“127 Hours”: Time Well Spent

We’ll be seeing James Franco on the Best Actor Nominee list for his performance in “127 Hours”, produced by the gang that brought you last years Best Picture, “Slumdog Millionaire”. Director Danny Boyle describes this movie as an “action film about a guy who can’t move”. It’s the real life story of Aron Ralston, a free spirited, outdoor adventurer who became trapped in a narrow Utah canyon by a fallen boulder that crushes his arm, eventually requiring him to amputate his arm with a dull knife. I know it sounds like “Saw 6: Take a Hike”, but this is a remarkable film, It keeps us engaged as Boyle uses fantastic cinematography, flashbacks, hallucinatory moments, and Franco’s best performance to date. The real Aron Ralston used his video camera to capture his thoughts through the six day ordeal and this provides a great cinematic tool for Boyle and Franco. The soundtrack is by Oscar winner A.R. Rahman (Slumdog Millionaire) and it’s spot on throughout the film. You may close your eyes for a few moments during the very believable amputation scene, but “127 Hours” is definitely an eye opening experience.

Rated R. I give it a 3.8 GPA