Making a mountain out of a mole hill, Boyle's masterpiece.

Rating: 10/10 (2 March 2011)

One fateful day in the canyons of Utah a lone climber fell into the worst predicament he could have imagined. In April of 2003 Aron Ralston found out what he was made of, literally and figuratively. While Aron was trekking the rocky terrain of "Blue John Canyon" his luck ran out and fell due to a loose boulder which crushed and trapped his arm against the rock wall. His story is one of hope, triumph, terror and sheer determination. The perfect setting for an intensely satisfying movie experience. Thankfully, director Danny Boyle delivered this in spades.
"127 Hours" is a full feature film about this tragic but conquering incident. Aron Ralston, an avid climber and hiker, played by the talented James Franco, made the near fatal mistake of not telling anyone where he was going. Ralston sets out to his "home away from home" and meets a couple of less experienced hikers looking for some adventure. He takes them to a beautiful spot where they enjoy a brief swim, though this section is not factual to the real experience. Afterward, Ralston continues his trek and ends up, as the real Aron Ralston named his book, stuck "Between a Rock and a Hard Place". What follows is his incredible journey to free himself, rappel a 65 foot rock wall and hike over 8 miles to finally be rescued in one of the most emotional endings in a film to date.
There were a lot of challenges in developing a feature length film based on Ralston's amazing story. Many wondered how director Danny Boyle would keep the audience engaged since the setting is a single place with a single character. Not to mention the fact that we all know how the story ends up. Nominated for six Academy Awards including Best Actor and Best Picture it's obvious they overcame these challenges. For one thing, the pacing is perfect as was the accompanying music. Boyle seamlessly transitioned slow dismal scenes with those of courage and optimism. This worked largely due to the variety of music used in the film. From the outstanding original score from A.R. Rahmin to the uplifting "Lovely Day" by Bill Withers and the surreal finale from Sigur Rós. To me it seemed like the music was an auditory way of showing his inner thoughts during the whole experience, the soundtrack was a character all it's own.
"127 Hours" is a powerful movie and story. One in which could not have been so successful had it not been for the astounding direction and cinematography. Boyle's team brought the experience of trekking the Utah canyons to life with fluid camera work. A closeup shot of Franco's hand sliding against the rock wall while navigating through the canyon is just one of many examples. Personally, I thought this film should have been not only nominated for Best Cinematography in the Academy Awards but also won. Boyle is a master of his craft and this film further propels him to the top of the list of best directors working today.
I won't get into the "meat" of the amputation scene, but I will say that it was one of the most intense things I've witnessed in film. That is saying a lot considering the types of movies I watch and review here. Disturbingly accurate this scene was filmed in one take using multiple camera's and only one prosthetic arm. Yet another testimony to Franco's superb acting. Following the amputation scene we see more outstanding direction and cinematography as Ralston makes the final journey to his rescue. The best part about this final sequence is that we know what happens but while watching we are at the edge of our seat. We put aside what we already know and just go along for the ride. The direction causes us to be unsure if he will make it or not. That is the brilliance of "127 Hours" and Boyle's production team.
I highly recommend this film as it is one of the best stories and film of at least the last few years. Boyle said it best and I'll end this review with his quote: "This is a film about how precious life is. And it's only precious because of other people. It's not precious in itself, which is what we sometimes think - we think the will to survive is an individualistic thing. ... But it's actually connected to other people. And that's what the life essence is really about - it's always about other people, even in the loneliest places." - Danny Boyle
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