127 Hours: Review

There are some movies you can watch and they pass over you like lying in a stream. Others will test your mental state and push the boundaries. Then there are those, like 127 Hours, that is not only a emotional roller coaster but a pure piece of cinematic art.

Aron Ralston is a reckless young man who escapes the rat race by going off on his bike to the beautiful canyons of Utah. He meets two girls and shows them a secret hidden lake deep in the heart of the canyon. He knows this place like a guide. He leaves them to continue his own personal adventure, not realising that his life is going to change when, while heading down another cavern, he knock a large boulder, falls and gets his right hand trapped between the walls of the cavern and the rock. With no one around and having not told anyone where he was going, Aron is alone and so begins six days in which he starts to re-evaluates his life while fighting to survive, even to the point of taking drastic matters.

Very few movies have you completely captivated by the plight of a single character but for most of the 95 running time, we are alone with Ralston, watching this man full of life, who laughed while falling head first off his mountain bike, slowly going insane while fighting for his life, and it is the brilliance of both director Danny Boyle and an extraordinary performance from James Franco.

Franco is amazing, showing the full depth and range of a man who, if anyone else were in his situation, would probably just give up. He doesn't and we get to see every agonising moment, watching him realise that family is important as well as his own importance on this earth. It is an incredible performance and one that will not be forgotten in a long time.

Danny Boyle's film is a visual treat. He doesn't just stay with Aron's plight, he takes us on a journey through a man's consciousness, using every trick in the book. It works magnificently. From split screen to quick zooming to seeing things from the video camera that Ralston uses to leave messages to his family, Boyle keeps the film moving.

The editing is crisp and sharp, the colours and use of the scenery is stunning. If you thought that Boyle couldn't manage to better Slumdog Millionaire, he has.

This is a film that will stay with you for a long time after you view it. And as for that 'infamous' scene you might have heard about. Yes, it is very grisy but don't let it put you off. This is an triumph in the art of cinema, and a triumph of the human condition. Run to see it.