127 Hours
Adrenaline junkies are among the most odd type of people, those who take their lives in their own hands (and sometimes lose it) all for the sake of a rather ridiculous, unnecessary thrill. Oftentimes movies about such characters can be a bit obnoxious, but this 2010 release by director Danny Boyle is nearly an exception. James Franco stars as Aron Ralston, an outdoor enthusiast and mountain climber who decides to spend a weekend in the canyons and desert of Utah. At first things are going along swimmingly (literally), as he meets a couple of hot chicks (one of whom may be attracted to him) and guides them around a bit before they go their separate ways. Then, while climbing through a crevice, he slips and falls in, and worse, has a large rock go with him that crushes his hand and pins him to the cave wall, unable to escape. Thus begins the main portion of the movie, as Franco has to carry the show for nearly 90 minutes as he alternately panics, tries to figure out a way to escape, and relies on his dwindling supply of food and water. For the record, Franco does remarkably well to keep the viewersâ attention during his plight, using facial expressions, tones of voice, and even breathing patterns to show his characterâs progression in this one desolate place. Director Boyle also brings his style to the forefront as he uses kinetic editing to show his main character drifting in and out of the outer reaches of sanity, as Aron comes to rely on his own memories and hallucinations to keep himself occupied, all while recording his own personal video diary with his camcorder in case he doesnât make it and wants people to know his story Blair Witch style. For the most part, these techniques work, save for one point when Aron starts talking to himself as if he were a guest on his own talk show, which unfortunately breaks the filmâs considerable tension and worse, allows Franco to do some of his trademark lighthearted mugging for the viewer. Moreso, if this sequence had been shelved and the film had maintained a darker tone throughout, it would have made the (predictable) ending come off as more emotional instead of the diluted effect we ultimately get. Admittedly the pacing is pretty good given the premise, even though a number of âclose callsâ of him possibly being rescued (including a dream sequence apparently) come off as being a bit manipulative. Eventually, it comes down to one gruesome decision: In order to escape, Aron realizes that he is going to have to literally hack off his trapped arm, and the anguish and agony that Franco brings to this part of the movie is quite astounding. Overall, a very good lead performance and tight directing help make this quite an inspiring story of one manâs survival (and stupidity)âŚ
8/10