The Will To Live

Rating: 10/10 (7 November 2010)

"127 Hours" is a film about the real life story about the triumph of a man named Aron Ralston who defying all odds was driven to freedom after spending more than five days trapped with his arm pinned between the narrow canyon wall and an unmovable boulder in a canyon in Moab, Utah. All he had with him was a blunt multipurpose pocket tool, less than a liter of water, a watch, a video camera, a camera, car keys, rope, a sparse amount of food, a harness and the undeniable will to live. The love for his parents and his determination to survive alone drove him to victory. Together award winning director Danny Boyle ("Slumdog Millionaire") and actor James Franco ("Spiderman", "Milk") have recreated this tale of determination in order to show the world the meaning of the films tagline which states, "There is no force on earth more powerful than the will to live."
Danny Boyle's cinematic masterpiece will touch and inspire everyone in one way or another. Through flawless cinematography, Boyle documents the five-day struggle of Ralston as he learns about himself and teaches the audience to never give up. Boyle teams up with writer Simon Beaufoy to produce the brilliant adaptation of Aron Ralston's book, "Between a Rock and a Hard Place" that lights the fire for James Franco's performance. Franco has the best performance of his career with his flawless, heartfelt portrayal of Aron Ralston. Franco reveals the anguish and the revelations that Ralston felt while being helplessly trapped by the power and the magnificent forces of nature. Franco's performance shined the brightest in the most powerful scene in the film. After being trapped for five days he realizes that he had no other choice than amputating his own arm with a dull blade to survive. Franco captures the pain that Ralston felt during this excruciating moment leading to his eventual rejoice and relief. Franco's humbling performance is destined for numerous excellence in acting awards and will bring him to the forefront of the Oscar race for best actor. A performance that has caused audiences to cringe and give standing ovations to what may be the best film of the year.
The film really is perfect and is not weak at all. However, since there isn't anything about the film I want to use this section to warn those with weak stomachs that in multiple showings of the film there have been people that have fainted because of the realistic self-amputation scene. Don't let this dissuade you from seeing the film, because the film is by far the best film of the year. Just be ready to look away or cover your eyes during this scene. Just follow Aron Ralston's advice, "You just have to remember that everything will be okay."
Aron Ralston grew up in the city of Denver and attended Cherry Creek High School. He was just another ordinary thrill seeker who was thrown into an extraordinary situation and the greatest challenge of his life. I recommend to see this film now immediately and as many times as you can. We all need to learn something from this story concerning the importance of priorities because when it comes down to life or death the most important things in ones life are realized. Aron Ralston exemplifies this with his emotional statement, "Mom, Dad I haven't appreciated you as I know that I could. I love you guys and I will always be with you."