Matt’s Award Season Review: ’127 Hours’ Has the Brilliance of James Franco on Full Display

GRADE: A-

This movie may not seem appealing to some people. You have to be able to watch a one man act carry the film to the finish line. A man, Aron (pronounced Aaron) is trapped in the wilderness for 127 Hours (obviously) after his arm gets pinned down by a fallen rock. Being lost without anyone knowing where he is, he’s stuck in this spot without sustenance to keep him alive for very long. He attempts to free his wedged arm with the tools available to him in his backpack. But without the means to keep his body going, he begins to freak out, hallucinate, and reflect on his decisions in life. The plight for Aron to free himself from this dire situation is what this film is all about.

The most unbelievable thing about this film is the fact it is based on true events. Anyone who has heard of this film or the true story most likely knows the climax, but since I can’t be assured of this fact I will not discuss it in my post. James Franco is the film’s male lead, and he absolutely kills his role as the trapped adventurer. Being the only person on screen for the majority of the film, you better bet your ass he can carry 127 Hours essentially on his own. He has his moments of depression, jubilation, determination, excitement, craziness, and most of all, a sense of prideful independence. Franco has my vote for Best Actor at this Sunday’s Academy Awards (though I doubt he will win).

After seeing this movie, I told people I thought few directors and screenwriters could pull 127 Hours off besides Simon Beaufoy and Danny Boyle. This team were the architects behind the amazing Slumdog Millionaire. The duo again proves they can masterfully tell a story that does not seem fit for the cinema. This is what many in the industry would call, “not cinematic.” Having one character dominate the entire film, stuck in one location, usually does not translate to a powerful film. But Boyle and Beufoy unravel the layers of Aron with the character’s imagination, self-directed dialogue, hallucinations, and flashbacks.

There is a reason 127 Hours in nominated for Best Editing at the 83rd Academy Awards. Think of how boring this movie sounds with one character in a static location. Despite how it sounds, this film was captivating in almost every scene. The editing made 127 Hours flow beginning to end. It engrossed the audience in the thoughts and desires of Aron in this story. The focus on the small supply of water was especially well done. Its importance was stressed, making the audience aware of how little water was left at every junction.

Overall, this film never dragged its feet despite being a fairly slow moving film. My interest was held until the credits. 127 Hours vindicates its spot on the list of the ten nominees for Best Picture at the Academy Awards. The film has been in theaters for awhile now and has been expanding in the number of screens across the country for months now. Don’t miss an opportunity to check this film out in theaters; it deserves your attention and your money at the box office.

Quick Note: Poor Lizzy Caplan. She must be at a loss for offers in feature films, because her role in this project was laughable. I don’t think she spoke once.

What Should You Do? Whether or not you like Franco, this is definitely the performance of his young career. See it.