127 Hours

Rating: 8/10 (2 March 2011)

From the first frame, the breathtaking beauty of the cinematography subjugated me since Danny Boyle's consistent visual concussion maintained at a high standard. I am not a rhapsodic traveler at all, still I was moved by the film and by the protagonist Aron Ralston.
The film deals with a quite essential proposition that when we encounter our incubus expectedly (for Aron, it was the stone, and for numerous others, it could be anything which may serve us as a hindrance), how to gather the courage, then exert reduction to practice to vanquish it eventually; the whole process is a personal sublimation for each individual as well.
The one-actor setting offers James Franco a chance once in a blue moon that he could take it as his career's magnum opus. Thankfully he lives up to our expectation and delivers a energetic and vivid performance which should be concluded as powerful and splendid! I put him as my No.2 BEST ACTOR 2010 (after Jesse Eisenberg) by far. Now 2011 Oscar has just finished, Franco's sluggish state does suggest that it is a wise decision that he should never meddle with emcee anymore.
I think the bloody nerve-cutting scene does persuade some potential audience from watching it, which I consider is a big loss, if one could endure the raw physiological torture (literally it only lasts several seconds at most), you will find it is worthwhile.
The flashbacks & illusions after the accident happened were well-crafted, diluted the humdrum of the crack setting and enriched the character too. It is an amazing payoff as the storyline is way too thin (compared with SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE) to be scripted into a feature length film.
After the overwhelming success of SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE (2008), Boyle's follow-up inherits his skillful interpretation and devotes an encouraging film which once again shows his surefooted talent to make wonders.