Danny Boyle Strikes Out

Rating: 2/10 (4 December 2010)

127 HOURS starts out badly and never recovers. All we know about this guy Ralston is he's racing a bicycle across Utah trying to get somewhere or other 45 minutes quicker than anyone before. Suddenly for no reason he's on foot, still racing, and meeting two girls. He loses sight of his goals and sets about impressing the girls involving them in irresponsible behavior jumping around the sharp and dangerous rocks of Moab, Utah.
Soon after leaving the girls, he's still jumping around like a jerk when the ground gives way; he slides, and his forearm is stuck under a very heavy rock. He makes a courageous and focused effort to free himself, but eventually (as you know) he'll cut off the arm to save his life. (These scenes are no more graphic than necessary.)
We are supposed to get to know Ralston through his many flashbacks. Unfortunately, his life was apparently no more interesting than that of a cigar store wooden Indian -- not much there.
We're initially given nothing to make us care about Ralston, later we learn nothing much, and by movie's end he's still a blank slate.
Danny Boyle uses a few cheap tricks such as turning the volume up seriously loud on the background music when something (supposedly) interesting happens. In truth this is pure "What do I do next syndrome" following his truly excellent "Slumdog Millionaire." In Slumdog, he grabbed our emotions over-and-over with one brilliant scene after another. Herein, nothing.
I saw this film under perfect conditions at my childhood neighborhood theater, now the restored AFI SILVER, one of America's finest movie houses. Comfortable seats, extra legroom, giant screen, THX stereo. A good movie would have made it great.