Grade: A+
Director: Danny Boyle (Slumdog Millionaire)
Writers: Simon Beaufoy and Danny Boyle
Starring: James Franco as Aron Ralston, Amber Tamblyn as Megan McBride, Kate Mara as Kristi Moore and Clemence Poesy as Rana
Most people who are up with news from the past 10 years or so know the story of Aron Ralston, the cliff-climber who amputated his own arm after having it stuck between a rock and a hard place for 5 days. Making it into a riveting film in which everybody knows what happens is a challenge. And I believe that Danny Boyle handled it better than anyone else could.
James Franco makes himself not only a popular actor with filmgoers (after Spider Man) but a potential critics’ darling with his performance as Ralston in Boyle’s 127 Hours, based on the true story. Shortening the experience to 95 minutes, Boyle and his two cinematographers and co-writer give us one of the best films of 2010 and what should be a sure-fire Oscar contender.
Ralston is an outdoors guy who one Saturday in April 2003 decides to go climb rocks in Utah. He brings along his digital camera, camcorder, a backpack and plenty of supplies (or so he thinks). Riding his bike, he runs into two hikers (Tamblyn and Mara) and shows them around a bit before going off on his own. While navigating an especially difficult passageway, Ralston slips and his arm gets smashed against a rock wall by a huge boulder. He has limited water and food supply and, unfortunately, he did not tell anyone where he was going. As Ralston so aptly puts it before he fully realizes the gravity of the situation, “Oops.”
I walked out of the movie theater speechless. Was it because I was awed by what I saw on screen acting-wise? Was it because Boyle did it yet again? Was it because of the gruesome amputation scene people are talking about? Or maybe it was the way in which the music and stunning cinematography told the story? Let’s take these one at a time.
My Facebook status post-viewing: “If James Franco doesn’t win the Best Actor Oscar, then, well, the Academy is dumb.” The goofiness that Franco incorporates into the situation is perfect and appropriate. I don’t know if the real Ralston was that goofy, but I’m going to assume so. Franco captures the camera’s attention with gusto and panic, confidence and distress, sometimes simultaneous. It’s one of the better acting performances I’ve seen ever. His performance was required to carry the movie and did so, much like Sharlto Copley in last year’s breakout Best Picture nominee District 9.
But he actually did not necessarily need to. Danny Boyle made 127 Hours complete. The way the director intertwined pertinent flashbacks to his childhood or his romantic days, Ralston videotaping his thoughts on his situation and his “last words” to his family and glimmers of hope instantly shot down was incredible. It reminded me a bit of Slumdog Millionaire in which the film goes back and forth between the past and the present and how the former greatly affects the other. We see how decisions Ralston made in the past affect him in the present. The fuzzy screen at times reminded me of perhaps a better Boyle work than Slumdog, 2007’s massively-underseen sci-fi pic Sunshine. It presented a view of uncertainty, of not knowing.
The amputation scene was gruesome. Let’s just say I don’t know enough medically to know it’s accurate. But from what I’ve read, they tried to do it properly.
Boyle brought back composer A.R. Rahman and cinematographer Anthony Dod Mantle from Slumdog. Both won Oscars for their work, and they did their job wonderfully again here. Rahman’s bouncing guitar-driven score compliments Ralston’s personality in the film wonderfully. Mantle was joined by 28 Weeks Later director of photography Enrique Chediak as the two combined to give us the appropriate closeups and wide shots to fit the situation. The thing about both the music and the camera work is that they were not revolutionary, they did not change the film industry forever. But they worked to make the film fantastic.
And that is what you need in any film, whether it be a short for a high school film class or a huge Hollywood blockbuster. A great, compelling story, a great director, great acting and great supporting pieces, whether it be cast or crew. 127 Hours probably will not win the Best Picture Oscar. I don’t know if it deserves to yet. But it won’t be on the count that it’s not good enough. It’s more than good enough because, as reviewer Roger Ebert said, “127 Hours is like an exercise in conquering the unfilmmable.” Not only does it complete the exercise, it passes with flying colors.
