Buried Movie Review (2010)

Buried will no doubt polarize audiences with its strict setting and its very dark look, but I most certainly am in the group of people who adore it.

Buried is the story of a U.S. contractor called Paul Conroy (Ryan Reynolds) who wakes up inside a coffin under the ground with only a mobile phone, a lighter and a torch. He attempts to contact anyone who can possibly help him before his phone battery dies. Conroy must deal with the fact that his oxygen is running out and his anxiety attacks. Conroy also has to deal with the person who put him in this situation aswell and his prospects of getting out get lower and lower.

Buried is definitely one of the best films of the year for sure and it thankfully ups the quality level for films to come. Believe it or not "Buried" is set in the one location for the entire hundred minute duration and it never gets tiresome in any way. We get to know this guy extensively throughout the film and as an audience member you can't help but ponder on what you would do in such a situation. The film has a political theme going through it aswell because of Conroy's profession in Iraq. The film has some strong things to say about how the US government deals with terrorists and kidnappings, but the heart of the film is the one man acting role of Ryan Reynolds.

Reynolds is in retrospect the perfect actor for the film as he has the instant appeal and recognizability to make him a routable character. But it's his capability as an actor to showcase elements of dark humour and heavy emotional scenes that impress most. Reynolds is the only actor on-screen for the entire film and he maintains the attention and intrigue of the film expertly. Although Reynolds is the only actor we see, we do have a dozen or so other actors that communicate with him on his mobile phone and the script is flawless.

Buried is a highly original and gutsy film idea that works perfectly and never loses its way from start to finish. Ryan Reynolds gives his best performance to date in a challenging lead role. The film will push your emotions around till the very last scene, that serves as a very effective conclusion to a great film.

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Easy A Movie Review

Comedies like Easy A are a tough cookie to grasp, as they go in various different directions comically and dramatically. Easy A goes from a broad comedy style to at some stages a black comedy style. My gripe isnt with the film's execution of these styles but rather the film's mixed mood and atmosphere.

Olive (Emma Stone) a high school student, begins to get a raunchy reputation when she pretends to sleep with a gay friend of hers, to stop him from being bullied because of his sexuality. This soon leads to other boys seeking her help to pretend that she slept with them. Olive soon starts to lose friends, get unwanted attention from her teachers and her parents. Olive as a result of her own actions or supposed actions, begins to unravel some interesting secrets about several people around her.

I found Easy A's first twenty minutes to be quite unfunny and uneven but the film does find its way. The first section of the film is all over the place and has lots of rapid dialogue that is kind of nauseating. But the film excels and improves vastly when it settles down and we get to know Olive, played superbly by Emma Stone. Stone is very sarcastic and intelligent here and she is both funny and more importantly likeable. Her parents are also played amazingly by Stanley Tucci and Patricia Clarkson. Both of these veteran actors play the roles as zany and kind of loopy, but in the best possible manner. The film also has many things to say about a teenager's freedom of sexuality and the bullying that occurs under many different circumstances. These elements are lightly touched on but there is some power and bite behind them.

Easy A is very funny in places but it's never consistently funny at any stage. The funniest parts of the film are when Tucci and Clarkson are on-screen. Stone is a charismatic lead and her role in the upcoming Spiderman reboot should elevate her even higher and it's much deserved. I loved the film overall buts its slow patches stop it from being a real winner.

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Red Movie Review (2010)

There seems to be a trend lately of films with ensemble casts, full of ageing stars that want to kick ass. In the summer we got The Expendables and that was a lot of fun. Now comes along Red and it reminds us why all these older stars are just that, stars.

The film centres around ex CIA man Frank Moses (Bruce Willis), who begins a mission to find out why he and many of his close friends are being under attack. He meets some old friends who have supposedly put their espionage past behind them, but secretly long to get back in the game. Moses meets with paranoid crazy man Marvin Boggs (John Malkovich), old friend Joe Matheson (Morgan Freeman) and calm but deadly, Victoria (Helen Mirren).

Red is simply a lot of fun and it stems from a great cast and a winning sense of humour. Many action comedies that attempt slapstick, falter, because they don't commit to it. Red is sometimes over the top with its action but it has some genius laugh and some great performances. Red knows the sort of film it wants to be and that lends itself to make a damn good film. It blends the veteran cast with some very solid action sequences.

Bruce Willis plays a similar type role to his iconic John McClane role, but here he's a little less grumpy and more slick and cool. Morgan Freeman has a relatively small but welcomed role aswell, but its John Malcovich who steals the show as the crazy but loyal friend and ex spy who is constantly uncertain about his surroundings. The whole cast come together here brilliantly and they all seem to be having fun with the material.

Red is based on a comic book and that energetic vibe, is clear to be seen throughout the film with some outlandish action and special effects. Red is never a bore and it will no doubt please the older audience members and please the younger people who just want a fun action flick, that is done with style and originality.

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