127 Hours

 

101 Ways to Win an Oscar

The Films That Tick All The Boxes

(2010)

Dir: Danny Boyle

 

“And that’s why … you always leave a note.”

Ah, the famous words of J. Walter Weatherman. George Bluth would be proud of Danny Boyle for this movie. If none of what I’ve should said made any sense to you, then shame on you for not watching Arrested Development. Anyhow, that sentiment really does summarise 127 Hours nicely. It’s impossible to spoil anything about Danny Boyle’s follow-up to the phenomenally successful Slumdog Millionaire, since the story of real-life adrenaline junkie Aron Ralston was already fairly well-known thanks to his book, and Boyle and co. went around telling everyone about it anyway.

Ralston, played by James Franco, goes cayoneering alone near Moab, Utah, without leaving that all important note. Of course, disaster strikes, and the adventurer soon finds himself trapped under a boulder for … can you guess how long for?

It’s a Danny Boyle film, so despite the rather unappealing synopsis of a man on his own in a cave for a few days, it’s probably one of the most lively and energetic pieces of cinema you’re likely to see all year. With a cracking score from Slumdog collaborator A. R. Rahman, and camera shots quicker than a Humming Bird in mating season, this film, to use a terrible cliché, certainly doesn’t feel like 127 hours. Thank you, thank you. I’ll be here all week. It doesn’t even feel like the already slender 94 minutes it clocks in at, which is a credit to both Boyle’s jazzy direction and Franco’s engaging performance as what could potentially have been an irksome and alienating character. Despite his gung-ho approach at the start of the film, Franco’s portrayal of Ralston’s emotional breakdown and breakthrough is very convincing, although his ‘Chat Show’ segment feels a bit contrived.

Obviously the thing that most people have been talking about concerning 127 Hours is just how the devil does Mr. Ralston escape from under that pesky boulder.

 

Raise your hand if you liked this film?

 

Let’s just say the person I was watching it with said he had his eyes closed the entire time. Not me though. Far too manly for that.

127 Hours isn’t near the level of Boyle’s best work, such as Slumdog, 28 Days Later and Trainspotting, but it is above such pieces as The Beach and Sunshine. It’s an interesting look at what a truly talented master of his craft can do with such minimal story and setting. The only problem is, if you’ve ever been at home on a Sunday afternoon and turned on ITV, you may have seen some of their great survival programmes about people being stranded at sea or attacked by a rabid badger. I can’t help but feel that while good, 127 Hours is essentially one of those programmes with a handsome lead, cracking soundtrack, and Danny Boyle at the helm.

*** ½ / *****