1. Paul Conroy in Buried
When I think about what separates a good actor from a great one, one of the key factors is the ability to hold the audience’s attention. In Buried, Rodrigo Cortes’ phenomenally bold thriller, it is up to Reynolds to not only do that, but to essentially fill an entire film with nothing but his presence, and he rises to the occasion in spades. The film takes place entirely in a small box that Reynolds’ Paul Conroy has been buried in six feet underground by a group of terrorists who demand a large sum of money for his release. It’s a one man show without even much freedom of space for Reynolds to physically express himself, and yet, he’s utterly captivating. From the opening frame, through each bated breath and terrified phone conversation, Paul is not only completely empathetic, but pragmatic enough to not spend the entire portion of remaining oxygen screaming for help (as I’m sure many of us would do). It’s an acting feat that is nothing short of olympian, that was criminally robbed of any recognition come awards time despite being far superior to a similar turn by James Franco in 127 Hours (which don’t get me wrong, was also an amazing film). It proves beyond a shadow of a doubt that Reynolds is a deeply untapped recourse in dramatic work. While Deadpool will undoubtedly catapult him to becoming the star he was always meant to be, hopefully he does not forget to continue to take roles in films like this along the way.
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