A small suspense film in the vein of Buried and 127 Hours. A man (Adrien Brody) rouses with a start. His face is bruised and bloodied. His leg is crushed. He's trapped in a totaled car in the forest, with no road in clear sight. There is a dead body behind him and another in the brush in front of the car. He has no idea who is ("Hello. My name is...," he carves into the dash) or how he came to be in this predicament. A few discoveries--a gun in the car--suggest foul play may have been involved.

The movie, in its content and presentation, lands between Buried and 127 Hours. It has a lot less dialogue than the former. Brody isn't able to call anyone, so other than a few groans, a few profanities, and a few "why me?" cries, the character doesn't say a whole lot. But since the film is at its core a mystery--the main character, as he endures physical torment, is also trying to recall who he is--it never blossoms into a character study and a sentimental journey of self-discovery the way 127 Hours does.

Overall, I was impressed, if not blown away. Similar to Buried, it's not a movie I'll be watching again any time soon. It's more a ride--a visceral experience--than a soulful, full-bodied film. But what it does it does well. Brody, cringing, crying, gasping, crawling, screaming, carries the film well and is captivating to watch. The cinematography is elegant and atmospheric. One plot element--a mysterious dog Brody sees again and again--introduces a bit of Picnic at Hanging Rock-esque cosmic mystery into the otherwise quite literal proceedings. And when the plot comes into focus, the revelations aren't exactly mind-blowing, but they are satisfying. Solid all around, I'd say.

B