127 Hours (2010) Reviews

"I chose this. I chose all this. This rock... this rock has been waiting for me my entire life. Its entire life, ever since it was a bit of meteorite a million, billion years ago. In space. It's been waiting, to come here. Right, right here. I've been moving towards it my entire life. The minute I was born, every breath that I've taken, every action has been leading me to this crack on the out surface."

Note: If you are not familiar with the story of Aron Ralston and wish to be surprised by 127 Hours, it is advised that you watch the movie before reading this review. Spoilers of sorts are scattered throughout.

In mid-2003, Aron Ralston developed into a media sensation when he became trapped in a canyon for 127 hours, and was forced to amputate his arm in order to save his life. Ralston's physically and spiritually transformative experience was chronicled in his 2004 book Between a Rock and a Hard Place, and has now been dramatised to harrowing effect in Danny Boyle's 127 Hours; the director's follow-up effort to his Oscar-winning Slumdog Millionaire. Unflinching in its depiction of what constitutes the will to live, 127 Hours is at once ruminative and frenzied, intimate and vast - it's a thoughtful, compelling character study, yet it's as energetic as its protagonist. Although the film bears little resemblance to Slumdog Millionaire, 127 Hours was largely created by the same crew: Boyle co-wrote the script with Simon Beaufoy, Anthony Dod Mantle contributed to the camerawork, and Indian composer A.R. Rahman wrote the score. It's a testament to the talents of these men that - superior craftsmanship notwithstanding - you would not guess the connection between the films unless you had prior knowledge.

Aron Ralston (Franco) is a skilled hiker who craves solitude; usually avoiding family and friends to embark upon adventures and be king of the wild. At the start of the film, Aron is bound for Blue John Canyon in Utah. Initially, he encounters a pair of lost female hikers (Tamblin and Mara, in what amount to cameo appearances) and helps them find their way before he speeds off to his next claustrophobic destination. Unfortunately, he meets a loose rock along the way, and subsequently finds himself at the bottom of a narrow crevice with his right arm trapped between a boulder and the canyon wall. The title refers to the amount of time Aron spends in the crevice with very limited food and water; enduring freezing nights and the growing realisation that no-one is coming to save him.

In adapting Ralston's memoir, Boyle and Beaufoy took what could have been the man vs. nature equivalent of torture porn and transformed it into a visceral drama about life and hope. 127 Hours is brilliantly crafted - it's an at times gruelling, but nonetheless deeply compelling study of the lengths a person will go to for survival. For the majority of the film it's just Franco, Boyle and the canyon - there are no scenes of concerned friends or relatives wondering where Aron is. Nevertheless, there's never a boring moment. As time continues to drip along, flashbacks reveal Aron's early life, and, as dehydration and fatigue take their toll on his mental state, he experiences dreams and hallucinations. Aron gradually comes to regret his antisocial behaviour; wishing that he spent more time with loves ones before the hour of his impending death. Aron has a camcorder with him too, and records a constant video diary of his thoughts and experiences with the hope that it will be returned to his parents. (In real life, Aron did record a video diary, though he never showed it publically. In preparation for the movie, Boyle and Franco were allowed to view it.)

Boyle has always been skilled in terms of his stylised shooting style, and this talent is evident once again in 127 Hours. The director and his duo of cinematographers - Enrique Chediak and Anthony Dod Mantle - chose to depict Aron's struggle through a complex series of edits and shots; creating a fluid sense of movement by switching between shooting styles despite most of the film being set in one claustrophobic location. Boyle loves to splash the screen with visual flair, and this creates an exhilarating experience which places the viewer inside Ralston's head. Perhaps the most effective sequence is the climactic arm amputation scene. Viewers have reportedly vomited while watching said scene, and it's easy to understand why. Boyle did not baulk at capturing the gory details - Aron is seen breaking the bones of his forearm and using the dull knife of a cheap multi-utility tool to cut the soft tissue. Especially with Rahman's harrowing score, the scene is almost unbearable to watch. Although less gruesome than Hostel or The Hills Have Eyes, the reality of the scene is what makes it disturbing. The film is also topped off by an uplifting conclusion which packs a tremendous wallop; elevating this challenging picture to unexpected emotional heights.

