127 Hours (2010)

Movie quotes:
"Did I say the weather is great? Well, it is. Though flash floods potential is still present. There's four-prong major canyons upstream from me that all converge in this 3 foot wide gap where I am. The rock I pulled down on top of me, it was put there by flood. Still, I'd get a drink."
- Aron Ralston

At a glance:
The versatile Danny Boyle tries his hand at filming a one-man story of survival, featuring an entertaining performance by James Franco

Our review (with spoilers):
Aron Ralston (James Franco) is an outdoor adventurer (you know, mountain biker, climber, canyoner, and general risk taker) who lives life for the rush of experience and sees little need to maintain relationships. It’s not that he’s a bad person – he just doesn’t see the value of parents or girlfriends or mates. So when his right arm is pinned benath a boulder while he is canyoning in a remote area, no one knows he is there. He spends the next 127 hours trapped, reflecting on life, and trying to use his ingenuity and limited on-hand tools to free himself.

Danny Boyle stamps the film with his inimitable style, but still allows the story to stand for itself. James Franco delivers an impressive performance. There’s some traction to be gained because this is based on a true story, but it feels too slick and well-lit to be realistic, which makes this more of a film experiment and less of an immersion in real peril. Survivor Aron Ralston is briefly featured at the end of the film.

Rating: 2.75 of 4

Other reviewers said:
"As a follow-up to Slumdog Millionaire, 127 Hours shows Danny Boyle at the top of his form -- it's not a story many filmmakers would want to tackle, and few would handle it as well."
- David Stratton (At the Movies [Australia])

"It doesn't matter how disarming Franco's single-handed performance is; there is simply not enough dramatic meat on the bones of Ralston's true story to distract us from where it is heading."
- Anders Wotzke (Cut Print Review)