A Reel Review: 127 HOURS

SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE director Danny Boyle returns to the big screen by way of shedding the zany glitz and glam for a near one-man show in 127 HOURS; a harrowing yet uplifting tale of survival and human spirit that is an emotional and squeamish ride with enough lessons to fill a college textbook.

Aron Ralston (James Franco) sets out by himself in the canyons of Utah for some outdoor isolation. After helping and bonding with some lost hikers (Kate Mara and Amber Tamblyn), he falls into a crevice and has his arm pinned against the cave wall by a boulder. For five days, Aron endures a nightmare of isolation, pain, hallucinations and life-long regret before finally resorting to cutting off his arm with a dull blade to escape.

Aron is a walking contradiction of a man; he is a lover of life but wants to do it alone. He hikes alone, he bikes alone, he doesn’t return calls from mom. The strength of 127 HOURS lies in Aron’s character arc, as he realizes, after being trapped for 5 days with little food or water, that he is there because of his own doing. It is a psychological roller-coaster that he endures, as he has visions of his past leading to his predicament. The ordeal is nightmarish and fascinating to watch.

Boyle’s fearless direction is the second strength of 127 HOURS. Boyle gets us right into the head of Aron; using Franco’s tremendous acting and facial expression, along with some intimate camera work and sound design that makes the viewer squirm. Aron has with him a video camera, and he records his emotional goodbyes to his family as he assumes he is about to meet his death. The usage of the video camera is genius and an important plot device that adds great depth and interest.

And squirm the viewer will during the amputation scene. The effectiveness is not so much in the gore as it is in the buildup before and the sharp editing during. A particularly painful part (when he severs his own nerve) is brought to life by very effective guitar-feedback sounds that go right through the screen and into the viewers gut.

James Franco is absolutely stupendous in 127 HOURS. Pain, despair, regret…it is all convincing on his face in every moment. A performance of a lifetime indeed.

127 HOURS carries many lessons. Not so much in the vein of don’t-go-hiking-alone as much as be-careful-what-you-wish-for and life-is-made-up-of-your-own-choices. Aron commits the sin of isolation and anti-social behavior, and he pays for it. 127 HOURS is a hard film to sit through, but the rousing finale is worth the ride. 127 HOURS is a very important and special film.

BOTTOM LINE: See it