Second-Tier But Still Great 2010 Film

Rating: 7/10 (13 January 2011)

Aron Ralston (James Franco) is an amateur mountain climber. After setting out on his own, and not telling anyone where he went, he finds himself in the most awful of tragedies: his arm is trapped under a rock, and there is no possible way to call for help. What lengths will he go to in order to survive?
The story is familiar to anyone who has followed the news in the last ten years. But here we are given a closer look than we ever thought possible. And if you are wondering if it is possible to make a film about a man who does not move and has no one to talk to for 127 hours, it can be done, and be done in style.
I do not think Danny Boyle was the right man for the job on this one. Not to say he did a bad job -- he did not -- but he has a unique style that I think this film did not need. There are a lot of colorful things that need not be there. Some may like this.
I also do not think Franco was given a full range to work with. That being said, I would still give him a best actor nomination, even if he would not win. It is not often that one man can carry a whole film, and he did it. He had to, and he did. I never got bored despite the very limited scenery.
This is a bit more of an artsy film and will not gain the amount of attention that other films -- "Inception" and "Social Network" -- will get. And it is not Boyle's best film, certainly. But if you have an urge to see Boyle's latest film, or one of the top films of 2010, make this a must-see.