127 Heures

A hiking and climbing trip in the mountains of Utah goes wrong for rock-climber Aron Ralston (James Franco) as a loose boulder falls and crushes his arm against the rock wall. Equipped with a half-empty bottle of water, a digital camera, some rope and a (very) dull blade, Ralston must take stock of the situation and figure out a way to escape.

The film is tight, pacey and not nearly as boring as it could have been in the hands of a more literal director. Danny Boyle and co. infuse every scene with energy, wowing viewers with panoramic cinematography and drilling the hard truths home when the time comes.

Ralston gets his arm trapped a mere 15 minutes in and from then on it's Man vs. Rock. Boyle brings his distinctive brand of energy to the potentially static set-up, with an unpredictable and often inspired soundtrack and the surreal tangents so successfully employed in his early classic, 'Trainspotting'. Though Ralston himself may not move, his mind wanders through old memories and viewers are transported with him.

Boyle has a talent for finding the life-affirming elements hidden deep within grim situations and '127 Hours' is nothing if not an exercise in hope and determination. Franco tracks Ralston's fight over the days with a sense of realism that brings the climber's plight into sharp focus, ensuring that there is much more to this film than limb-hacking.

The premise is handled well and the cast and crew know the strengths of the story; the scenery is beautiful and the human elements are as familiar as they are sad, brave and ultimately liberating. When the time comes, having accompanied Ralston through his trials and setbacks, you will be there with him when the helicopter lands.

The story of Aron Ralston is documented in this intense drama. It's the true story of Ralston who found himself stuck in a cave in Utah with his arm pinned under a bolder. I knew much of the story before I watched this film and honestly was a bit queezy as to what might be shown. I'm the sort who does not do well seeing blood and guts and watching this movie was a true test for me. If you are the type of person who gets queezy over stuff like this, I must say view with caution. If you can stomach watching this film, however, you will witness an incredible true story that you will never forget.

James Franco is really good in this film. Ralston himself has said the film is very true to what actually happened. It is quite a predicament that he is in and all the thoughts that go through his mind are ones that most would contemplate. What Ralston does to survive this ordeal is unbelievable and something that many if not most people could not force themselves to do. Rating 7 of 10 starts.

I came into this movie with high expectations. Danny Boyle, who brought us 28 DAYS LATER and SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE had a lot to live up to with the quality of prior movies, and he did not disappoint. He brought the challenge of creating an interesting movie based on our main character being immobile to life, and captivating it was. Being stuck with our main character the entire duration of the film was anything but tedious, as we follow the thoughts of canyoneer Aron Ralston (James Franco) as he gets trapped under a rock while exploring the beautiful sights of Utah. The camera does a fabulous job taking us everywhere a wandering mind might migrate in a situation such as this.

The human connection element was most fascinating, as we wonder what we would do if placed in a similar situation. We are really "with" Ralston on his journey, as we see him discover a reason to live and how his life perspective changes, not just how to get free from his predicament. The film manages to stay optimistic and warming, despite the frustration and angst felt by Ralston and viewers. And we certainly thank Boyle for some of the lighter moments that temper the severity of the situation.

The film does not shy away from tough choices and certainly keeps it "real" during the entire run, especially during the critical climax scene. Despite being stuck in place the movie is fascinating at the pace with which it moves and keeps the audience's attention from start to finish. So while Ralston loves living on the edge, we see Boyle create this movie in a similar fashion, metaphorically speaking, as the intensity and gripping nature of Ralston's circumstances comes alive and sucks us in.

In the movie Aron Ralston sets off on a typical weekend excursion being outdoors and with nature. During his journey he befriends a couple of female hikers who are somewhat lost and looking to get back on their way. He shows them the ropes of the canyons and they set off home. Little do they know that their friend will need their help just moments later. Becoming trapped under a rock, Ralston now is faced with the challenge of keeping himself alive while trying to break loose from the rock's firm grasp. As Aron works on a solution, we see him wonder about the party he's been invited to just hours earlier, think about how his has ignored his family, wonder about where he left his Gatorade, which would keep him hydrated longer, do a live interview featuring himself on camera, and drink his own urine.

