127 Hours (2010)

Directed by Danny Boyle

Starring James Franco

 

 

127 Hours shows the true life story of a man whose arm gets trapped by a boulder while exploring some canyons and is stuck and the only way out is to take some extreme measures. James Franco plays the real life Aron Ralston in the film and comes across quite well. I prefer him to be in some stupid comedy where he doesn’t need to try but in this he fairs well.

The thing with the film is that everyone is waiting for that scene when he gets free and when it arrives it is pretty gruesome. People who are not a fan of blood might want to stay away from this film.

There are a few things that really make this film for me though. The hallucinations that occur while Aron is stuck are fantastic. He starts going through all the main moments in his life that meant a lot to him from being with his girlfriend to remembering watching the sunset with his dad. The morning talk show routine that he does to his camera is brilliant and adds some light humour to a horrible situation. Also when he is running out of liquid and the thirst really kicks in the montage of all the soft drinks is a nice little sequence and makes you feel what he is feeling. The real Aron Ralston has said that he did record a video diary while trapped.

What also really makes this film is the stunning scenery, thanks to the camera work, of the Moab National Parks and the films soundtrack. The stunning colours and rock formations give you a differing sense of feelings. On the outside everything is fantastic looking with bright colours however on the inside it is a different story.

I really enjoyed this film and I would recommend anyone who is not worried about a bit of blood to see this. You really get brought into the situation due to the documentary feel behind it. Danny Boyle is one of those directors who make visually great looking films, like 28 Days Later and 127 Hours does not disappoint on that front. 

 

Film Fact

Aron Ralston filmed a daily video diary while he was stuck in the canyon; the footage has only been shown to close friends and family and is kept in a bank vault for safety. Before shooting began both James Franco and director Danny Boyle were allowed to view the footage in order to accurately portray the events in the movie.