Simple Story Told and Acted with Brilliance

Rating: Null/10 (26 December 2010)

127 Hours (2010)
**** (out of 4)
Incredible story of Aron Ralston (James Franco), a man who went into the wilderness without telling anyone where he was going. Aron tries going down a canyon but becomes trapped after his arm gets caught behind a boulder where he remains trapped for 127 hours before deciding to cut his arm off. If that sounds like a spoiler it really isn't because those going into this film are already going to know the story, which was all over the media when it originally happened. As I was walking out of the theater someone waiting in line for another movie asked why anyone would waste their time with a movie where you know how it ends but to me this is exactly what makes this film so great. Director Boyle does a remarkable job in telling the story and what's most interesting is the way he decided to tell it. For the majority of the running time we see Ralston trapped without being able to move very much and we spend over an hour with him as his condition slowly grows worse. It's clear from the start that it's highly unlikely anyone is going to just show up and rescue him since the location is out in the middle of nowhere. We see as Ralston quickly runs out of water, slowly begins to realize that he's in this situation because of being a jerk and that his final days on Earth are going to have him alone and wondering to himself what should have been. We've seen this type of story before but what makes 127 HOURS really stand out is how we see it. We've seen disaster pictures where food and water runs out but the way Boyle shows it here is pretty much inside the thermos which gets closer and closer to being empty with each drink. We see a rather interesting shot of Ralston sticking the knife into his arm just to see what exactly he might have to cut through if he decides to do the unthinkable. Seeing a shot from the inside of the arm is tricky because the technique could take one out of the story but Boyle uses these special techniques so well that it really puts you more into the film. We get several flashbacks scenes that are remarkably well done and one of the most amazing ones happens when Ralston's thirst is driving him crazy and he flashes back to a certain item in his truck. The way the film shows our character finally realizing all the things he's done wrong and the various ways his life could have been better were incredibly touching and I'm sure no one will have any problems connecting. Then there's Franco who certainly gives one of the best performances of the year. Much like the earlier film BURIED, there's really not too much the actor can do expect give a performance using his eyes, facial gestures and various other aspects that don't allow you to act off someone else. The way Franco shows us his emotions were extremely well done by the actor and just check out the sequence where he pretends to be on a morning news show being questioned about how he got in the situation. The acting of Franco and the visual style of Boyle going perfectly together and in the end they really create something special and certainly something unique. It's doubtful this will be the last survival film ever made but the way Boyle tells the story is certainly something fresh, original and it really helps put you in our characters situation. 127 HOURS didn't make a killing at the box office as I think many people stayed away due to the subject matter and "knowing" the story but knowing the story isn't going to take away anything from the experience that the film actually is.