127 Hours

Based on true events in the life of Aron Ralston (James Franco), 127 hours explores the struggle of the psyche and corporal abilities of an adventuring mountaineer who finds his arm pinned between a rock and a cavern wall. Using only the supplies in his daypack Aron will need to find his own way out of the situation, but to what length will he have to go to survive the ordeal and a certain death of dehydration? Directed by Danny Boyle, this dynamic and amazingly suspenseful thriller goes to show that a good story and great acting still reign supreme in this day of overblown and big budget films, especially considering that for the most part the film works as a one man show with limited locations and sets. And, as a testament to Franco’s acting chops the film runs an emotional gamut, stretching him from one impossible extreme to another. From a cinematography standpoint, Boyle continues to explore new ground, exploiting handheld cameras and unconventional camera positions to relay his creative vision and convey the high adrenaline nature of the film– the cumulative end result being one of the year’s best films and is definitely worth seeing. 127 hours is rated R.