Danny Boyle's latest film is that of sublime cinematography.

Rating: 10/10 (2 February 2011)

When I first heard about Danny Boyle's new film '127 Hours', I thought to myself: 'How can a film be made about someone who gets stuck in a hole for 127 hours?' The answer, my friends, is Danny Boyle. Boyle transformed Aron Ralston's true story of survival into the most encapsulating film of the year (so far).
Aron Ralson is a climber who must save himself after falling down a pit. His arm stuck by an enormous boulder. He is stuck there for 127 hours, as the title of the films suggests. '127 Hours' would still be a great film if it wasn't a true story. However, the fact that it is based on true events made this even more of a compelling event. Ralston is played by James Franco, known primarily for his role in 'Spiderman'. Franco was perfect for the role. He was tested as he had to show Ralson's sense of humour in a very dark light. Franco had me laughing when he was videoing himself comically whilst stuck in the canyon, yet he had me on the edge of my seat as he amputated his own arm!
The cinematography of the film was sublime. Set in an arid canyon in Utah, this was the perfect setting to shoot. Boyle shot from very many angles and distances, creating a pictures on the screen that simply 'blew me away'. The landscape featured was beautifully red in colour.
I was kept in suspense from the moment Aron Ralson was trapped under the rock until the moment he freed himself. The amateur climber used very clever survival techniques which I admired greatly. Due to his fatigue, Aron hallucinated about both his current situation stuck under the rock and about his life at home. These hallucinations gave Danny Boyle the perfect opportunity to show off his filmmaking skills. The most potent image is that of Ralson as a child, sitting on his sofa in the middle of a cave: a depiction of the child within us all.
The soundtrack by A.R. Rahman complimented the imagery spectacularly. This film is completely different to any other film I have seen. This film is a triumph for Danny Boyle as a director, having to live up to 'Slumdog Millionaire'. '127 Hours' is nominated for the BAFTA for best film which is no surprise to me. A remarkable story shown with exceptional detail!