James Franco is an actor who, up until now, has always tried his best but never achieved anything truly remarkable in his career. He has always displayed an enthusiasm for acting and a degree of charisma, but these qualities were perpetually lost on thankless supporting roles. Thankfully, 127 Hours denotes Franco's first truly remarkable piece of acting work. Franco is on the screen for nearly every frame of the movie (often in close-up), and he was up to the challenge; delivering the performance of a lifetime, and overturning his reputation as a dramatic lightweight. For more than an hour, we're stuck in a hole with Aron, and the intensity and charm of Franco's performance keeps us engaged. It's a tribute to everyone involved that, despite being aware of the true-life story, a viewer will still hope that Aron will make it out of the canyon in one piece, and be hopeful whenever he attempts a new technique.

127 Hours is a cracking, extraordinary movie. It may be hard to imagine how a movie with such limited scope could remain interesting for over 90 minutes, but Boyle and his talented team managed to pull it off. In fact, the only disappointment is the film's brevity. Another full half-hour should have been added to truly drive home the period of time for which Aron is stuck. In spite of this, 127 Hours is a masterpiece. It's even superior to Boyle's Slumdog Millionaire. If a film can be both brilliant from a critical perspective and mighty entertaining, it's a miracle.

9.5/10

Aron Ralston heads off an adventure in Canyonland, USA. He brings with him the standard camping essentials, because he doesn’t feel like anything will go wrong. Aron meets these two girls who he takes on an adventure of a lifetime sliding through the tiniest cracks within the canyon and plummeting into a spring below. Aron then takes off on his own and while trying to manoeuvre through tight canyons he slips pinning his arm against the side of the canyon.

Ralston is essentially trapped within his own mind for the entire film, trying desperately to hold onto life, we get a glimpse of his past, and the things that have gone right and the things that have gone wrong for him. Boyle beautifully captures Ralston going in and out between a dream state and a state of reality. Ralston through out his time trapped is frantically trying everything he can to free himself from what is certain death when he runs out of supplies. Boyle captures the frantic realism of Ralston’s dire situation.

Aron Ralston is trapped deep within the heart of America for a little over 5 days with only a bottle of water, a video camera and some snacks. What we see is a character so determined to remain alive that he limits his resources and chips ever so desperately away at trying to free himself. James Franco's performance is what makes this film come to life. His performance shapes the film as not only a story, but a 5 day journey of survival and the will to live. Franco commands his screen time in a way he has not done before in his career. He lives and breathes Aron Ralston in every scene through out this movie. He makes Ralston’s pain and suffering seem like our own, or that of a best friend. What Franco and Boyle are able to do, is take us with Aron and make us question what would we do if we were stuck in that situation.

Kate Mara and Amber Tamblyn have very little screen time in this picture, but they as well bring a sense of realism to this film. Ralston met them and briefly changed their lives only to disappear and run off alone on his grand adventure. What the inclusion of these two young girls does is remind us that this was just an ordinary day in the life of Aron Ralston. Tamblyn and Mara are brought back later on in the film, for a brief moment when Ralston reviews the video he made of that day. Perhaps this is along with the brief flashbacks of Ralston’s past break up and home life are the scenes that make the audience admire Boyle’s artwork. What Boyle does for these moments of the film is he takes as away from Ralston’s predicament and brings us to what he has done and who he is as a person.

When taking us back through the life of Aron Ralston, Boyle sets us up for the final fight between Aron and nature. This brings me to the scene where Aron amputates his own arm, allowing himself to be free. There is about a 4 to 6 minute span in this film that is unnerving not because people are being blown away in a hail of gunfire of stabbed through the throat but because this man is fighting through pain and desperation that he is willing to sever his own limb to survive. Franco is so deeply focused on portraying Ralston’s will and determination, but his screams because of sheer pain are a bit too much to handle even for those people who have seen the most disturbing of horror films. This scene is much more graphic in nature than anything I have witnessed in a horror flick, and made me close my eyes numerous times. This scene defines this movie and the graphicness of the scene is just the essence of Arons struggle. I suggest that if you are faint of heart that you turn off this scene once it begins and return to the movie after it is over. You can still grab the meaning of the scene and the meaning of the entire film without watching this scene.

