survived was not only a crushing blow for him but also for me. I actually felt sorry for the guy.

Overall I think it’s just a really well made movie that people should watch. However, make sure to do in a dark room in order to get the movie’s full effect.

Realizar filmes claustrofóbicos não é fácil. Primeiro é preciso um roteiro que sustente a tensão em todos os momentos, se não, a monotonia do espaço limitado faz adormecer o espectador. Em segundo plano precisa de um protagonista que não enjoe fácil, que possa render e saber distribuir a tensão por todo o longa e não apenas em um clímax específico. Enterrado Vivo é agraciado com esses dois aspectos com excelência. Ryan Reynolds é um ator em ascensão que consegue dosar bem o excesso de suspiros, gritos e suor. O roteiro de Chris Sparling é feliz no equilíbrio do desespero e da esperança. E a resolução final é bem montada, fora que o contexto em que se passa o filme é bastante metafórico.

Cuidado, porém, se você tem alguma tendência claustrofóbica, porque o filme consegue lhe puxar para dentro do caixote e suar tanto quanto o protagonista. É tenso, é agoniante e é corajoso, ainda mais para ser a estréia da direção de Rodrigo Cortés.