1 Zippo, 1 cellphone, 90 minutes of air. Oh, all these are what a man finds himself with while buried in a coffin.

Not quite what you thought when you asked for some time alone was it?

Luckily, that’s Ryan Reynolds’ problem and not ours. Buried is director Rodrigo Cortés’ first major Hollywood release starring Reynolds and produced at a low budget of almost US$3 million [S$4 million]. Then again, how much do you have to spend when all the action basically takes place in pretty much a single location?

It must have taken a leaf from other suspense thrillers, such as Panic Room and Phone Booth.

Curiously enough, just this year alone, there have already been 2 movies (Devil which takes place in an elevator, and Frozen, a chairlift) that revolve around one specific location, with another one upcoming, 127 Hours (which takes place in a canyon, specifically, around a boulder which an unfortunate James Franco traps himself under).

Already garnering several favourable reviews when it was shown in the 2010 Sundance Festival, Buried does not disappoint in its theatrical outing.

Reynolds, usually seen in romantic comedies like The Proposal and last seen famously as Deadpool in X-men Origins: Wolverine, stars as Paul Conroy, an American truck driver contracted to Iraq who wakes up trapped in a wooden coffin buried somewhere in the Iraq desert with absolutely no idea where he is. Slowly realizing that he’s trapped with not much air to last him much longer, Conroy has to rely on his wits to get himself out as soon as possible.

Buried goes bigger and bigger, eventually involving Conroys’ contractor company, CRT, to the FBI and Iraqi terrorists, all the while remaining in the confines of the coffin. Hollywood has been far too dependent on happy endings, loose endings that leave room for a sequel, and it is refreshing to see Cortés defy conventions and go for an ending that would leave audiences reeling. The surprising and emotional ending will definitely stick with you for a while.

The script is also consistently strong with plot sequences (like a bombing of the area occurring due to Reynolds informing the FBI of the terrorists’ cell number, allowing them to track them down) that happen due to Reynolds’ actions.

Director Cortés, with his background in short films and a recent Spanish film release, The Contestant, does an excellent job with his cinematography in giving us the claustrophobic uneasiness that only being trapped in a coffin would give, with tight framing and masterful use of lighting being the order of the day. Being constrained by the confines of the coffin, naturally there isn’t much space to set up lights around Reynolds. So rather than caving in and designing an elaborate lighting system to fit the box, Cortés films the movie using the cellphone and the Zippo’s natural light.

Reynolds as a scared truck driver is an inspired casting choice. Reynolds manages to pull off what most actors can’t – gluing you a 94-minutes movie that’s mostly just Reynolds in a coffin. That’s how much star power and acting ability the man has.

It is a testament to the abilities of the Cortés and scriptwriter Chris Sparling, with only has two short little-known films to his name, ingenuity to craft a logical story, rather than having it as a contrived setting that lures audiences into the theater.

Suffice to say, it is prudent to consider Cortés a rising star in the Hollywood industry, and Cortés has already lined up his next film, Red Lights, starring Sigourney Weaver, in development now.

A man in a coffin for 90 minutes may sound dull here, but trust me, Buried will have you riveted to the very end.

https://youtu.be/GWVoUBgVcf8

Movie: Buried

Rating: ★★✭✭✩

Opens: 7 October 2010

Duration: 94 minutes

Language: English with Chinese Subtitles

Age Rating: NC16 (Coarse Language)

Genre: Thriller

Director: Rodrigo Cortés

Cast: Ryan Reynolds