127 Hours is one hell of a movie, the acting is top notch, the layout of the film is wonderful and it keeps you hoping. Very well made, definitely one of the best from the past year in films.

Excelente filme, vale a pena conferir!

I have had plenty of knowledge about the Aron Ralston incident ever since high school in 2003 when I was 12. This was announced by my headmaster and I was in shock when I was told about it. It was also on the news the night I came home and ever since then, I have always wanted to see a film about this. When I found out Danny Boyle was making a film about Aron Ralston, I couldn't wait to see it! The trailer looked fantastic as predicted as the film itself was. I would presume that some people might say that 'this looks boring because it is about one guy stuck and it looks cheap'. It really is not a cheap film at all! The filming of it was very professional and, if I am honest, very precise! The cinematography was absolutely outstanding and I hope that it wins the Academy Award for Best Cinematography as it should.


I absolutely loved 127 Hours from start to finish! This is a perfect example that shows the pride and the courage of the human heart and what must be done in order to survive. I'll tell you another real-life story that this reminded me of; and that was John McLaughlin and Will Jimeno's entrapment and rescue on 11th September 2001 and the film World Trade Center in general. I guess this was perhaps a really difficult film to give a solid title but quite frankly, I think '127 Hours' is a very solid title because it shows almost instantly how much pain and suffering Aron went through. It was very graphic only in two specific scenes (falling and his entrapment and the next bit is a bit of a spoiler) and I did feel uneasy in my seat in the cinema watching it.


127 Hours is the true story of mountain climber Aron Ralston's remarkable adventure to save himself after a fallen boulder crashes on his arm and traps him in an isolated canyon in Utah. Over the next five days Ralston examines his life and survives the elements to finally discover he has the courage and the wherewithal to extricate himself by any means necessary, scale a 65 foot wall and hike over eight miles before he is finally rescued. Throughout his journey, Ralston recalls friends, lovers, family, and the two hikers he met before his accident. Will they be the last two people he ever had the chance to meet?


I never thought I would say this but James Franco deserves the Academy Award for Best Leading Actor. His role as Aron is perhaps the most career defining performance that I think I have ever witnessed and it has become a massive breakthrough in his career. I mean, before he was just known as Harry Osborn in the Spider-Man trilogy and Pineapple Express, but now he has proven us wrong that he really isn't just another Hollywood actor and, quite frankly, I knew deep down that Franco can perform something worthy of an Oscar and he certainly showed that with 127 Hours so I hope he does well enough to do it again. This film may have pretty much just starred James Franco but I liked how strong the rest of the characters were such as the two hikers Christie and Megan who Aron met just before the accident and his lover Clémence Poésy and we go deeper and further into how their relationship was before Aron's accident. Surprised me with how Aron had a creative and intelligent side to him as well during his entrapment when he uses the equipment that he had with him to help him survive despite only being able to use one arm. You know what else is great about Aron Ralston? Despite what happened to him and what he had to do to survive, he is still a mountain climber now and that is pure inspiration and does take a lot of guts! The incident gave Aron a lesson as well because he never told anyone where he was going but now after that, he always tells his friends and family where he is going off to. I have to admit that despite Aron was in a sticky enough situation as it is, it could have been a lot worse! I mean, he could have had another body part trapped and might not have been at the bottom of the canyon and could've dangled half way down by his arm stuck in the boulder. So the whole thing was like a lesson for Aron but also woke him up because he truly realised what was important in life.


