127 Hours is tells the true story of Aron Ralston, a mountain climber who had an unfortunate fall, where a rock fell onto his right arm, trapping him. (for those who don’t know the story there is a spoiler following, highlight to read) [spoiler]In the end he had to cut of his own arm to survive.[/spoiler]
Even if you do know the story, is this film is worth watching? Do you really want to be stuck in one place for almost an entire movie, like we’ve seen in Buried?
It takes a while before Ralston ends up in the unfortunate situation. It was a criticism I had about Buried as that movie didn’t give any insight into the person you are watching. By showing a bit of the way Ralston is living you have a stronger connection with him. You have an idea about his way of life and why he decides to go into the wilderness alone.
James Franco plays the role of Aron Ralston. He depicts him as a free spirit who is looking forward to challenges and enjoys his life. Luckily Franco has enough charisma to keep the movie interesting. Of course he’s not the only one responsible for it. Danny Boyle (well-known for Slumdog Millionaire and Trainspotting) knows how to tell the story in an interesting way. There is a bit in the movie that reminded me a lot of a scene in Lord of the Rings where Gollum is talking to himself, it was very funny and added some humor in this otherwise very serious story.
The fact that you already know the story doesn’t distract from the movie, it just adds to it. As a viewer you know which inevitable choice needs to be made if he wants to free himself. It made interesting to see what was going though Ralston’s mind before he made that decision. This film manages to show this process in a much more interesting and convincing way than Buried did, also because you know that it is based on a real story. 127 Hours is a movie you shouldn’t miss, go see it.
Score: 9
I absolutely agree that it is a must-see. The fact that it is one man stuck in a canyon for 90 min doesn’t matter at all. I’ve also heard great things about Buried, but haven’t seen it.
Boyle’s attention to detail is also spot-on. We recently bought the book (my wife is reading it first). Looking at the pictures in the centre, James Franco looks exactly right. The cap, the headphones, the headtorch, the T-shirt; everything is identical! Of course Danny Boyle’s directing style makes it even more dramatic.
Nice to hear you also liked it. Haven’t seen too much about Ralston, but am not surprised for the details they copied. Will check out your blog.
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