127 Hours

Just in case you were ever wondering how painful it would be to cut off your arm with a dull knife, it seems that it would hurt. 127 Hours is the true story of Aron Ralston, who found himself trapped in a canyon beneath a large rock for the titular amount of time. He then fights dehydration, starvation and insanity while enduring failed attempts to escape. There are a number of dreams and hallucinations to break the monotony, but they tend to be static, however, and act as dead story lines with no explanation or resolution. They prove to be the outlet for director Danny Boyle to create contemporary images and add a bit of new age flair to the film, which complements the nature-driven setting well.

With only brief glimpses at other actors, the pressure is on for James Franco to deliver. A weak performance sinks the film, but luckily he steps up. The pre-trapped performance is fairly unimpressive with Franco more or less playing a much healthier and active version of his character in Pineapple Express. Or a more likely comparison being that he plays himself. Then once he is trapped in the rock, he evolves with the stresses and pains he experiences. Ultimately, after running out of water and facing the fact that no one will find him, Franco delivers his best moments. They combine the comedic imbalance he’s used to with an edge of terror and defeatism. His best performance since Spider-Man! I’m kidding, it’s actually much better in 127 Hours, but I do love Spider-Man.

The second half of the movie is very draining to watch. While Franco is to be admired for how he sells the part, there is no calm for the audience. Then the amputation scene is absolutely cringe worthy. Since seeing the film a few das ago, I have repeatedly thought back to it and I can’t believe how real and uncomfortable it is to watch. So, essentially it is a very successful scene. But then the lack of resolution after his rescue is disappointing. The audience learns what ultimately happens to Ralston but not the events after escaping. After putting up with misery for an hour, I want some comforting proceedings. But the relief is very rare. I wish it wasn’t a true story. (8.2 out of 10)