After Slumdog Millionaire, you can tell that this is a Danny Boyle film seeing as he again uses a similar style of filmmaking and cinematography. In every single film Danny Boyle has directed, he has taken us all on different journeys from different genres but this time, he takes us on a true journey and this is the first and only bio-pic film he has done thus far. I just can't wait for his next project. The script was adapted from the book called Between A Rock And A Hard Place by Aron Ralston himself as well as a true story of course. It was written by Danny Boyle and Simon Beaufoy I was impressed with how precise Aron managed to get it by remembering it all despite all the pain he went through during those 5 days. Brilliantly written especially when it is basically about one guy alone in the canyons and trying to survive when it could have been absolutely boring and nobody would care whether he lives or dies but also the fact, we go into flashbacks of Aron's youth and the times just before his voyage to Utah led to his entrapment, made it more dramatic and the audience are like 'You can do it! You can make it, Aron!' It is also brilliant how there were talks of Aron alone then actions then camera change etc. Just incredibly made! Danny Boyle needs Best Director nomination and he needs a shared nominated with Simon Beaufoy for Best Adapted Screenplay.


Overall, 127 Hours is a deeply inspiring, possibly tearjerking and horrifying film that is probably one of the most gripping films that I have ever watched. James Franco has delivered a career defining performance and he has shown us finally what he is best at doing. Danny Boyle succeeds once again but probably won't earn the same Oscar glory with this one like he did with Slumdog Millionaire. I would definitely call 127 Hours one of the best films of 2010 and also one of my favourite bio-pics films of all time too. One bit of a warning: prepare to squirm and cringe in your seat while watching this; especially in one specific scene. A must-see film!

Once again another brilliant film from Danny Boyle that lives up to all of my previous expectations of it. Filled with lush cinematography, a tremendous score from A R Raman(who worked previously with Boyle on Slumdog), wonderfully directed and quite possible a career defining performance from the vastly underrated James Franco.

The attention to detail of the real Aron's experience is quite something. From every flashback to instances of what it going on around him, adds to the uncompromising position that he found him self in. The close up shots of Aron's face, showing the pain that he's going through is not only great to see James Franco's lovely face, but his incredible acting really lets you in to this character's experience. Watch out for the scene in which he cuts his arm off, it's quite something-brilliantly filmed.

Hopefully by the time the 2011 oscar nominations are out, this film is up for several, including Best Actor-which will be well deserved.

Highly recommended!

Beautifully photographed and anchored by an extraordinary lead performance, 127 HOURS is one of those inspirational movies based on real events that is actually BETTER than the mostly mediocre films of that ilk. That's mostly thanks to the fact that the film's inspirational nature doesn't stop it from being thoroughly raw and gritty in its portrayal of a person's intense struggle for physical survival. Danny Boyle's follow-up to the 2008 best picture winner SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE may not be as fascinating and engrossing as its predecessor, but it still deserves to be seen for its undeniable power and its terrific cinematography.

Aron (James Franco) is the epitome of the carefree adventurer. When we meet him, he's getting ready to go mountain climbing (or "canyoneering," as he likes to call it) in Moab, Utah. He's got all his gear ready, and that includes a video camera, because he loves to document bits of his adventures. It doesn't seem like there are other people involved in Aron's life, and we soon learn that he likes going solo on his trips. As his journey is getting started, he tells the camera: "It's just me, music and the night - I love it!". He happens to meet two girls, Kristi (Kate Mara) and Megan (Amber Tamblyn) and acts like a bit of a dork as he gives them a tour of the area. Rather than being a stereotypical guy and leaving with these two girls, Aron is all about living his adventure by himself, so he eventually bids them farewell. The real film starts once Kristi and Megan are far enough that any cries of help from Aron can't be heard by them. Aron falls through a hole, which is no big deal, as this guy has done all sorts of risky jumps and whatnot; however, a boulder falls along with him, and Aron soon realizes that his arm is completely stuck between the boulder and a wall. He has no way of pushing the boulder off or getting his arm out without causing harm to it. Right there, the title of the film comes on the screen, and we start witnessing Aron's intense struggle to survive the dire situation that the cards have dealt him.

