Buried (2011)
A man is stuck in a coffin, with only a flashlight, fire, some water, and a cell phone and he has to find a way to escape before time runs out.
There are some really great films out there that only take place in one spot and this is one of them. Buried follows a civilian in the war-torn Middle-East, trapped in a coffin under several feet of dirt. He talks to people on his cell phone, trying to get help. Of course, time is a huge factor in this movie, playing a big role in how each second counts. The way the movie is shot gives the feeling of real time, no jumping forward a couple of hours, but still staying with the main character throughout the whole movie.
It is amazing to see the actor (Ryan Reynolds) carrying the entire film through his acting, and he does not disappoint one bit. There are really tense situations, wondering if this guy can ever get a break and moments where you will be angry at the people he talks to. While you may wonder how they can ever make a movie on just one spot covers deeper issues, it takes them on subtlety, touching on the war on terrorism, oil, and big companies and money. The tension is a whole lot better here than in many horror movies and the emotion and stakes are always running high. Buried is one heck of an entertaining flick, worth every second onto the end. The ending makes the movie.
127 Hours (2010)
While hiking through caves, a man gets his arm trapped by a boulder. Being hundreds of miles away from any kind of help, he has to find a way to get his arm free before he dies.
This is another movie that focuses on just one spot, but it still holds it’s ground. The story is based on the inspirational true story of the many who was caught by a boulder and after five days being stuck, he cut his arm off and was saved hours later. Sorry if I ruined the story, but for this film, it really matters about the journey and not the ending. The way the film is presented throughout is masterful storytelling and captivating. We feel for this guy and what he is going through and it makes us question about how we take our own life for granted.
James Franco, being the sole man for majority of the movie, is fantastic. He gives his performance charisma and performs all ranges of emotion effortlessly. Again, 127 Hours is a masterful movie, being directed by the brilliant Danny Boyle (Slumdog Millionaire, another film you should definitely see). The story is compelling and once you get to the ending and witness the traumatic and daring survival tactic, you’ll be glad and maybe even think twice about the life you live.
Children of Men (2006)
In the future, women are infertile, ensuring that humankind’s days on Earth are dwindling by each person. But then a woman is pregnant and it becomes a race to save the woman and her baby, so that there can be hope for the future.
This is absolutely one of my favorite films. It is dark and depressing, hollowing and bleak, fantastic and insane. There are so many parts of this film that can be analyzed and each frame gives a meaning to the entire body of work. The writing, cinematography, and directing all combine to create not only a story of its own kind, but a view of the world today. Children of Men deals with so many issues, all because of a future where there’s no chance of a future.
Clive Owen plays a somewhat hopeless man, living day to day with not much going for him. Until he agrees to help a pregnant lady to safety from radical groups, the government, and even friends from taking away the last hope humankind has to grip on. And if you think the effects of superhero films were awesome, this movie puts them to shame. With masterful long takes (scenes where there are no cuts or switches camera angles) it compels a real-time feeling. The ending is a perfect one, not only ending the film in the right way, but letting us decide the outcome of this story. This is one of the best films ever made, and I will defend that statement against anyone.