127 Hours

After some time, I’m increasing my rating to a “subjective” five stars, because it’s exactly my cup of tea. Danny Boyle once again proves his originality and ability to engagingly tell any story through audiovisual orgies. In an intimate drama with a single character, he doesn’t shy away from strong camera filters, fastforward scenes, split screens or jumping from one flashback to another. These tricks might seem out of place and irritating in a different film of this genre, but they make 127 Hours a fast-paced, riveting story that is never boring while also never straying from the sharp focus on the psychological state of the main character. It is an excellent, almost extraordinary film that made me cry with happiness at the end. (06/08/2011)

This is Touching the Void in a more cinematic, but less emotional package. Boyle cuts back on the poignant sequences and instead serves up a minimalist tale of one self-centered fop for whom a smaller rock was waiting to show him that ego isn't everything. The cinematography, music, editing, and especially the acting are incredibly captivating for the entire ninety minutes, even if all of this can be summed up in a single sentence. Maybe this is how you recognize good filmmaking, and maybe this is what works better than all the sad sights from the slums. But then again, it doesn't collect gold-plated statuettes. (01/10/2011)

This is not a movie about a guy who got his hand trapped by a boulder, it's a much deeper exploration of a person, and Boyle primarily shows that even though we're now dominated by technology, we still are capable of… we are more than that. The way it shows this is, to put it simply, technocratic. You want an example? Cram a small camera into a bottle of water and film someone (James Franco) drinking it. Even the Ralston character gravitates towards technology, the footage we see in the trailers, the way he takes pictures of everything and everywhere (although the last photo shows us the incredible shift that Aron’s character undergoes over the course of the movie), which contrasts nicely with his love of nature. Two worlds clash here in this unique struggle for survival. SPOILER ALERT: But honestly... what were the chances that something like this could happen and the protagonist would survive, with his arm hacked off, and write a book about it? Speaking of cutting off arms, that's one of the most intense scenes (this year/last year) in recent times. A nerve is a particularly sensitive issue. Which reminds me, don't take your gentler half to this movie, one lady fled from the cinema just the protagonist ran out of water and started drinking his urine. Franco, by the way, deserved that Oscar nomination (I wish he'd won it; it would probably have been the first time ever that the host won) he deserved it like few others, without his performance, the entire movie would have failed. Ralston is a bad-ass dude who "can do everything on his own", and while that plays an important role in his ability to escape, it's also about his inner transformation, which Franco pulls off so naturally that you might not even notice. And beware, you won't feel sorry for him, absolutely not, but maybe some of you, like me, will imagine yourself in his place. P.S: That exact multi-tool knife is lying on my desk at home. Oops. (02/03/2011)

After the third screening, it's clear to me: this film has matured and offers much more than a first superficial viewing might suggest. What hightlights it above all is its playfulness. It’s packed with so many directorial ideas and visual tricks, visual and sound games (functional flashbacks, image splitting, refreshingly chosen music) that watching its atypical narrative is a joy – this despite the slightly morbid climax. James Franco is a great actor in this film, and Danny Boyle is a genius. (08/14/2011)

Ninety-four minutes of film... And I wasn't bored with a single one. I read the book in one sitting, so I was "just" waiting to see how Danny Boyle would handle it. I have to say, he did a great job. It's not clear to me why the plot deviated so much from the book and Ralston's real story in the beginning of the film (the swimming with a couple of girls is a purely cinematic, completely unnecessary addition and also the only minus), but everything that came after that was sensational, believable thanks to Franco and constantly imaginative thanks to Boyle (you wouldn't believe how many possibilities there are to place the camera in such a narrow canyon). The film looks amazing, features an impeccable soundtrack and won't get out of my head any time soon. (04/21/2012)