Every film would inevitably face criticism, as no work could attain perfection. Moreover, relentless nitpicking and critique were inherent aspects of a film critic's role. This was even truer for thriller and horror films, which were naturally more susceptible to critical blows due to the nature of their genre. "Buried" was no exception to this rule.
Amidst a plethora of praises, Lisa Shazbaum from Entertainment Weekly resolutely expressed her disdain for the film, bordering on disgust. She wrote, "The film is undoubtedly foolish and self-indulgent. Its political interpretation is either monotonously rigid or outright foolish, even impacting the visual effects and cinematic pleasure. Hall's performance is the sole highlight of the entire film."
Lisa's perspective was undeniably unique. While the film's engagement with reality and critique garnered unanimous praise from most critics, seen as a valuable supplement to the work's depth and substance, Lisa considered it a burden instead.
In her comprehensive review for Entertainment Weekly, Lisa passionately lambasted the film, asserting that Rodrigo, as a Spaniard, lacked an understanding of American society and a sensitivity to political developments. His shallow and simplistic interpretations severely compromised the film's quality. Concealed within this review was perhaps a glimpse of Lisa's political stance.
This represented a misconception people held about the media. In popular belief, the media was expected to maintain a stance of neutrality and objectivity, upholding and revealing facts. However, in reality, every journalist, editor, and columnist had their own cultural, religious, economic, and social backgrounds. Thus, when reporting on the same event, differing perspectives and viewpoints were inevitable, leading to variations in word choice and sentence structure. Furthermore, major media outlets possessed their own political leanings. For example, in the United States, there was a distinction between Democratic and Republican affiliations, as well as differences in religious orientations, all of which influenced the nature of news reporting.
Just like in the 2016 U.S. presidential election, even renowned newspapers like the New York Times and Los Angeles Times exhibited biases in their reporting. This led to the elite class confidently predicting Hillary Clinton's victory, only to be shocked by the response of voters in the heartland. The Brexit situation demonstrated a similar pattern, leaving the London elites dumbfounded by the results.
This was the most direct manifestation of media reporting bias.
Evidently, Lisa could not reconcile with the political viewpoints portrayed in "Buried", which in turn influenced her overall perception of the film.
However, Lisa was not alone in her stance. Two other critics shared her sentiments, and they went a step further by critiquing the film itself, irrespective of its political undertones. Peter Travis from Rolling Stone was particularly fierce in his words, launching a full-scale assault on the film.
"If you're keen on subjecting yourself—I'm unsure if 'keen' is the right word—to being buried alive in a coffin for a torturous hundred minutes, worsened by the fear of confinement in that cramped space and cheap props devoid of imagination, then by all means, step into the cinema for this banal and tedious thriller. The only thing that could help viewers endure this catastrophe is not Hall's charming face, but rather Hall's outstanding performance."
While Rolling Stone initially emerged as a music review outlet, it gradually transformed into a comprehensive magazine after the turn of the century. Due to its vast readership, it remains the most authoritative and popular music and entertainment publication in North America, now encompassing film reviews as well.
Clearly, Pete's aversion to "Buried" was all-encompassing, except for Renly. In this regard, James Bernard, a film critic from the magazine The Village Voice, also expressed agreement.
"The weak script leaves little room for development. We're left watching the actors trapped in one place, screaming, startling, shedding tears, and then repeating it all over again. It's like watching grade school kids in a shoddy Halloween prank. Hall puts in his best efforts for a performance worthy of a king, but even that can't salvage the film's dire state. We've endured enough of "Saw", and let's hope "Buried" doesn't turn into a series."
Compared to James's severe critique, Lisa's review appeared like a loving reproach. It was evident that James held no fondness for "Buried". Even Renly's performance failed to redeem the film in his eyes.
Among the nine reviews in the official program booklet, six were positive and three were negative. The grand entrance of "Buried" onto the scene marked the first salvo, and what was even more commendable was the enduring applause after the premiere, the persistent engagement of journalists and audiences, and the acclaim in the official program booklet. In an instant, this film, which had initially been met with indifference from the remote corners, was thrust into the spotlight, drawing countless eyes. Only now did people notice this work at the Toronto Film Festival this year.
