There were two movies released in 2010 about a single individual trapped in a circumstance that most of us cannot even fathom, much less be able to endure. One of those was the Danny O’Boyle/James Franco Best Picture Academy Award nominee 127 Hours. The other was a much lesser known and slightly lesser received effort by director first-time director Roberto Cortes and Ryan Reynolds (The Proposal, The Amityville Horror) called Buried. It’s hard to to know how Buried would have done if it had been released in any other year. Unfortunately for Cortes and Reynolds, it was released just months before the true story 127 Hours came out. It felt like there wasn’t a market for both movies in 2010.
The problem with Buried, compared to 127 Hours, is that it is based on something other than a true story. As impossible as it is to imagine cutting your own arm off (as Franco did playing the character of Aron Ralston in 127 Hours), that did happen. So, it will naturally intrigue the audience much more than a fictional tale about a man being buried inside a coffin.
However, if you take away the natural comparisons of the two movies, you will still find a movie that fails. Buried is so far-fetched that it is, at times, preposterous. One of the scariest fears that many people have is claustrophobia. The idea of a movie like Buried will turn many away, regardless of how good (or bad) the movie might be. Claustrophobia scares is one of my biggest fears. But never during the movie did I squirm or rub my temples nervously as I watched. I never actually bought into the story. Instead of being immersed in the plot or the drama, I imagined Ryan Reynolds pinned in a box, trying to stay in character after he did take after take.
The story starts with Paul Conroy (Reynolds) waking up in a dark, secluded space after, presumably, being drugged. We soon learn that Conroy is an American truck driver working in Iraq. His convoy had been attacked, and Conroy finds himself in a coffin with such objects as a pen, a cigarette lighter, a video camera, and a cell phone. Conroy eventually learns that he is being held for ransom. The terrorists tell Conroy that he needs to make a video, which they will then make public while demanding the ransom for his safe release.
The situation is not how any person I know would react to it. Sure, there are periods of freaking out and sadness, but Reynolds plays the character in a way that is far too composed for his current predicament. All of the people I know would be so terror-stricken that they wouldn’t even be able to get past the hysterics to think straight. But Reynolds can reason, attempts to reason with his captures, and manages to call various people, including the company he works for, the FBI, and his family. If Conroy is going to have these traits, it would have been much more fitting had Cortes created Reynolds’ character as an actual soldier rather than just a delivery driver.
The movie is dark. It’s got a completely different feel than 127 Hours does. 127 Hours is a movie in which Danny Boyle and James Franco allow you to experience the emotions of its main characters. Many audience members will even be moved to tears. You’ll be so grateful to be alive by the movie’s conclusion. You won’t feel like you are experiencing the terror that Conroy supposedly feels. You won’t be experiencing joy at the movie’s conclusion.
Boyle is so much more a director than Cortes at this point in his career. The same can be said about Franco over Reynolds. Combine that with telling a true story, and you have a recipe for success. Contrast that with this movie; you’ll feel like you are buried in the coffin with Ryan Reynolds and aren’t allowed to leave for 90 minutes.
Plot 5/10
Character Development 3/10
Character Chemistry 1/10 (Reynolds is the only person who gets screen time in the movie)
Acting 4/10
Screenplay 3/10
Directing 4/10
Cinematography 3/10 (never feels like you are trapped in a coffin)
Sound 3/10
Hook and Reel 7/10
Universal Relevance 2/10
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