I think the part of the movie that moved me the most actually occurred after the climax, where we see Ralston, broken, desperate, and willing to end his lone-wolf mentality for good. The emotions felt during the last 5 minutes signify human triumph, perseverance, and the power of the human spirit. Incredible movie, a definite must-see 9/10 stars

There are two things that could or might work against this film. The first thing is that this is the first film from Danny Boyle since the runaway success of Slumdog – so he is a "big" director now and accordingly the posters for this are everywhere and awards are being muted, the star of Pineapple Express is in the lead and audiences are making it their Saturday night choice. The second of them is the plot in which essentially a rather arrogant and spoilt character gets himself into trouble and gets out of it by learning a "lesson" about the error of his ways. This plot could easily be on the Hallmark channel daytime schedule right now complete with corny "I'm learning to be better" music and warm, safe colours everywhere.

The problem with the first thing is that, while these things are true, 127 Hours is essentially an independent movie, not a massive blockbuster and it is the sort of smaller fare that critics love and audiences discover – it isn't the film I expect to be on every other bus shelter. So, while it is really good that he made the decision to do a project he wanted to do rather than cashing in with the "big" Hollywood movie, it may lead some to expect something that the film never pretends to be. Having said that though, in regards the second challenge, thank God that this is a Danny Boyle film and not something picked up by the TV networks or less imaginative director, because this could have been corny, obvious, sentimental and cloying. In fact, Boyle appears to be working against that as much as humanly possible.

We have very little time in the film before our character is alone, down a hole and trapped alone. Most of us will know where it is going and the question is how will the next 80 minutes be filled? The content of the film is indeed the character beating himself up a bit over who he is, struggling with hallucinations and become more and more fevered until he decides that he has to do what he has to do. It is really well scripted though and Boyle really delivers in terms of putting it on the screen. I thought the idea of "self-revelation flashbacks" sounded cheap and obvious as a device, but Boyle does it really well, making them partially remembered, flashes and even when our character is "in" them, he is still "in" his current predicament – hard to explain perhaps but it worked much better than a complete scene as a flashback. The one problem that his direction does cause is that I never felt trapped with Aron, because the camera was moving out and around so much – I know they shot it in deliberately confined setting but this didn't really come through. That said, I think that this loss is a price worth paying because it does visually engage and these flourishes and style adds more than it detracts. The soundtrack is odd a times but mostly works really well.

Franco is key and this did worry me since Bole says he cast him after seeing how excellent he was in Pineapple Express – a sentiment I really don't agree with, although I though he was likable in a story that was not so likable. Here he is really, really good. He has to do a lot of thinking on his face and he makes this work while also letting his character change over the course of the ordeal. Perhaps we don't get his full character but in terms of the film the performance was really engaging and convincing.

Overall 127 Hours is not the big Saturday night drama that it is billed as, it is an indie film that is very contained and not an easy sell if we're honest. However, it is also a very good film with Boyle really making it his own to the benefit of the material, avoiding the traps of sentiment that so many would have fallen into and producing an engaging situation while Franco matches him with a strong performance that easily holds the attention.

I happen to love Danny Boyle ever since Renton took a dive in Scotlands most disgusting toilet. He is unique, along with partner in crime Alec Garland. BUT 127 Hours is still a survival story, not Trainspotting. And seeing it again, I feel Boyle uses way too much visual effects. We GET it, Aron is losing his mind, he is indeed stuck between a rock and a hard place. But I got tired by the ongoing, neverending "Boyle trips" when Aron was hallusinating. It's not a bad movie at all, but people giving it 9 or 10/10....well, it's a personal thing, but those grades are ment for 1 of 100 movies. And I for one feel that the story is more fitting as a Discovery documentary than a flashy, trippy Danny Boyle experience.