Every Second Counts

Rating: 8/10 (16 November 2010)

127 HOURS is the true story of mountain climber Aron Ralston's remarkable adventure to save himself after a fallen boulder crashes on his arm and traps him in an isolate canyon in Utah. (Fox Searchlight)
127 HOURS may seem like a mix of SAW and BURIED, the latter which was recently released to theaters, but, honestly, I have to say that it's more gut wrenching than SAW and more emotionally draining than BURIED, although I'm not trying to say both of those films are bad. It just puts you right into a harrowing situation and never lets you go until the end, but you'll be glad you stayed through. As much as it is a hard film to sit through, the film is mainly about hope and the will to survive, which I like because I'm not a pessimistic person.
James Franco gives the performance of his career and carries the film really well on his shoulders, which is a good thing considering we're with him for the rest of the film. Although Kate Mara and Amber Tamblyn, two lovely actresses, have short roles in the film, it's always nice to see them. The editing plays a huge role in the film as well. It has a similar eccentric visual style like director Danny Boyle's previous film, SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE.
Overall, Danny Boyle does it once again, proving everybody that he's one of the few fantastic directors out there working in the film industry, along with Christopher Nolan and Quentin Tarantino. Franco gives a terrific performance and the film is both gripping and emotional until the very end.