I don't usually write reviews, but felt I needed to after watching this masterpiece.

Rating: 10/10 (10 January 2011)

Where do I begin? I went to the cinema with medium expectations of this film. I am a fan of Danny Boyle movies, from Shallow Grave through to 21 Days Later. I liked (not loved) Slumdog Millionaire, but wasn't on the bandwagon of hype that surrounded the movie. I am also a James Franco fan, and loved Pineapple Express and was surprised how well he acted in that movie. I also remember him playing James Dean in a TV movie, which also impressed me too. However, it did not prepare me for what I was about to see with this film.
Right from the get go you are introduced to the film with the feel of a pulse, from the music that is played during the credits (May I add the use of music throughout this movie was absolutely perfect, and really added so much emotion and texture to the scenes), right through to the use of camera, and the split screen where you see crowds of people going about their daily lives. It then focuses on Franco's character, Aron Ralston. We see quick, cleverly cut and filmed sequences of him preparing for a hike. From intricate, yet simple shots from inside his fridge, to the top of his shelf, with the focus on his hands grabbing these items. I loved these quick shots, and from the start set the kinetic film style and pace. I am not going to spoil anything for you here, but the next 20 minutes of the film is a build up, which is very cleverly done. Anyone that is familiar with the story will appreciate how well the tension is built upon.
After the accident occurs, we are left with Aron as he first physically struggles to get himself out of the situation. You really feel that you are there with him. The locations used are beautiful, yet eerie at the same time. After he is physically worn out from trying to escape, you begin to see the psychological breakdown. This is where things get interesting, and really where Franco shines. As we are with him in this situation, you see how his character goes from thinking he will get himself out of this, to a complete breakdown. As he is trapped there for so long, he finds himself dehydrating, and losing the will to live. However, the things that keeps him going, and keeps the audience completely involved and on tender hooks, is the very cleverly crafted flashbacks of what keeps him going. From is family, one of his past girlfriend's right through to some very well executed hallucinations. Often I found myself laughing at the certain things that Franco's character was thinking and dreaming up in his mind, and after the laughter, Boyle would build the tension straight up again and tug on the heart strings with only a few words and expressions from Franco's face. By the end of the movie, you will be there with the character, you will him to go on. I felt that this movie touched on so many things such as spirituality, love, hope and survival and all these common emotions we all share as human beings. At the very end of the movie, the music yet again is used perfectly, and gave me a joyous, almost overpowering feeling of a mixed range of emotions. I still had the adrenaline pumping from 'that' scene I'm sure many of you reading this are aware of (which was also brilliantly done, from the sound effects of shredding nerves, right through the Franco's acting and the use of the camera angles and sfx). As the end drew to a close, I was struggling to hold back the tears as hard as I could, (my girlfriend had been crying intermittently throughout the film, and I couldn't blame her).
127 hours It was a joyous, uplifting, spiritual movie experience. It had all the elements of what filmmaking is about. It was a thriller, a drama, a romance, a horror, even comedy at some points all rolled into one. A poignant, timeless message of what is it to be alive, of how blessed we all truly are, and of how reliant we are upon each other. To quite simply put it, this was my favourite movie of 2010/2011, and will certainly go down as one of my favourite movies of all time.