There is a select group of movies from this great land that I live in that makes me proud to be a Canadian. This list includes most of the filmography of director Bruce MacDonald, Lynne Stopkewich's Kissed, and Holly Dale's Blood & Donuts. There are others such as the movies of David Cronenberg and Bob Clark but I mention the above titles specifically because they represent a black comedy style that is rare but works really well. Just Buried can be added to that list as it is Canadian and has a twisted view and characters that seem to only exist in small towns in Canada. It is unfortunate that I think a lot of movies from the Great White North are overlooked because frankly there is a lot of crap made by Americans. Don't let that taint your perception of the country's talent as a whole because when we are left alone to make cool flicks, they are really cool.

Jay Baruchel stars as Oliver Whynacht, an awkward grocery delivery boy whose life changes when he inherits his father's funeral parlour. The business is not doing well as a competing parlour has recently opened and is stealing all the business from the local retirement community. As he has inherited a house of the dead, Oliver cannot launch the standard b-movie business plan of hiring girls in bikinis so he must come up with a more inventive method of bringing in customers. It all literally comes crashing down on him when he runs over a hiker while out on the town with his sexy embalmer. The two of them cover up the crime and realize that they have their first customer in over a year. This leads to a series of schemes and cover-ups peppered with jealousy and odd family relations that make for a fun and strange ride.

I wasn't expecting to but I really liked this movie. The presence of Baruchel on the cover made me think I was going to be watching a nerdy hipster try to be cool throughout and annoy the hell out of me but he does not come off like this at all. Instead, he comes across as likable and aloof but with the emotions that any of us would have if stuck in the bizarre situations he finds himself in. Now I understand why this guy is getting so much work both North and South of the border. Complementing Baruchel is Rose Byrne as the sexy and devious Roberta who had me at hello when she gives a monologue of how to properly embalm a corpse. The deadpan delivery of these lines is brilliantly executed and definitely brought out the goth state of mind that exists in me somewhere. Byrne and Baruchel make for a convincing couple even though both of them have other partners on the side. By the end of the film, both of them are in so deep in their wrongdoings that there is no turning back.

Writer/director Chaz Thorne has done a great job combining the quirkiness of the characters and situations with the central story of Oliver trying to make a success of the funeral home. He is helped immensely by an all-around fantastic cast including Graham Greene, Sergio Di Zio, and Reagan Pasternak. This is a fun movie that has enough suspense to keep it interesting, incorporates some comedic gore as well as a dash of yodeling, and zips by when you are watching it. I wish there were more movies like this but they are either out there waiting to be discovered or we need more clever Canadian filmmakers to come out of the tundra. (Josh Pasnak, 5/25/10)

Directed By: Chaz Thorne.
Written By: Chaz Thorne.

Starring: Jay Baruchel, Rose Byrne, Nigel Bennett, Sergio Di Zio.

Picture Ratio: 1.66:1 Widescreen.

Picture Quality: No complaints. This a good looking transfer.

Extras: All we get is a short photo gallery and some trailers.

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