Buried (starring Ryan Reynolds)

So this marks the first movie review for a live action film, and let me just say I'm glad it's a film I liked. I'll go into more detail, but those of you wanting to know my thoughts and whether or not I recommend it need go no further. I would greatly recommend this film. It is a great example of a work of suspense. That said if you haven't seen it I'd say that you should go see it. ASAP!

Structure-wise I will try to give some sort of objective summary of the setting, characters and plot (again SPOILER WARNING). Then I will give my Critical analysis (further subdivided to examine acting, story, cinematography, etc.) and wrap it up with some Final thoughts.

But first an introduction. I am a movie person, first and foremost. I read some books now and then, play some video games, watch some tv, but movies are possibly my favorite form of narrative expression. Therefore I am probably most critical of movies. I have seen enough good ones to know what is good and what isn't. What I like and what I don't like in movies are no mystery to those who know me well.

You will note some differences between this and my Endless Waltz review back in January. That is largely because Endless Waltz was not intended as a stand alone movie. It was created as an extention of a pre-existing universe so the rules by which I review something like that are different from how I will review films of a more traditional nature.

Now, when it comes to this movie I must offer a caveat. I am a rather dedicated Ryan Reynolds fan, so my opinions may be considered somewhat biased when it comes to him. It took me a while to see this movie, simply because I couldn't find it anywhere. My dad raved about it when he rented it but Searcy apparently had run out when I went looking for it.

With the business end of things done I'll begin with the more objective points of the film.

Setting:

A coffin buried somewhere in the desert of Iraq. Not much else to say really.

Characters:

Paul Conroy:

Pretty much the character of the movie. He's the only one we see. He is really an average Joe. A truck driver, who took an offer to go and work in Iraq helping to distribute supplies to war torn regions, against his wife's advice. After his convoy is attacked he finds himself trapped in a coffin and forced to deal with some powerful internal struggles, while the world around (or rather above) him seems not to really care.

Jabir:

A criminal/terrorist who is the singular representation of the terrorist who attacked Paul's convoy and put him in this predicament. Jabir expresses feelings of justification in what he does despite the fact that Paul has not harmed him directly, because he was a successful man prior to the arrival of the Americans. When Paul tries to distance himself form the government Jabir responds that he wasn't responsible for 9/11 or Sadam but still he was punished as if he were.

Dan Brenner:

The director of the Hostage Management Group on the ground his job is to do all he can to rescue kidnapped Americans. Unfortunately, his hands are tied by countless diplomatic concerns. He legitimately wants to help, but even he admits that there are not many survivors of this sort of thing. In the end it is revealed that he lied to Paul isn't much better than any of the other faceless voices that are bossing Paul around.

Allen Davenport:

Allen is the Human Resources Director for the company under which Paul is employed. He makes a single call, and much like Brenner seems truly sorry about all that has befallen Paul, but seems more concerned with saving his own neck. He works Paul through the legal issues related to his connection and termination by the company (more detail in the plot).

Family and Friends:

There are five other characters worth mentioning. First are Linda and Shane Conroy (Paul's wife and son respectively); they are his inspiration, and without them he would have given up much sooner. Then there is his mother Maryanne, whom he calls, but given her declining mental state she barely knows him. Donna Mitchell is a friend of Linda's that Paul calls in a frantic attempt to reach Linda, but they bicker until she hangs up; she eventually gives him the State Department's phone number. Finally, Pamela Lutti, is a coworker of Paul's, Allen Davenport claims to have reports of them fraternizing in order to remove him as a liability, but all evidence says this isn't true. She is captured by Jabir and killed.

Plot:

A quick note. This is not your average film. It doesn't work the way most do given it's basic design. It qualifies as something closer to a one man show. Given that fact most of what I describe as a plot is actually happening outside of the set. As such the plot really focuses on the effect of it on the mental state of the main character.

That said, the plot is simple. Paul Conroy (Reynolds) is stuck in a coffin underground. We find out that he is a truck driver who has been contracted to help with the distribution of supplies in Iraq. His convoy was attacked and he witnessed most of the other drivers being killed before he was knocked unconscious. That's all he remembers.

Now he is here in this box. Alone...sort of. you see his kidnappers have left him with a cell phone. He also has his Zippo Lighter, a pen, a flask of *cough cough* something, and some anxiety medication. After a series of failed attempts to contact friends, family, his employer and the US state department he is finally put on the line with a man in charge of managing hostage situations in Iraq. This man, Dan, swears up and down that they are doing all they can to help, he even mentions the name of a man that was kidnapped and returned to them Mark White.

