127 Hours

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)

Yeah, Boyle and Franco probably did the best they could under the circumstances, but the fears I had before the screening turned out to be true: the premise is good for an autobiography, but not for a feature film. To allow the camera to leave that unfortunate wedged guy at least for a while, the script includes flashbacks and hallucinations that are pretty annoying and pathetic, though I understand the dramatic reasons behind them. But, considering the possibilities the creators had, the film is very brisk and energetic and Boyle again shows his strength: the blend of music and images. The ending (when the “action” is behind) managed to arouse some emotions. However, I still have mixed feelings about 127 Hours and I would love it if next time Danny chose more story-rich material. 7/10 (02/07/2011)

I didn't waver for a minute over any rating other than 5 stars. James Franco played his role perfectly, movingly, and naturally. My hand ached for him from the beginning and my heart was pounding until the end. The imaginative and, most importantly, original ending only made me believe that this film is 100%. (06/02/2011)

Desire for adventure, desire for solitude, desire to live. Danny Boyle translates a relatively trivial story into a highly personal level, where no hallucination is purposeless and no flashback empty. With the breathtaking James Franco and a visual that never rests, 127 Hours becomes a magnificent spiritual cleansing and also the most intimate story. It is simply a difficult task that passed with flying colours and made me, despite the inconspicuous warning, desire to rush somewhere headlong, making it perhaps the biggest surprise of the season. (01/11/2011)