MyRating: YYYYDirector: Rodrigo Cortés
Writer: Chris Sparling
Cast: Ryan Reynolds
MPAA: Rated R for language and some violent content
Paul Conroy (Ryan Reynolds), an American truck driver working for an American contractor in Iraq, finds himself waking up in pitch-dark inside a wooden coffin. He soon remembers that he and his colleagues were earlier being attacked by a group of terrorists, and now he is being kidnapped and buried alive in the wooden box, somewhere below the earth surface. With only a cigarette lighter, a flashlight, a glowstick, a knife, a small portion of wine inside a flask, and a cell phone with limited battery, he has to use all those available resources to help himself escape the coffin before the oxygen runs out.
How to make a one-and-a-half hour long movie about (and with only) one man trapped inside a coffin without making you bored to death? The idea sounded great, but it was definitely no easy material to produce. However, this small budgeted movie (with an estimated US$ 3 Million budget) is the answer. With a very original idea, supported with a brilliant minimalist script and an excellent direction, with no cinematography at all (rather than the view inside the coffin itself), but with good camera works and lightings, plus haunting desperate human sounds, and added with a great performance by the single actor, the result was a mesmerizing thriller.
It was a terrifying and breathless experience, as the filmmaker did not give you time to think, or even breath, as if you have to escape the box yourself. The writer smartly offered you event after event, tension after tension, all inside that tiny box, that will keep you gripping still. If trapped inside a box is not enough, then add it with crawling snake, collapsing sands and the haunt of claustrophobia. Even though it was a not so likely event to be happenned in real life, but this film delivered a believable one. Again, thanks to the powerful writing and directing, that will give you the elements of surprises till the end.
Ryan Reynolds gave his best performance to date, with his groundbreaking and believable acting. Actually, his solid solo performance 'made' the whole movie. And I think the filmmaker got the right actor at the first place. It was a showcase of human survival instinct and desperation to fight for life. The spirit of not giving up, but easily burned out when facing with a helpless and no-way-out situation. And Reynolds brought it all, home run. I am a growing fan of Reynolds in the last couple of years, and with his acting capability, I believe he will have a very bright future in Hollywood, especially many of his new big budgeted movies (Green Lantern and Dead Pool) are coming-up in the years to come.
This was another new and great movie experience. Watching this movie may make you feel exhausted. And if you did, then the filmmaker has successfully put you inside the box. (MJ)
