Ground breaking or ditchable?

A film with one actor and one location. A film made with 14 planks of wood and seven camera angles.

Buried, a film I have wanted to see since September last year, and I was left feeling slightly let down. Ryan Reynolds plays the part of Paul Conroy, a contract truck driver working in Iraq. After being ambushed by locals, Paul wakes to find himself inside a wooden box, buried in the Iraqi desert.

As he searches his uncomfortable new surroundings, Paul discovers he has a lighter, a torch, a mobile phone and a flask of spirit in his possession. As the story goes on, you begin to get to know the people Paul talks with on the phone, including the Iraqi rebels who are demanding a huge ransom for his release, an American Terrorist worker with Simon Cowell's accent and the manager of Paul's company, who inevitably turns out to be the biggest fool in existance.

The most fascinating aspect of this film is that it never, I repeat NEVER leaves the coffin. A lot happens and there are other actors, however, they are limited to voice acting. This gives the viewer the opportunity to get stuck in the box along with Paul, and gives a great edge to the film.

On top of that, the fear, rage and pure annoyance you feel due to the lack of helpfulness and generally ignorant personalities of those who Paul contacts using the phone is brilliantly crafted.

Upon the conclusion, which I won't give away for those who haven't  seen the film, I was left with a familiar feeling of not really knowing whether I enjoyed the film or not. There will be many critics who slate this film, but it should be noted that films like this are trying to take their place amongst Hollywood's elite.

I would say that Buried is defiently worth the watch, but I am unsure if I would watch it again. All round, good film, but it may be the twists and suprises that make it.

Thumbs up: 6.5/10

Believe the Legend. Beware the Wolf.

"Oh Grandma, what big eyes you have!"

The tale of Little Red Riding Hood; a story that has had many different interpretations in years gone by. The wolf has eaten the grandmother, the woodsman has saved both Red and her grandparent. The list of endings and versions goes on.

But the latest version, a film directed by Catherine Hardwick, the woman behind Twilight, is a slightly darker and more intense version than anyone has seen before. For those of you who like suspense, then this is well worth the watch!

The storyline remains somewhat similar to what we have all grown up to listening to, but with a twist. The village of Daggerhorn is plagued by the visits from a wolf who is feeding on the residents. No one has seen it. No one has heard it. No one can stop it.

Valerie displaying her red cloak, is in love with a woodsman, Peter. But their ambitions to leave Daggerhorn are interrupted by the wolf's intentions of tearing the village apart.

Hope arrives when a reputable werewolf hunter arrives to let the villagers know that the wolf is a human. An inhabitant of the village. But as they suggest and suspect everyone, it leaves the audience unsure about who the wolf could be.


The art direction takes a Twilight-esque turn with distant shots of the snow-covered mountains, abstract viewpoints of Valerie in the red cloack on a white backdrop and a slow, yet vigorous soundtrack.

Suprises are in store, and a few gasps and shrieks are sure to be heard. Red Riding Hood is an exciting and intense fairytale adjusted for the 21st Century.

Top Drawer: 7/10