Thursday, January 27, 2011

1508 - 127 Hours

I'm a little behind on this one, but glad that I saw it.  There's a certain amount of balls that it takes to tell the story of a man who is strapped in a canyon and never leave him while he's there.  Stay with him, and leave only when his imagination or memory takes you there.  No cutaways to friends or family wondering where he might be.  It's a bold and inspired choice, 'causing the filmmakers to be extra creative, and they rose to the challenge.
For all intents and purposes this should have been nothing more than an inspiring made-for-tv flick.  But with Boyle at the helm it's anything but.  Aron's time spent between his rock and hard place is more than just a physical obstacle, it's a chance for him to reach deep down.  The beauty of films like this is that it really puts you in their shoes.  What would you do to try and get out?  How would you try to say goodbye when you realized how slim your chances are?
Amidst the tension there are some wonder comedic moments - the stand-out of course being when he interviews himself, mocking his own characteristics which lead to him being so isolated.  That amongst the fantasies and hallucinations keep this film fresh.  I think that most people going into this know how it ends, but if you don't - maybe stop reading here...
The ending is pretty damn intense.  I found myself gritting the entire time.  Flinching, feeling empathetic pain to some degree.  I believe that Franco is going through what he is.  And speaking of Franco - so happy to see him getting some recognition.  He fascinates me to know end as a creative person.  I think he's great and I look forward to everything he's a part of.
This is an extremely entertaining film, but you might need a thick stomach to get through it.  Proceed with caution, but by all means, proceed!
127 Hours  127 Hours [Blu-ray]  127 Hours: Between a Rock and a Hard Place

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