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| Deep trouble: Paul Conroy (Ryan Reynolds) has been Buried. |
A story from under the war boards
By Miranda Inganni
By Miranda Inganni
To say that Buried is emotionally challenging to watch is an under-taking statement.
Essentially a one-man show, Ryan Reynolds plays Paul Conroy, a truck driver who wakes up in complete darkness, quickly realizing he has been buried alive.
Contracted by an American company to deliver supplies in Iraq, Paul is armed with only a cell phone running low on battery power and a Zippo lighter, which is also running low on fuel. For the duration of the film, Paul tries to figure out who has buried him, why he has been buried and, most importantly, who can help find him and get him out.
As he frantically phones his family, friends and foes to find a fix, Paul, and the audience, know that he’s running out of time, air and light. Faced with governmental red tape, corporate cover-ups and too many answering machines, Paul’s fate seems all but sealed.
Told in real time, Buried is an intense drama occurring almost entirely in Paul’s confining coffin. Directed by Rodrigo Cortés (The Contestant) and written by Chris Sparling, Buried limits the story to one character in one small space, which in turn allows the audience the uncomfortable experience of feeling equally entombed. Although there are no big car chases or gunfights, Buried is rampant with action and psychological thrills. There are no fancy costumes or set designs, just excellent acting by Reynolds, a superb script, innovative cinematography by Eduard Grau (A Single Man) and tight direction from Cortés.
Contracted by an American company to deliver supplies in Iraq, Paul is armed with only a cell phone running low on battery power and a Zippo lighter, which is also running low on fuel. For the duration of the film, Paul tries to figure out who has buried him, why he has been buried and, most importantly, who can help find him and get him out.
As he frantically phones his family, friends and foes to find a fix, Paul, and the audience, know that he’s running out of time, air and light. Faced with governmental red tape, corporate cover-ups and too many answering machines, Paul’s fate seems all but sealed.
Told in real time, Buried is an intense drama occurring almost entirely in Paul’s confining coffin. Directed by Rodrigo Cortés (The Contestant) and written by Chris Sparling, Buried limits the story to one character in one small space, which in turn allows the audience the uncomfortable experience of feeling equally entombed. Although there are no big car chases or gunfights, Buried is rampant with action and psychological thrills. There are no fancy costumes or set designs, just excellent acting by Reynolds, a superb script, innovative cinematography by Eduard Grau (A Single Man) and tight direction from Cortés.
