127 hours
by Dante Rosario on December 20th, 2010
The Players: James Franco, Amber Tamblyn, Kate Mara, Clémence Poésy, Lizzy Caplan, Treat Williams, and Kate Burton.
The Game Plan: 127 Hours is based on the miraculous true story of mountain climber Aaron Ralston (James Franco) who gets trapped between a falling bolder and a canyon wall, while hiking in the canyons of Utah. With no means of communication, and only his traveling gear, a camera, and a pocketknife at his disposal, Aaron fights against time to survive this life-changing ordeal.
Dante’s Thoughts: I loved the documentary style of this film, the sweeping camera angles and tight close up shots really helped to give the audience a sense of the mountain terrain and also gives the film a real life feel to it. If I didn’t know James Franco was an actor going into this movie, I would have thought the footage was taken from the actual event, which was a plus for me since this film is based on a true story. James Franco does a wonderful job in one of the best acting performances of the year. The movie starts out by introducing the audience to a very independent and extremely carefree character, and as the unfortunate events of the accident unfold you see his attitude change once he realizes just how bad the situation is. As the hours and days pass Aaron starts to record his ordeal, in a last will and testimony fashion. This is where Aaron bares his soul to and documents his most important memories, both good and bad. In the end James Franco’s realistic performance made me picture myself in that same situation, and what message I would leave behind if I only had a camcorder, and even more so what I would do to survive.
Touchdowns: The documentary style puts points up on the scoreboard. It gives the film a realistic and gritty feel that makes the audience feel as though they are a part of the drama. Believe me this movie isn’t for the faint of heart. There are scenes that will make some viewers turn away, but hey…it happened. Lastly, James Franco delivers a powerful performance that drives home the realistic nature of the film, and is certainly worthy of a Golden Globe or Oscar nomination.
Penalties: The only qualms I had with the film were the drawn out scenes in the middle of the film; while it was crucial to the story for the audience to see Aaron recall the nostalgic moments of his life, that particular part of the movie went on for too long in my opinion.
The Game Winner: “127 Hours” is a powerful tale of triumph over seemingly impossible odds. The acting and camera work capture not only the amazing story, but also the strength of the mind and body needed to survive a life and death situation… When these elements come together the way they do in this film it makes for a great motion picture.
Loading ...
