An audio-visual representation of genuine human emotion

Rating: 10/10 (9 February 2011)

It has only been about an hour since I saw this film and I still can't come up with the right words to articulate this overwhelming feeling. Ripping it down to its rawest form presents a very simple story about a man, Aron Ralston, who faces death in doing what he likes the most, canyoneering. This is a film that doesn't rely solely on how the film concludes. Instead, the point is embedded in the longevity of the story in the film itself. It is the experience of getting stuck in what may seem to be just a crack in the middle of a canyon, wherein human emotion in its truest form can still be felt by the audience, that I saw its significance and its relevance. This is a very unlikely plot to generate an experience that represents raw emotions, yet nothing short in authenticity.
Putting the plot in the context of filmmaking, there are just too many aspects in this film that are very well put together for me to dissect and criticize. Everything was placed in the right place at the right time. The utilization as well as the style of editing, cinematography, sound editing, sound mixing and musical scoring all worked harmoniously in the audio-visual representation of the story.
127 Hours is one of those films where one actor will have to carry the whole film to either its success or its demise. Fortunately, actor James Franco has gone a long way in his acting career by making the right decisions or else, he might not have made it to Aron Ralston's place, stuck in that deep gorge. The true-to-life story adapted in Danny Boyle and Simon Beaufoy's screenplay requires a young character who is extreme and strong-hearted especially during difficult times, yet has his deep relationships with the people around him as both his weakness and his strength. This complicated, yet true of a character, I could not have imagined being portrayed by any other actor.
This symphony by Danny Boyle has once again proved himself to be a visionary filmmaker contributing to my world a picture worth consuming.