Meanwhile the other major voice we hear is that of the kidnapper, a local Iraqi speaking in broken English demanding money from the government. He also orders Paul to create a hostage video (which Dan insists that he doesn't do), and when he finds out one of his female coworkers is being held hostage he sends them a video from the phone, but apparently the demands involved in her release were not satisfied so she is killed on camera and the send Paul a recording of it.

Even the employer calls him back but like everyone he has spoken to (the Kidnapper, Government representatives, the Human Resources man, even his wife's friend), it seems that the personal agenda outweighs their concern for Paul. The Employer informs Paul that he was fired prior to this kidnapping (on a falsified charge of having a relationship with the female coworker who has been killed), this means that hes pension, life insurance and any benefits that would have been derived for his family should he die are now null and void because he was alive and well as of the time of his termination.

In the End the pursuit of their own agendas, leads to the bombing of the area with the kidnappers (who are apparently terrorists and not simply criminals as Dan the hostage situation manager said earlier) in it, which causes damage to the coffin causing sand to begin to fill the space. It almost seems that Paul has come to peace with this being his end, he films a last will and testament on the phone, which reminds him that he doesn't have much to giveThe terrorists survive and call Paul demanding a video of him cutting off his own finger under threat that if he does not they will hunt down his family, which they could since they have his driver's license. As more and more sand flows in he films it desperate to do anything to keep his family safe.

Then he gets a call from Dan. They're on their way! He tells him to just hold on 3 more minutes or so and lets him go. Linda (paul's wife) calls him back finally she's seen the news but wasn't checking her voice mail, and he swears to her that he will come home. with only an inch or two of space left Dan calls again. They are there and digging frantically. Dan keeps talking to him and you hear them hit the coffin on the phone... but nothing happens above Paul.

They're at the wrong burial site. The informant gave them the site of another buried American, whom Dan reveals to be Mark White... Dan apologizes to Paul as sand entombs him...

Critical Analysis:

Themes:

There are a few major themes that run through this movie that are worth noting.

Looking out for Number one:

This is really the motivation for almost every prominent character. Jabir, Dan, Allen and Donna are the best examples, but even some of the early voices of FBI agents and 911 operators seem concerned with themselves enough to try to hurry him off of the phone or discredit him. Jabir is doing all of this to help himself. Dan isn't willing to cross certain diplomatic lines to help. Allen is so concerned about his own well being he let's Paul (and subsequently) his family suffer. Even Donna gives Paul attitude and tries to get him off of the phone. Paul is no exception to this theme, and it wouldn't be much of a story if the protagonist was neutral about the situation. He wants to live. He wants to do right by his family, but the self-focused nature of the characters prevents them doing what is right and helping.

The Will to Survive:

This is such a critical thing in this story. Some examples are obvious others are subtle. He continues calling on the phone for help. He takes his anxiety medication that helps steady his breathing. He chases away a snake that has made it's way into the coffin through a small hole in the side. He struggles to move around (actually shifting his head to foot arrangement) in order to oblige the terrorist's demands. A moment comes when he seems to have made peace about his fate, and he is shaken by a glimmer of hope, and his struggle is renewed. Until his final breath Paul does all in his very limited power to survive, and if his powers alone could have saved him they would have.

Dealing with Death:
Now of course this doesn't fit the five step paradigm, but they are all there. Denial Anger, Bargaining, Depression, Acceptance, may best capture the 5 most prominent expressions we see in Paul as he talks to others and while he lingers alone. He is being faced with his own mortality, and no one else seems to care. I wonder if this is reflective of the feelings of someone dying from a terminal illness when others try to comfort them...

Cinematography:

Since I have nothing to say for the Set design, I'm going to move on to what brought the set to life: Cinematography. This is a rather unappreciated thing among the average movie goer, and some directors (I'm looking at you George Lucas). But Eduard Grau (Cinematographer) nailed it here.

The issue I had going in was, "Okay even if Reynolds sends it home in his performance, and the plot is good, this could still suck if it's just a few steady cam shots from his right, left and his head. I mean they could diversify with a shot of his feet or something," and boy did they prove it could be done. Some shots moved through the space of the coffin to share the feeling of claustrophobia Paul is experiencing. Some shots were oriented as if in some nebulous point outside of the box, showing just him inside the box, and the vast nothing that has become the world beyond from his perspective.

