DANNY BOYLE - 127 HOURS (Released November 2010)
After initially disliking the idea of this story being made into a film and thinking it wouldn’t work as a whole film, I have just been put wrong. Who was I kidding, directed by one of my favourite film-makers Danny Boyle (of Trainspotting, 28 Days/Weeks Later and Slumdog Millionaire fame). Having just watched it, I would recommend anyone to go and do the same.
127 Hours tells the real-life story of American mountain climber Aron Ralston’s excursion to Blue John Canyon, Utah in 2003 where he didn’t tell anyone where he was going and happened to get his arm lodged in between a large rock and a canyon! As the film title suggests, he was apparently stuck there 127 hours before he decided to go ahead with the cutting-the-arm-off plan and gets rescued by a helicopter search team. James Franco’s acting is excellent here as it shows everything Ralston comes across before the incident and all the struggles he goes through (from loneliness and braving the elements to having to drink his own urine).
The composer A.R. Rahman collaborates with Boyle again here providing an excellent soundtrack and even features Dido and a track by Sigur Ros which works really well (brought a tear to my eye in that scene!). Overall a fine job, although some of the sub-plot was a bit strange. 9/10.
