Inspiring, strong movie.

Rating: 10/10 (19 November 2011)

As I was watching this movie for the first time, I instantly knew it would find itself on my favorite movies list. "127 Hours" is a movie about a man named Aron Ralston, an everyday guy with a passion for mountain climbing and anything outdoors, who winds up stuck on the line between life and death- or rather, between freedom and a boulder. He is pinned by his arm against a canyon wall and has to take a stab at surviving. It is based on a true story.
I have a lot of respect for Danny Boyle. I have always loved his style of directing, so I was keen to see what his next project would be after "Slumdog Millionaire" swept the Oscars in 2008. I had heard this story many times before, so I was instantly interested in how Boyle would turn this tragic story into a big screen movie. He did not disappoint. One of my favorite things about the movie is that Danny Boyle stayed really close to the actual story. The real Aron Ralston said so himself that the movie is as accurate as you can get while still being a drama.
Boyle made the right choice in bringing back A. R. Rahman to score the movie. The music is what completed the movie, in more ways than it would affect other movies because of the situation. There are scenes that portray just plain emotion, and the music adds a whole new level of depth to these scenes. The soundtrack is chilling, yet so beautiful.
Casting-wise, James Franco was perfectly cast as Aron Ralston. I was a fan before, but this movie doubled my respect for him. His performance was astonishing and completely believable.
Before I watched this movie, questions were floating in my head. Will this whole movie take place in the canyon? Will it be boring? Will it be sickening? No, no, and yes. About 70-75% of the movie does take place inside the canyon, but it does not get boring. Flashbacks and hallucinations fill up some time here, but during this portion of the movie (in the canyon), you feel as if you are in there yourself or that Aron is talking to you personally. The movie is very intimate. That even applies to the squeamish moments. There IS a lot of blood. Do not be surprised if you find yourself looking away from the screen at some parts (I could not help it).
While watching this movie, I felt anticipation. I felt fear. I felt. optimism. I laughed. I cried. This movie truly is the whole package. I highly recommend everyone to see this movie at some point in their life. It is eye-opening and will make you wonder...what would you do if you were in Aron's shoes?