127 Hours - Review

Danny Boyle says that 127 Hours is 'an action film, where the main character can't move' and he is right. During the course of 127 Hours the main character, Aron Ralston is stuck, with one arm beneath a rock and no where to go. Yet somehow, this inspirational story remains captivating and interesting throughout the 90 odd minutes of the film and remains surprising. James Franco plays Ralston, the only character with substantial air time, and he plays it perfectly. 127 Hours searches the mind and ability of Ralston and puts him under the microscope for all to see, and all to enjoy.

An adventure loving explorer, Aron Ralston (Franco) goes on a weekend hike throughout the Canyonlands National Park, an area he professes to know well. Ralston doesn't tell anybody where he is going or for how long. He meets a couple of fellow hikers (Amber Tamblyn and Kate Mara) and agrees to meeting them later on for a party. Ralston heads off in a different direction to the hikers and heads towards Blue John Canyon and slips while making a descent, leading to a rock pinning his right arm. Ralston stays trapped under the rock while he reviews his life, his mistakes, particularly those with his family and former lover (Clemence Poesy), before attempting to make a daring escape from the rock.

Based on the book Between a Rock and a Hard Place by Aron Ralston, 127 Hours is a triumph of cinematic bravado. Danny Boyle somehow manages to make it fresh and interesting, despite having to cover a man stuck under a rock for an hour of the film. The basic outlines of the plot allow Boyle to become aggressive with his direction and it pays off. James Franco is terrific as the lead, sweeping me up into his world with humour, grace and skill. Yes, the amputation scene is quite gory, so if you have a weak stomach, it may pay to stay clear of that scene. The final act, beginning with that scene is brilliant and satisfying, including brilliant makeup effects on Franco. An inspiring picture that teaches as much about the human mind and the psychological effects of being trapped as it does about the actual act in place.

Four out of Five.