As we watch Aron try to find ways to get free, while trying to keep himself hydrated without using up all his available water, the film employs two "strategies" so that it doesn't feel like the entire film is about Aron's physical battle with the boulder. First, there are a lot of occasions in which Aron records himself with the videocamera, and these moments are easily the best the film has to offer, because they carry so much emotional heft and they give James Franco the chance to deliver a devastating, heart-breaking performance. And what's amazing is that, despite the seriousness of the situation, the film manages to turn one of these moments into delightful dark humor when Aron pretends to interview himself as the host of a TV show. In this particular scene, Franco's rendition of the TV show is laugh-out-loud hilarious. It's not just great that the movie gives us a moment of respite here with some light-heartedness, but it's the fact that, in spite of the terrible situation that his character is in, Franco makes us BELIEVE that Aron would have such a goofball moment to take a break from the problem he's facing. All of the scenes in which Aron records himself are truly terrific, and Franco's acting makes them even better.

The second technique that is used to "fill in" the time as our main character struggles to stay alive has slightly more mixed results. In order to give us a glimpse into Aron's life (his family, his former girlfriend, etc), we don't get flashbacks. I applaud that decision, because using flashbacks would've been the easy conventional choice to make here. What happens instead is that we're placed inside Aron's mind. We get to see the random thoughts and memories that sneak into his head, and we get to see the dreams he has. For the first half of the film, this approach is effective. An instance in which Aron is getting incredibly thirsty and he starts craving for the Gatorade he left in his car is edited perfectly well, and it makes his dehydration palpable. During the film's second half, the images become more random. That's understandable, since we're in Aron's mind, and thoughts ARE random, after all. However, the problem is that they don't contribute to much. The apparent difficulties he had with his former girlfriend aren't explained as effectively as they should've been, and an instance in which Aron imagines his friends and family sitting on a couch in front of him feels unnecessary. Because I feel that the scenes in which Aron talks into the camera are so great, I think this would've all been better if that technique had been exploited more: let us get to know Aron's relationship with his friends, family and ex-girlfriend by having him "talk" to them on the camera, leaving them a final message. During the film's second half, some of Aron's "memories" feel like they're there for the sake of ensuring the film reaches 90 minutes rather than because they have relevance to the film's emotional core.

I'm usually not a victim of allowing large amounts of hype to affect me, but I feel it may have happened to a certain extent here, NOT in terms of my appreciation of the film as a whole, but in terms of my reaction to the film's notoriously disturbing climactic scene, which has supposedly caused some people to faint and others to leave the theater. Maybe I didn't see the same cut (no pun intended), but all I saw was a somewhat large amount of blood, though nothing compared to what we see in some of these gore-infested horror movies that are constantly put out in multiplexes. I thought I was in to see a bone being cut through, or that we would literally see ligaments tearing away from one another. The "big moment" in 127 HOURS isn't as "bad" as most people are proclaiming, but that's actually a good thing, because it wasn't really necessary anyway. The film does a more than good enough job at portraying the dire situation that Aron is in, and it certainly didn't need to enter gratuitous territory just to make us flinch.

James Franco's performance in 127 HOURS is outstanding. The camera is on him the entire time, and we never stop believing him as a solo adventurer whose general avoidance of people has, to a certain extent, put him in this horrible situation. Franco has already proved in the past that, whether it's drama or comedy, his work is never anything short of fantastic, and I'm delighted that it looks like he'll finally get recognition for his performing abilities. His rendition of Aron impacted me deeply, and I won't soon forget it when making my list of favorite performances of the year.

127 HOURS doesn't allow the fact that it's based on real-life events to push it into schmaltzy territory. If last year's THE BLIND SIDE scored a best picture Oscar nomination (which was truly ridiculous), there's no reason why this film shouldn't get the same credit, even if it isn't necessarily one of the year's best. In 2010, we have seen two films that depict a male character literally STUCK in a physically dire situation: we first got BURIED, and now we have 127 HOURS. While BURIED is certainly the better film, that's mostly because it has a terrific ending, whereas the last few minutes of 127 HOURS feel a little haphazard. The more important note to be made, though, is that both films depend entirely on their respective actors' performances, and the result in that department in both films is nothing short of amazing.

Boyle has given us a nimble, visually-striking motion picture in 127 HOURS. One of the things I most admire about it is that, before entering inspirational territory at the end, it forces the viewer to endure an intense and wrenching experience. Contradictory as this may sound, I appreciate any film that refuses to make life easier for me, and instead, is willing to depict events with a higher sense of realism.