More importantly, whether it was praise or criticism, Renly's performance received unanimous acclaim. Even reviews from Rolling Stone and The Village Voice were no exception. The name "Renly Hall" began to frequently appear in publications.
Almost effortlessly, memories were rekindled of the newcomer who had surprisingly won the Emmy for Best Actor, the folk singer who had gained massive popularity on YouTube. Undoubtedly, he was the artist who had generated the highest online discussion heat within the past month. Now, as the previous craze was only just settling down, with people still marveling at the breakthrough of "Cleopatra" on the Billboard charts, the news of the Toronto Film Festival had arrived. This was nothing short of… one wave following another.
Who exactly was Renly?
This question seemed to have no end. After the Emmy Awards, a group of people asked; after "Ophelia", another group asked. Now, during the bustling Toronto Film Festival, yet another group raised the question. The focus surrounding Renly was growing, and his enigmatic aura was intensifying, ushering in another wave of discussions.
Undoubtedly, the first to respond were their fellow media colleagues.
The Toronto Film Festival was an international stage. Unlike independent films with limited releases in North American art houses, any work presented here would attract attention from around the world. Over four hundred media outlets and thousands of journalists from all corners of the globe converged here. Any hint of activity could invite the watchful eyes of the "wolf pack".
Who had won the hearts of so many professional media outlets? Amid the feedback in the official program booklet, they had surged ahead, trailing only slightly behind the overwhelming acclaim of "Blue Valentine". They had emerged as one of the most-discussed works since the festival's opening, shattering expectations left and right. Who was responsible for the shattered pieces of disbelief?
Who had carved a path through the sea of acclaim, receiving undifferentiated praise with the identity of an unknown newcomer? With each discovered detail, amazement escalated. There were still over two months left before he turned twenty-one, and this was just his second work as an actor, the first on the big screen. A Spanish film with a mere three million investment managed to outshine nearly a thousand competitors, gaining the favor of Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks?
Who had stolen the limelight from "The Town", who had stolen Ben Affleck's moment of glory? After the resplendent grandeur of last night's premiere, it was almost predictable that today's media coverage would be sweeping. However, who could have anticipated that despite the headlines on various major newspapers reading "The Town" and "Ben Affleck", the trending topic was Renly Hall?
Interestingly, the excitement among European media was no less fervent than that in North America. For North American media, the excitement stemmed from yet another dark horse emerging at the Toronto Film Festival, especially given that it was an English-language work. This implied it would be screened in North America and possibly become an awards season dark horse, as predicted by the Hollywood Reporter.
For European media, the excitement lay in the fact that the film hailed from Spain in terms of its capital, with a Spanish director and production team. The male lead, Renly, was British, making it a distinctly European film in terms of its heritage. So, who was Rodrigo Cortés? And who were Renly Hall?
Andy Rogers' phone had been blown up. As "Buried" was an independent work, Rodrigo Cortes was the producer, and the media couldn't locate any public relations personnel, so they had to contact him directly. Besides, the most eye-catching figure was Renly. Their first instinct was to contact Renly's agent.
In the next twenty-four hours, Andy's phone had barely a moment of rest, continually ringing off the hook. Interviews about "Buried", interviews about Renly—they poured in without cease.
Generally speaking, on top-tier stages like the three major European film festivals, a film's promotion might involve over a hundred and fifty media outlets, stretching for four to five days with barely any rest. However, for lesser-known independent films, it was much more challenging. Most received less than fifty interviews, and even that was a dream for many.
But now, at least over ninety media outlets were requesting interviews about "Buried" and Renly. This number was steadily climbing. It was clear that as the buzz around "Buried" continued to ferment, media attention would rise even higher.
For Renly, this was undoubtedly a dream come true. Most actors started their careers within the United States, but Renly had made a dazzling debut on the international stage in Toronto as his first step. Such a radiant entrance instantaneously attracted global attention, a dreamlike beginning.
In comparison, "The Town" erupted at the premiere and then seemed to gradually fade away. Their spotlight was entirely stolen by "Buried", which was genuinely disheartening for them. What was even more frustrating was that the online craze completely suppressed "The Town", giving them quite a hard time.