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The Dictator

A disappointing, often repulsive and mean-spirited mess of a film with seemingly only one real criterion on its agenda: to shock and offend.

The Woman In Black

Packed with atmosphere, this old-fashioned but deftly told ghost story delivers ample chills and thrills.

Careless Love

Sidestepping a more extreme take on prostitution, this is a quietly impressive portrait of a young woman caught in a tragic situation.

Empire Of Silver

Its backdrop is a rich and fascinating one, but the film is let down by a screenplay and direction that fails to register on a personal level.

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127 Hours (Film)

by Cara Nash | February 07, 2011 11:15 | Edited February 07, 2011 11:16

A thrilling and life-affirming journey driven by James Franco’s gut-wrenching performance and Danny Boyle’s exuberant direction.

How do you create an action movie when the hero can't move? How do you turn an experience of confinement and monotony into a suspenseful and visually spectacular feature film? 127 Hours reveals that the answer lies with pairing the wonderfully expressive actor James Franco with Oscar winning director Danny Boyle (Slumdog Millionaire, Trainspotting), who injects every inch of the film with an exuberant dose of cinematic adrenaline.

 

127 Hours is the true story of Aron Ralston (James Franco), whose solo rock climbing adventure went terribly wrong when his arm became trapped beneath a boulder in an isolated canyon. Rather than resign himself to a tragic fate, Ralston severed his limb with a blunt knife. Naturally, the film is a survivalist's tale, but Boyle digs deeper and, similar to Sean Penn's deeply affecting Into The Wild, this is also a stirring exploration of a cocky independent spirit who becomes painfully aware of the inadequacy of his lone-wolf mentality when it comes to surviving in the wilderness.  

 

Franco's performance pins you down and shakes you up with its raw and searing power, but it's also incredibly natural and nuanced, with every tiny triumph and moment of despair played out on the actor's face. He expertly laces Ralston's terror, and later sad regret, with a bracing humour that is both a coping mechanism and an act of courage.

 

Well versed in tackling painful and dangerous subject matter with unremitting verve, Boyle commendably doesn't flinch from the terrible reality of what Ralston has to do to extricate himself. The scene's visceral impact is so powerful that when Ralston finally frees himself from the canyon and ventures onto the sweeping landscape above, you're right there with him. It's the most dizzying and thrilling affirmation of life that you're likely to see in the cinema all year.