I remember when I saw the trailer for Buried (directed by Rodrigo Cortés and starring Ryan Reynolds), I thought it looked horrifying – though I was curious how the film would play out for it’s 94 minute running time.  While conceptually interesting, Buried is essentially about a man trapped inside a box – material which seems better suited for a short feature.  That conceit – and the fact that the film rests almost entirely on the performance of it’s only on-screen actor – make the fact that the film was completely engaging an even more impressive feat.

Paul Conroy (Ryan Reynolds), a truck driver working in Iraq, recovers from unconsciousness to find that he is buried alive inside a wooden coffin with little more than a cell phone, a zippo lighter and a knife.  Paul’s initial reaction to his predicament is to panic – understandably – and the tension is palpable as he frantically tries to escape his claustrophobic surroundings.

He is eventually contacted by his kidnappers – via the planted cell phone he is buried with – who demand a ransom for him to be released alive.  Paul desperately tries to contact his employers and family before finally making a connection with an FBI agent, during which time he is able to vaguely recall the details of an ambush led by insurgents – presumably by those responsible for holding him hostage.

As Paul works within the confines of his surroundings to garner his release from captivity, there is never a moment when you aren’t vividly aware of his time running out.  A cellular battery slowly draining or dropping calls, a lighter running out of fuel to burn, limited oxygen to breathe and a bevy of other obstacles – punctuate the unlikelihood of Paul’s survival.  Yet there are fleeting  moments of hopeful respite here and there, just enough to string you – and Paul – along.

By Shannon Hood and Jane Almirall

Each day we will provide you with capsule reviews and impressions of the films we see at Fantastic Fest, along with any activities or interviews we attend.  Complete reviews and interviews can be found on the site in upcoming weeks.

Day one of fantastic fest we hit the ground running and went straight from the airport to pick up our press badges.  We managed to cram in three screenings for the day, starting at 4pm.  Not too shabby.

Screening: Stone. Directed by John Curran and starring Edward Norton, Robert De Niro, Frances Conroy, and Milla Jovovich.  Summary: A convicted arsonist (Norton) looks to manipulate a parole officer (De Niro) into a plan to secure his parole by placing his beautiful wife (Jovovich)  in the lawman’s path.

Jane’s thoughts:  This was an unusual experience for me.  I was half expecting this to play out like a thriller-but instead I watched a slow (but evenly paced) meditative, existential character study.

The performances were great, but I can’t say I enjoyed the film (to its credit,we discussed it a great deal afterwards.)

The characters in Stone never quite feel like actual people, rather they represent certain characteristics of humanity.  Their stories slowly unfold to reveal that in the end, we are back at the beginning and haven’t moved an inch.

Ryan Reynolds is a pretty busy guy. Not only is casting news and general buzz generating for his titular role in DC’s upcoming Green Lantern, but the writers have already been hired for the Deadpool script, which will begin shooting when he’s done donning his emerald ring.

Somewhere in there, he’s had the time to shoot Rodrigo Cortés’ thriller about a U.S. contractor who’s kidnapped by a group of Iraqis and buried alive. The film has already gotten plenty of buzz from Sundance, but may have the same misfortune that The Hurt Locker got at the Golden Globes.

The very first teaser trailer for the film has been released, which almost takes a turn in a viral direction. In the film, Reynolds is stuck underground, in his own would-be tomb, with only a lighter and a cell phone. One can’t imagine that this film cost Transformers money.

Check out the teaser trailer after the jump, and expect to hear more about a U.S. release date as studios bid for distribution rights.