Hollywood: The Greatest Showman

Chapter 170: Blockbuster

As one of the most famous and authoritative film critics in North America, Roger Ebert underwent surgery in 2008 due to thyroid cancer. Since then, the number of his reviews has significantly decreased, and he has been unable to travel to the three major European film festivals due to long-haul flights. Instead, he often waits for films to be released in North America before writing his reviews.

However, Toronto is located close to North America and is now ranked as the fourth largest international film festival—its influence has subtly surpassed that of Venice. Therefore, Roger still arrived in Toronto on time, joining the film festival celebrations at the first opportunity.

Seeing Roger's reviews in the official festival journal is expected, but the fact that his reviews appeared for both "The Town" and "Buried" surprised many.

It's well known that "The Town" premiere drew significant attention yesterday, with nearly all the prominent critics in attendance on the red carpet. In contrast, the "Buried" premiere was much less glamorous. Despite this, Roger attended the "Buried" screening after watching "The Town," even though he was not in good health.

What does this indicate? Perhaps Roger's review can shed some light.

"An almost impossible challenge, a nearly perfect answer." This is the title of Roger's review, clearly expressing his viewpoint.

"Confined-space films are never short of excellent works. The first challenge is how to manage camera angles and perspectives within limited space. The second is how to shape characters and convey themes within limited performance space.

In 'Buried,' this challenge reaches its peak. The entire story unfolds within a coffin, featuring only one actor, pushing the genre to its extreme.

Within such a confined framework, Cortez's control over audience emotions is undoubtedly successful. He not only demonstrates excellent pacing, capturing the audience's attention with a gripping plot but also showcases his talent in creating atmosphere, reminiscent of M. Night Shyamalan's stunning work in 'The Sixth Sense.' Balancing suspense and hope, he maintains the tension until the very last moment. Especially with the '2:35' aspect ratio, the claustrophobic effect is maximized.

I would definitely not enjoy the feeling of being buried alive.

Given such limited resources, the performance is undoubtedly a daunting challenge, but Hall is an exceptionally talented actor. He not only meets but exceeds the expectations, showcasing his talent and skills to the fullest. In many scenes, his eyes convey a multitude of emotions, bringing profound experiences through the simplest expressions. Watching Hall's performance is a pleasure. Through his interpretation, the film becomes not only convincing and emotionally engaging but also elevates its themes—

The vulnerability and despair of an individual facing state machinery and large corporations. A simple 'sorry' cannot bear the weight of life!

From a screenplay perspective, this is not a successful film. The lack of detail and limited scope hinder its depth. But this is a triumph of performance. The amplified and explored emotions provide an authentic roller-coaster experience, and the fear and relief after viewing signify the film's success.

A wooden box, a single actor, and a suffocating masterpiece—this is an almost impossible challenge, but Cortez delivers a nearly perfect answer. More importantly, it introduces us to Renly Hall for the first time."

Roger is currently the most influential film critic in North America. He is the first critic to receive the Pulitzer Prize for Criticism and has his own TV show and film festival. His reviews have become a form of literature, widely recognized.

In Roger's review system, everything is "relative, not absolute." He believes that when someone asks if "Hellboy" is good, they are not comparing it to "Mystic River," but to "The Punisher." Thus, Roger's evaluation is that if "Superman" is four stars, "Hellboy" is three, and "The Punisher" is two.

Therefore, Roger usually gives two ratings: one for the film itself and one for recommendation. Some films may be excellent but too heavy, obscure, or purely popcorn entertainment, and thus not necessarily recommended. He insists, "A film that achieves its intended purpose is excellent, but that doesn't mean it's worth recommending."

So, in his review of "Buried," Roger also states that it's a nerve-wracking film and not recommended for everyone. Out of four stars, he gives it a two-star recommendation and mentions, "Danny Boyle's '127 Hours' premieres tomorrow, telling a similar survival story. The two films could be discussed together then."

Compared to "The Town," Roger shows greater interest in "Buried," especially in his praise for Renly, which has drawn significant attention.

Unlike "The Pacific" and the Emmys, this is the Toronto Film Festival, gathering top filmmakers worldwide. Even an obscure indie film like "Buried" can attract massive attention if it stands out. Clearly, "Buried" has seized this rare opportunity. Following "Variety" and Roger's "Chicago Sun-Times," other reviews have also started to draw more focus.

Elizabeth Weitzman of "The New York Times," a leading figure in North American film criticism, also joined her peers in praising the film:

"Rough yet delicate, simple yet profound, the film presents a grand world within a small scale, authentically portraying the emotional arcs within a confined space. It pushes self-rescue to the limit in a closed environment, but what it truly reflects is the complexity and fragility of human nature. When the credits roll, every audience member is immersed in darkness, unable to extricate themselves. This is the success of the director and the actor. Undoubtedly, this is the most intriguing film at Toronto's opening this year."

Claude Puig of "Vanity Fair," a free critic like Roger who mainly runs his own review website, wrote the review. His work can appear in any magazine or newspaper. Since signing with "Vanity Fair" last year, his reviews have found a fixed platform.

Getting the nod from "Vanity Fair" itself speaks volumes about Claude's excellence. More importantly, Claude's influence on the internet makes him popular among young people. This is his greatest advantage.

"Hall's performance is undoubtedly gripping. This young actor, who was still an unknown six months ago, first delivered an Emmy-worthy performance in 'The Pacific,' and now gives an Oscar-worthy performance in 'Buried,' achieving a meteoric rise!

The film is very smart. It doesn't have as many resources as '127 Hours,' which premieres tomorrow—it's made on a $3 million budget, just one-sixth of the latter's. But it perfectly resonates with real life through the actor's brilliant performance, showcasing the script's ambitions. Despite being confined to a narrow space, the film faces enormous challenges. Any misstep could turn it into a snooze fest. Fortunately, it has Hall."

Claude's review places almost all the weight on Renly, emphasizing, "Hall is undoubtedly the greatest discovery of 2010 so far! Full of surprises." Clearly, "Vanity Fair" agrees.

Meanwhile, Michael Phillips of "The Hollywood Reporter" wrote, "Should the Academy members vote for a film like 'Buried' that no one has heard of? Perhaps. They should vote for Renly Hall."

From Venice to Toronto, the annual awards season has begun. Though the real competition starts in October, Toronto's critics are already eager to mention the ultimate goal: the Oscars. Notably, "The Hollywood Reporter," a top Hollywood magazine along with "Variety," has voiced its support.

"This is a film driven by the viewing experience, offering pure, thrilling enjoyment with its twists and turns. Hall's talent shines, fully utilizing the confined space to display the intensity of his performance, capturing the essence of emotions on a one-man stage. The Hollywood Academy members should turn their attention to this twenty-year-old actor. My God, this is only his second film."

From "The Hollywood Reporter" review, we can glimpse the industry's direction. In the Oscar race, Toronto has already produced its first batch of contenders, with Renly gaining at least one supporter.

The surge of praise has propelled "Buried" into the spotlight post-premiere, matching the momentum of "The Town" from the previous night, which no one anticipated. However, among the nine official reviews in the festival journal, not all were positive. Three reviews expressed dissenting views, marking the first discordant notes for "Buried" since its premiere.

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Guys prepare your powerstones cause I am going to post 15 Chapters at once this coming Monday... Hopefully we reach the top, that way we can get more readers and the chances of reaching 200 powerstones increase....

200 powerstones - 1 bonus Chapter