Music:

The score in this movie (by Victor Reyes) is exactly what you want in a suspenseful thriller. The steady ebb and flow of calm and tension is masterfully used to keep our internal panic moving with the rhythm of the film. Nothing astounding or groundbreaking here, but it doesn't need to be to work.

Acting:

Ryan Reynolds:

As I said I am a fan of Ryan Reynolds in general, but I was always convinced that he couldn't do more than comedically-based sarcastic characters. Now this is not the work that converted me on that issue (thank Smokin' Aces and the Nines for that), but even with a change of heart I've always held a fear deep down that he will not carry a role as well as another actor might. Once again Reynolds has pulled off a meaningful role, and done it well. He gives a stirring performance as the one face of this movie. This actually instills great hope to me for the upcoming Green Lantern release (Favorite super hero by one of my favorite present-day actors? wooo!)

Writing:

Chris Parling has created a very unique tale. Conceptually, it differs in a number of ways from what we are used to seeing in modern cinemas (which may explain the film's abysmal showing at the box office. This is one of the only stories I've ever seen that could truly be a one man show with few changes. It is of course very limited exploring only a single character's development (or deterioration) rather than a cast.

Now with any story that has a message in it, there will be those who don't appreciate the message. There is clearly an anti-war leaning in this story. The terrorists are motivated by problems caused by American occupancy, the government is inept to help their own, and the businesses are only involved for profitable ventures. While that may be the primary message, my take away was actually leaning more in the direction of the dehumanizing effects of enormous bureaucratic systems, war and corporate greed. When Paul is asked his social security number he asks what good that does to get him out of the coffin. Callous corporate policy punishes Paul's family in the long run because they don't want this incident on their books, caring nothing for the effect of the decision on the individuals. The entire aggressive American engagement in the region set in motion events that led to Jabir's desperate acts and Paul's presence there.

To be clear I am not a self-loathing American, but I recognize (especially by the light of Christianity) that not everything that is American is virtuous or right. This movie shows what many filmmakers in history have tried to show us about the events of their day: the effect on the little man. The way social structures and the events of the times can affect a person who carries no personal politics pushing them to desperate acts, and how the people who do have a political view on the issue couldn't care less about the people at the bottom that they affect.

I will add that I hate when the politics of the creators overwhelm the narrative, and there were some definite moments where I got the sense that the writer may be more concerned with the message than the struggle of the character (ironically making him a faceless little man all over again). I don't think this story could only be told in one place, but in many different locations (by this I mean Iraq, Illinois, or Italy) all in a coffin of course. The elements are what's important: an innocent man swept up in a bigger worlds politics, a man wronged by external politics who is out to settle the score, an impotent savior, a callous boss, and of course a coffin with all the amenities of Paul's.

To sum up: did this need to be about how wrong the Iraq conflict was? No. Does it bother me that they chose it? No. What does bother me? the politics of the creators bleeding into an otherwise enthralling narrative. The political overtones were the only thing that drew me out of the movie.

Direction:

Here is my opinion of the job of a director: it is the job of a director to unify the efforts of every group involved (the Director of Photography, the Composer, the Actors, the Writers, the Special Effects department and anyone else involved) into a single seamless unit of media. Like a chef combining flavors in a meal, the Director's job is to make everything balance, no piece should overpower another, but all of them should work together in a synergistic fashion.

Given that as my basis for assessment I think that Rodrigo Cortes has done an excellent job. This movie hearkens back to the minimalist movie making era of Hitchcock. Just what you need and no more. Every move has a purpose, every thread is tightly worked together in an excellent fashion. There were moments that the shot, the music, and the acting were all carrying out the story so well that I couldn't pick out in that moment what it was that had me so dedicated to the work.

Final thoughts:

It's hard to say if this was the result of a perfect storm of talent or if each piece really fit together. I know that some would say that it's hard to go wrong with so few moving parts, but I think it would make it more obvious if you did, because there are no scenery changes or character swaps or anything for you to be distracted by. In a film era that seems to rely so much on sequels, adaptations and remakes, I also find this unique story work to be a welcomed breath of fresh air. I know this movie didn't have anything approaching a stellar showing at the box office or in dvd sales but I strongly support any work that doesn't lean on special effects in the place of meaningful story.

Well there you have it, Buried. A movie that I'd recommend that you hunt down and watch. Not sure what the next review will be. Depends on whether or not I make it to the theaters or watch something here. I'll say that Rurouni Kenshin is the current anime, the Alchemist is the book, and unless I decide to do one of the anime series I've already completed that may be the next thing I finish.

Ti voglio bene,

-matt