TELLURIDE REVIEW- 127 HOURS!!!

On my second day of the film festival I decided to break the rules a little and veer from my schedule of films and see one of the major premiers of the festival, 127 HOURS. I absolutely love Danny Boyle and almost all of his films, with the exception of THE BEACH…sorry. Most of Boyle’s films are filmed and edited with such kinetic style that any subject can be made exciting; from a lumbering space shuttle to the cities of India, each of films are stamped with that Danny Boyle seal of excitement. Danny was the foundation for what made this film, the rest was up to James Franco, and he delivered.

James Franco is one of the most exciting actors making movies today. He has the looks of a star, the charisma, and the acting chops to make him a force. He has come a long way since Spider-man and has grown into a full-fledged actor. While introducing his new film, Danny Boyle compared James Franco to Spencer Tracy. Now that might seem like a tough mold to be modeled after, but it is not too far from the truth. James Franco is a rare actor that can carry a movie and provide everything from humor to tears, and he does it so well.

Now onto the movie. 127 HOURS is the story of Aron Ralston, an adrenaline junkie who finds his thrills in the mountains and caves of the American west, and his tragic accident in those caves. This is a true story with complete and total support from the real Aron Ralston, who wrote the book, and I met and talked to and hugged. In the film, Ralston falls into a crack in a cave and gets his forearm and hand wedged in between a massive chalk rock and the cave wall. What results is 127 hours of tragedy through pain, suffering, and madness. In case you are not familiar with the story of Aron Ralston I do not want to give too much away, but what results is graphic and upsetting.

James Franco is on screen throughout the entire 1:45 runtime. Boyle made a joke during the introduction that if you are not a Franco fan then leave the theater, but after this performance no one ca deny his abilities. This role was incredibly demanding. Franco had to carry a feature length film in basically the same set, which consisted of only a few feet, and he did. Franco proved that he belongs amongst some of the best actors alive today with this role. The torture and despair that Ralston feels are balanced with a sense of hope and bits of humor that Franco executes so well.

The direction deserves attention as well. People need to realize that, with this film, Boyle accomplished making a brilliant film with basically one actor and one very confined set. Another accomplishment was the lack of melodrama. The movie did not feel like your typical man vs wild film. It was fast, energetic and exciting. Stylistically, 127 HOURS is a Danny Boyle film. The pace, the edits, the music, the camera angles…everything is Boyle. One gamble he takes stylistically is with his use of western motifs throughout. Being the Sergio Leone fan that I am, Boyle borrowed aspects of western filmmaking the Leone often used and possibly invented, like the tilted close-ups in tune with music. He even got James Franco into the mood as well when Franco creates some incredible stares.

A lot of time is spent in the mind of Ralston, especially the further he is driven into madness, and this is accomplished by Boyle’s genius montage and dream sequences that allow you into the mind and history of this character. Another step into the mind of the Ralston occurs when his water supply starts to diminish. Boyle utilizes one of the oldest cinematic tools by taking what he accomplished in TRAINSPOTTING, with the drug scenes, and recognizing them in the form of dehydration and want for water. In one particular scene Ralston’s mind flashes through the massive desert, over hills and caves, into the bed of his truck, that is holding bottled of Gatorade. This technique of mind wandering is used in many scenes, and it is successful in its ability to create an exciting, fast paced tone for, what could have been, a slow and contemplative movie.

Boyle also takes advantage of an old partner for the score. He enlisted the genius of A.R. Rahman for the second time in two films to create a score and soundtrack. When his name first appeared on the screen, I was a bit worried. While I love the soundtrack to SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE, Rahman’s Middle Eastern-influenced style is not conducive to a film like 127 HOURS, but I was left surprised. The fast, percussive nature of his style is still very present, but it is accompanied with little themes of Americana. Almost unnoticeable bits of fiddle and acoustic guitar lay over the electronic beats of the soundtrack wonderfully. This style of music is very affective due to Ralston’s hyperactive, adrenaline loving attitude and lifestyle. Rahman has outdone himself again.

127 HOURS is an excellent film. This film will be given much consideration in the upcoming awards season. It is shot beautifully with Boyle’s incredible sense of color and contrast, acted wonderfully, and directed perfectly. Boyle and Franco are delightful when paired together, and I hope they work together more often.



Definitely see this movie. It is excellent.