Review! 127 Hours

Directed by Danny Boyle, Starring: James Franco, Amber Tamblyn and Kate Mara

What’s It About? The true story of Aron Ralston, a mountain climber that became trapped under a boulder.

What We Thought:

Jess: 127 Hours delivered for me everything that I have been expecting since I first saw the  trailer. Granted, I was destined to like this movie from the get-go. I have been a fan of both  Danny Boyle and James Franco before I hit my teenage years, so I’ve had years to develop this favoritism. The visuals of this movie are at times beautiful, at times claustrophobic, at times distorted, and at all times set a definite tone that really reflected the mindset of Aron Ralston as his tale unfolds. While most of the movie takes place in a single location which could be boring after some time, you never have a chance to lose interest and it is actually quite fast-paced. The way Boyle and Franco portray Ralston’s slow loss of grip was perfect for me. The times of hallucination were not overdone, and seemed fairly realistic. Thinking that this is not a character but an actual person gives a whole new light on the resourceful and relentless Aron, which made this incredible survival story successful. Another strong factor for me was the music, which Boyle always seems to make bright, loud, and interesting in his movies. I thoroughly enjoyed this movie and could not really come up with any real or significant complaints.

Lindsay: The real life Aron Ralston is pretty fascinating. Please check out an interview of him if you ever get the chance. With that being said I felt that 127 Hours did a wonderful job creating a film that was true to the experience Ralston had and everything he went through. The film shines with Boyle’s signature camera work and euro-pop tunes. He knows exactly what to do to pace an audience emotionally while still sticking to his own personal style. Franco is inspired casting here and is consistently able deliver in a movie that commands him in virtually every scene.


Rob: If 127 hours is anything, its gripping. The starts at a good pace, gets you invested in the character, and then takes you on a roller coaster ride. And maybe the most intriguing part is that the character is a real person. This forces you to think about how Aron Ralston actually had to endure this and leads you into attempting to put yourself in his situation and feel what he felt. Of course, even while seeing his misfortune fold out in front of us you get the feeling that you could never imagine being in that situation.

FTS SCORE:

90%