127 Hours

There is plenty of buzz surrounding James Franco’s latest movie, “127 Hours.” Most of that buzz is revolving around an arm amputation scene. Don’t feel like I spoiled the movie for you. Because even though that’s what everyone is talking about, it’s not the most important part of the movie. “127 Hours” is a vivid, beautiful movie that leaves you feeling happy to be alive.

“127 Hours” is the true story of mountain climber, Aron Ralston (James Franco). While on one of his adventures, Ralston falls into a narrow canyon, and a huge chunk of rock crashes onto his arm, trapping him. With only limited food and supplies, Ralston tries his hardest to survive.

Many might think this movie would seem boring. But it is not. Flashbacks happen throughout the movie to give us an idea of Ralston’s life and family. Also, despite the distressing situation, there are many funny moments. The balance between distress and comedy is perfect. One funny scene is when Ralston is pretending he’s on a talk show and making fun of himself. Scenes like that give the audience hope. It also strengthens your connection to the character.

Danny Boyle (Award-winning director of “Slumdog Millionaire”) is a visionary. I think I’ve stated that last sentence at least 50 times in the past couple days. If you have seen “Slumdog Millionaire,” then you know Boyle’s distinct style of filming. (If you haven’t seen “Slumdog Millionaire,” what are you waiting for?!) “127 Hours” is very much a Danny Boyle movie. The colors, the interesting shots and close-ups just draw the audience in even more.

What I realized after the movie was that I wanted to see the canyons one day. Instantly, you would think that after seeing Ralston’s experience, I would never want to go there. But that’s not true. Even Ralston is still a mountain climber and canyoneer after his experience. I think Boyle wanted us to see the canyon region like Ralston sees it, a beautiful, peaceful part of the Earth.

Music is a big part of this movie. Boyle brought back “Slumdog” composer A.R. Rahman. Once I heard the first song in the opening scene, I knew I was going to buy the soundtrack. The music is lively and compliments each scene perfectly. Rahman has a great ear for beats, and he is excellent at song placement. The way he composed the music for the arm amputation scene is spine-chilling.

This is the first movie I have seen that I will consider as a true contender to “The Social Network” for awards season. Boyle and Franco deserve nominations. Besides that, it is definitely a movie I recommend everyone seeing. Do not worry about fainting or vomiting when Ralston cuts off his arm! If you can’t watch that kind of stuff, just close your eyes. I did for most of that scene. (It’s only around 5-7 minutes long. Not too bad.) As I mentioned earlier, the movie isn’t all about that. It’s about loving the life you live and appreciating everyone in your life because you never know when a boulder will fall and trap you.

To see when “127 Hours” is playing near you, click here.