Winter film déjà vu
If you follow us here at MOVE (and I’m sure you do, because people usually don’t end up here by accident), then you might remember a couple of months ago when I exalted Rodrigo Cortés for allowing "Buried" to be carried by one actor. Now Danny Boyle’s one-man show "127 Hours" has trotted itself into art houses and Top 10 of 2010 lists across the nation.
Films usually come out in pairs, because every "Capote" must have an "Infamous," but two films that spend more than 80 percent of their time with one character in solitary seems oddly specific.
So, how do "Buried" and "127 Hours" stack up to one another? When pressed for time, which actor vehicle do you pick?
"Buried"
• Synopsis: American trucker Paul Conroy, working in Iraq, wakes up in a pine box. It is then a race against the clock for Conroy to save himself.
• Powerhouse Performance: Ryan Reynolds puts in his best performance to date, the usually comedic-cool actor becoming completely vulnerable for the audience.
• One Man Action Scene: Reynolds versus a snake. I’ll let you guess the winner.
• The Lesson We Learn: "Buried" forces us to question what is actually happening to Americans in the Middle East and what exactly creates a terrorist.
• How Cortés Cheats His Gimmick: Conroy is left with a working cell phone, so while Reynolds is the only actor we see, a few other people are heard.
• Oscar Nominations: Unfortunately, Reynolds and "Buried" will most likely be eclipsed by "127 Hours."
• Fun Fact: "Buried" was shot in 17 days.
"127 Hours"
• Synopsis: American thrill-seeker Aron Ralston trips on a boulder and find himself trapped in a remote crevasse in Utah. It is then a race against the clock for Ralston to save himself.
• Powerhouse Performance: James Franco dazzles, coming across simultaneously as charming and lonely, and also vigorous and exposed.
• One Man Action Scene: Considering the biographical nature of the film, it’s not much of a spoiler to reveal Ralston is forced to cut off his own arm to survive. Now, let me stress this scene’s graphicness puts torture flicks like "Hostel" violently to shame.
• The Lesson We Learn: "127 Hours" reminds us that no matter how much of a hard-ass you may be, being alone is never beneficial.
• How Boyle Cheats His Gimmick: While trapped, Ralston slips into stylized dream sequences that involve seeing a multitude of other characters.
• Oscar Nominations: I foresee a slew of nominations for "127 Hours," specifically a Best Actor nom. for Franco.
• Fun Fact: The infamous self amputation was filmed in one take with multiple cameras to preserve medical accuracy.
Winner: Call it a cop out, but I consider this a tie. Both films are — aside from their general gimmick — very different and completely exceptional. "Buried," for the magnitude conveyed from underground, and "127 Hours," for the universal journey of self discovery. I would suggest running out and seeing "127 Hours" at Ragtag Cinema in December and catching "Buried" as soon as the Blu-Ray is released in January.
