94 minutes of impressive film making

Rating: 7/10 (29 January 2012)

127 Hours is the the true story of an extremist mountain climber Aron Ralston and his remarkable adventure to save himself after a fallen boulder crashes on his arm and traps him in an isolated canyon in Utah.
The fact that this movie was based on a true story, makes an audience feel slightly unnerved and uneasy right from the offset, as you already know how the movie ends.
James Franco's performance as Aron is nothing less than astounding. He as an actor not only delivers a realistic performance, but as the story continues he delves deep into the character, and brings this fascinating story to life on the big screen. As an audience you feel the pain and frustration Aron does. You sympathise with the character easily, as he struggles to gain control of the situation he has found himself in. James Franco should be highly commended for captivating an audience for an entire film, which can be described as a one man show. It's only at the very beginning and end of the narrative that you see him truly engage with any other characters. I would describe Franco's performance as flawless. Trapped by a boulder, his performance relies in that of his facial expressions. His expressions change so easily, he goes from desperation to comedy to a primitive will to survive in an instant.
What also makes this film so successful, is the fact that it is done in the hands of Danny Boyle, a highly commendable director. Boyle's direction is energetic and exciting. Even when the film becomes grounded in the narrow canyon where Aron is trapped, Boyle still manages to keep things interesting. Boyle and his co-writers introduce flashbacks and hallucinations, which bring heart-breaking effects. Included is the premonition that drives Aron into finally amputating his arm.
What I was also impressed by in this film was the cinematography which was used. The landscape in itself was breathtaking and the camera angles used show just how vast the canyon is. Then when you get to the confined space when Aron is trapped, they use every camera angle possible, often bringing the audience very close to the action.
At the end of the day many people may see this as a film about a mountain climber who gets stuck under a boulder and has to cut his arm off, but it is so much more than that. It personifies a man overcoming physical and emotional strains of an extraordinary situation. Above all it can be seen as a celebration of the human spirit and their will to live. The composition between dark humour, vast and confined spaces, varied editing techniques and Franco's diverse use of facial expressions, make for a well executed piece of filmmaking. Even though as an audience you know how its going to end, it is still very captivating right from the start.