Aron Ralston (Franco) is a fun loving guy, but one who enjoys taking the road less traveled -- and doing it alone. He decides to venture out on a trek to Blue John's Canyon in Utah, not telling anyone where he is headed (as he often does). Aron prefers "soloing" and aims to beat the current time it supposedly takes to get to Blue John's by several hours. In his fervor to get on with the hike, he leaves his apartment without his Swiss Army Multi-tool; he even leaves his jacket and bottle of Gatorade in his car, since he plans on being back in a matter of hours. Along the way, he runs into two young hikers, Kristi (Kate Mara) and Megan (Amber Tamblyn). The trio treks around for a bit, making a stop at a dangerous area where they slide down a narrow passage of rock to land in a deep pool of crystalline water, with Aron recording the day's events on his camcorder, as he often did. After they separate and Aron gets back on his way, he finds Blue John's and starts making his way down into the crevasse, only to have a boulder slip, with he and the boulder coming to rest in a most precarious manner. The boulder has Aron's arm pinned against the wall and his feet don't quite touch the ground. As he takes in the gravity of the situation and begins to assess his options, he realizes that he won't be reported as missing for at least four days -- and even then, they won't know where to search for him.
Once Aron slips down into the canyon and becomes immobilized, the real meat of the movie begins, with only Franco and a rock commanding the screen. I never thought watching someone stuck in a cave for an hour and a half could be so riveting, but between Boyle's directing and Franco's acting prowess, the film is brilliant. The audience gets to see Ralston go through many different emotions, chronicling them all on his handi-cam. He is, at different times, angry, desperate, regretful, manic, miserable and hopeful. At first, he's the pragmatic canyoneer, rationing out his water supply and figuring just how long he'll survive, but as the days wear on and his water supply dwindles, he has to make some terrible decisions if he is to survive. It is bad enough to have to come to terms with the fact that you must cut off your own arm to escape certain death, but when you realize your only implement to do so is a completely dull fake Leatherman tool that was a stocking stuffer from your mom, well, it was pretty disheartening, and Franco portrays it perfectly. Danny Boyle's directing is simply fantastic and he underscores the horror of what Ralston has to do with amazing camera work and jarring sound effects. The superb soundtrack serves to intensify the entire film, whether Ralston is dreaming of better days or thinking of a future he may never have.
I honestly can't say enough good things about 127 Hours. James Franco essentially plays in this movie alone and he carries it beautifully. No more will I think of him as that guy who played Spidey's friend. He is pure genius in this film and deserves all of the accolades he's received. Boyle also masterfully combines gorgeous scenery with an intense actor and some really crafty camera work to create a movie-watching experience you won't soon forget. Special features on the DVD are somewhat sparse, but excellent. There are a number of deleted scenes and all are well worth watching. There's even a hefty alternate ending and while it was tremendously touching, I ultimately prefer the way Boyle went on the theatrical release. There is also an audio commentary with Boyle, Co-Screenwriter Simon Beaufoy and Producer Christian Colson. While I typically don't like commentary, this one is well worth listening to as you view the film a second time. The lengths to which this production team went in order to deliver this masterful film are wildly apparent and appreciated. The scenery is breathtaking whether it is found in the punches of color in the beginning montage or the glorious vistas of the Utah landscape, but if you have a high-def setup, you need this film on Blu-ray. The DVD still looks great, don't get me wrong, but there are special features found on the Blu-ray that aren't on the DVD version, and one of them includes interviews with the real Aron Ralston. So if you have the option, go Blu.
This movie is amazing and it's one you'll probably want to see more than once. It's a great addition to anyone's movie collection, even if this isn't your typical type of movie. Run, don't walk, to get 127 Hours. Highly recommended.
