Monday, November 22, 2010

127 Hours

Movie name: 127 Hours
Year of release: 2010
Director: Danny Boyle
Stars: James Franco, Kate Mara, Amber Tamblyn, Clemency Poesy, Treat Williams, Kate Burton, Sean Bott, Lizzy Caplan
Genre: Drama, Adventure
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 8

Synopsis:After the Oscar rain that fell upon his film "Slumdog Millionaire", Danny Boyle returns with another riveting film. "127 Hours" is based on the book by Aron Ralston, that details his harrowing experience of being trapped after a hiking excursion that went terribly wrong. The film starts by introducing the audience to Aron, a young hiker who is about to go explore the canyons near the Moab desert in Utah. During his excursion, he meets two young women, Kristi and Megan, with whom he has a fun time, showing them interesting places to explore. Upon following his solitary path, Aron unexpectedly falls off a cliff and gets his arm stuck and is unable to move. What follows are his desperate attempts to get off that predicament alive.
Danny Boyle is a very talented director: "Trainspotting", "Shallow Grave", "28 Days Later" and "Sunshine" alone proved long before his triumph with "Slumdog Millionaire". What he does with "127 Hours" is pretty riveting: he grabs a story that is told from the point of view of a sole actor/narrator, and he makes it engaging, dynamic and thrilling. Aron goes through a death-trap that is lethal, but we're embarking on that journey with him, thanks to the visual imagination of Danny Boyle, who makes Aron a real person, with aspirations, dreams, fears and regrets. James Franco gives a very good performance, imbuing Aron with an enthusiasm, joy and also fear, that is contagious. This is a film worth watching, not just for the testament to the perseverance of people, but as dazzling film filled with visual ideas.

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