James Franco's Best Performance

Rating: 9/10 (21 August 2011)

Movies that are anchored in a single location (in this case, a canyon in Utah) appeal to me. I love the idea that movies of this nature rely on the talent of the performer and not so much on action, special effects, etc. Celebrated filmmaker Danny Boyle adapts the true life story of adventurous outdoorsman Aron Ralston. Ralston has been quoted in regards to the accuracy of the film as saying it's as close as you can get to a documentary while still being a narrative film. Ralston is known for a disastrous adventure into the canyons of Utah in which he was doing some hiking and, after a nasty fall, found himself trapped with a boulder pinning his arm to the canyon wall. For the following couple of days, Ralston documented his experience with his small video camera and survived on what little food he'd brought and a dwindling water supply. The end of the film has become famous for the extreme lengths Ralston had gone to to free himself from the canyon. I'm sure everyone knows how the film ends by this point, but in the event that someone reading this is oblivious, I'll avoid mentioning it. Needless to say, it's pretty painful to watch.
Before 127 HOURS, I'd only known actor James Franco as Harry Osborn from Sam Raimi's SPIDER-MAN trilogy and a spaced-out pot dealer in PINEAPPLE EXPRESS. I was more than a little skeptical that Franco, who I hadn't seen in any serious sort of role, could pull off carrying a dramatic picture by himself. But I suppose I should've given director Danny Boyle the benefit of the doubt that he knew what he was doing. Franco does a great job. He's a talented man, and his work in 127 HOURS proves it. Over the course of Ralston's time trapped in the canyon, Franco runs the gamut from determined and hopeful to ready for the inevitable and he does such a fine job that he brings the audience along with him. Ralston's constant updates into his camcorder give us some insight into what he's going through, seeing as how he has no one to talk to. Franco is powerful as he reaches out to his parents whom he knows won't receive his message until after he's found (most likely too late). He reminisces back to mistakes he's made and moments he regrets, his entrapment giving him a new view on life.
Now yes, Danny Boyle is a great director but I know what's most likely to be the bigger selling point for the film is the final act in which Ralston gets down to business when he realizes what he's going to need to do to survive his predicament. Even those who've been desensitized to violence might have a hard time not flinching. It's not overdone and a lot of it is done off screen, but it's done incredibly well and has the audience grimacing. Keep in mind, this even doesn't happen until the last 10-15 minutes of the movie. So if it's your sole reason for inquiring into the film, you'll want to get comfortable and settle in for one of the best movies of 2010 in the meantime.