impressive work from Boyle and Franco

Rating: 8/10 (18 July 2015)

It's 2003. Aron Ralston (James Franco) goes out into the desert to do some bike riding and rock climbing. He encounters hikers Kristi (Kate Mara) and Megan (Amber Tamblyn). The girls invite him to a party the next day but as he continues his hike alone, he falls down a crevice and gets his hand stuck under a boulder. It's 127 hours of struggle as he tries in vain and finally decides to cut off his arm.
On the surface, this is not a very cinematic story. The guy is stuck in a crevice. It doesn't allow for much movement. The three people falling through the rocks is a fun opening. Then Danny Boyle does everything to garner interesting visuals. Franco is very effective in what is essentially an one-man play in much of the movie. It's an impressive piece of work from both Franco and Boyle.