Buried is the ultimate “closed-room movie”. The entire story from start to finish takes place within a buried coffin in which the lead character played by Ryan Reynolds (Van Wilder, Green Lantern, but don't hold that against him) finds himself. And the movie is really tight! He finds a cell phone (with the displays all written in Arabic as he is in Iraq, a language he does not understand) and he has a lighter and a flask. With the few items at his disposal and the calls he makes and receives, we get a good idea of his character/situation (other than the obvious). Tension is maintained the whole time, which is quite a feat for an hour and a half in a box. His actions and concerns make a lot of sense for his situation.
I first saw Reynolds in Van Wilder and really liked it, and later he was one of the only things I liked about X-Men Origins: Wolverine. Much like with Robin Williams, I am much impressed with his dramatic roles (The Nines and this film). Reynolds is the only actor shown in this film though there were a few voices (well scripted and acted) on his phone.
If you liked Phone Booth or The Devil, you’ll love this story. It's got high-tension, but no humor (unless one comment from him makes you chuckle), so it's not like his more famous roles if that's what you're looking for. For me the movie is 4.5 stars.
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