BURIED:  OPEN THIS ONE FIRST!

Dan Brenner:

that your ransom video already has 47,000 hits on YouTube.

 I always thought hell was being stuck on a phone tree or waiting in line at the supermarket while somebody has to do a price check, but it's not... hell is waking up in a plain wood box having been buried alive after having been taken captive in Iraq. Paul Conroy (Ryan Reynolds) is an American truck driver working in Iraq in 2006. He's taken and buried in a shallow grave with a cell phone, lighter, a flask of booze, flashlight and little else. He soon finds out the specifics of how and why he is there and has to come up with a million "money" to pay his random. Along the lines of 127 hours, this is a one man show and Reynolds does a fantastic job with it. This time, however, Conroy is able to use his cell phone and reaches out to many different people, bringing both humor and more terror to the situation. What makes this more scary than a slasher flick to me is that it could really happen. Needless to say, claustrophobics need not apply! The most suspenseful are the last 10 minutes, which I will not elaborate in order to keep some surprises secret. I almost didn't watch this one, but I'm glad I did. It was well done.

THE DISAPPEARANCE OF ALICE CREED: HANG ON!

What on the surface appears to be a low budget silly B movie turns quickly into something along the lines of Girl With The Dragon Tattoo. A pair of uber slick, but still low rent criminals prepare for something dubious which leads up to the abduction of our heroine Alice Creed (Gemma Arterton). Soon we discover she was targeted for this crime in efforts to gather a ransome from her rich father. What we come to discover is the 6 degrees of separation between the criminals and the victim and oh, what a delightful discovery it is. These are wicked twists and turns that just can't be predicted. Considering there are only three actors in this film, it is a wonder and fun to watch. Not much else to share without giving away the unseen surprises. Be sure to watch the rarely provided bonus gag reel on this type of film. Well done!

GONE BABY GONE

GONE BABY GONE was GREAT BABY, GREAT "I always believed it was the things you don't choose that makes you who you are. Your city, your neighborhood, your family. People here take pride in these things, like it was something they'd accomplished. The bodies around their souls, the cities wrapped around those." For a man who was born in Berkley, Ben Affleck as Director and Co-screenwriter, has again paid tribute to the city of Boston. Cocky and young, Patrick Kenzie (Casey Affleck) is a private detective who is called upon to help find a missing girl. The police don't like him and he isn't taken seriously until his 'street cred' proves that he is a valuable asset in the search. He is not as harmless as he looks. But this movie is much more complex than that. It's like a super long and well done version of Law and Order. Kenzie is 'that guy'... the kind of guy that doesn't let things go. He wants to do the right thing, which is not always clear-cut black and white. Add Michelle Monaghan as his partner/love interest; Morgan Freeman as the somewhat menacing, Capt. Jack Doyle; Ed Harris as the tough detective, Remmy Bressant; and Amy Ryan as Helene McCready, the questionably unfit mother of the lost child. To date, this has been the best role I have seen Affleck in. He has expressive eyes that shout volumes above any words could. Bottom line: What is the right thing to do and how do you live with that choice? Not an easy question to answer. See this film and then ask yourself that question.
BIG pick: An exceptional piece of work, clever dialogue and a tightly written plot. Must see!