Wednesday, February 2, 2011

Buried (2010)

Director: Rodrigo Cortes. Cast: Ryan Reynolds (and voices of Stephen Tobolowsky, Samantha Mathis). 95 min. Rated R. Spain/USA/France. Thriller.

How is that possible?! How in the world is that possible?! Making an entire movie, with only one actor, in a one cubic meter coffin buried underground (repeat after me: How is that possible?!). Now that's what I call filmmaking. This a modern times Hitchcockian experience - a study in using the least elements possible, and appointing all other responsibilities to the viewer's imagination. A once in a lifetime event, never to be repeated in any movie again. And the ending will keep your mouth wide open. Claustrophobics beware.

Mo says:


Mo Magic!

4 comments:

  1. Repeat after you :How is that possible?!
    ;)
    You know I’m not fan of absolute dark movies but I can’t agree anymore that such work is so special.Like you i'm crazy about the power of Cinema :when it put me 90 minute in a coffine with an actor with my wide open mouth in the last minute.
    There is no more better expression than yours:
    Wide open mouth !

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  2. Interestingly, I've read that the movie cost 3 million dollars to make. Apparently the underground scenes were very difficult to shoot, and the voice talents on the phone talking to Ryan Reynolds (mentioned above) were expensive.

    I don't know if they had a newcomer as the main role (just to cut costs), whether it would have as absorbing.

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  3. What a smart and sophisticated gem! I really appreciated the fact that the movie leaves much to the viewers imagination, especially the "who?" and the "why?", and doesn't sugarcoat anything.
    I don't want to give away the ending, so I'll just leave it at GREAT!!!

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  4. The sad part is, I was reading yesterday in an article (by a critics who named this one of the best movies of the year) that it failed at the box office, making only 1 million dollars, due to its limited release. It's very discouraging for a such an extremely rare combination: a movie that is both incredibly entertaining and intellectually stimulating at the same time.

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