A mixture of true-life horror, endeavor and salvation, and just excellent.

Rating: 8/10 (14 September 2015)

IF YOU KNOW THE BASIC STORY, THEN THE SPOILER IS OBVIOUS AND THIS REVIEW WON'T AFFECT YOUR VIEWING.
This is the story of how Aron Ralston survived five days trapped in a remote Utah canyon, one arm pinned under a tumbled boulder. Great craft is shown here, both in engaging the audience's interest and holding onto it for two hours. It succeeds, not least because of James Franco's performance as the happy-go-lucky adventurer whose world view is profoundly changed by his experience – facing, he believed, certain death but without loosing his cool, then being 'reborn' when he managed to cut through his own right arm and survived.
I'm not a particular fan of Danny Boyle, but this is a case of the director, story and casting being perfectly matched (including the real Aron Ralston being on set throughout filming, advising Boyle and Franco on how things should be portrayed). The severing of the arm is show very graphically – one knows it is a studio prop he's cutting through, but it is still gut-wrenching to watch, yet one can't imagine the tale being as effectively any other way.
The only major departure from true events is when Ralston goes swimming in a hidden canyon lake with two girls whom he happens to meet on the trail. In reality they simply passed by, but Boyle extrapolated from this occurrence to illustrate the self-centered and hedonistic existence Ralston lived before his accident. Ralston approved of the final cut, saying that it was as close to the truth as anything made for commercial release could be.
The lessons from the film are simple ones – the value of human relationships, and that if you're off somewhere remote, tell someone where you're going! Ralston now earns a living as a motivational speaker, but still spend all the time he can climbing mountains and going on other adventures. I walk in the hills occasionally, always alone, so this film touched a chord. Plus it involves rocks! As a geology buff, this always gives something a bit of extra cudos. Well done Danny.