Editorial
Front Page - Friday, February 25, 2011
The Critic's Corner
“127 Hours”
David Laprad
The best thing about going to the movies early in the year is the opportunity to see small independent releases that big budget offerings crowd out of theaters during the busier seasons.
A couple of weeks ago, “Rabbit Hole” offered me refuge from “The Roommate,” “Sanctum” and “The Dilemma.” This week, “127 Hours” saved me from having to choose between “Just Go With It,” “Gnomeo and Juliet” and the Justin Bieber movie, which I’ve heard is good, but there’s no way I’m going to see it by myself.
“127 Hours” is an indie effort that’s playing in mid-sized to large markets and will be out on DVD March 1. It’s received six Oscar nominations, including Best Picture and Best Actor in a Lead Role, among others. I’d read good things about it, so when it hit a local theater, I said a prayer of thanks and made plans to see it.
I’m glad I did. “127 Hours” tells the true story of tenacious mountain climber Aaron Ralston, who in 2003 ended up trapped under a boulder while cayoneering alone in Utah. Starring James Franco, it chronicles the 127 torturous hours Ralston spent at the bottom of the crevice into which he fell, how he survived on meager provisions while his arm decomposed, and the courageous act that saved his life. With no food, water or help on the way, Ralston escaped death by cutting off the upper portion of his right arm with a dull two-inch pocketknife.
Given its subject matter, it should come as no surprise that “127 Hours” contains one intensely gruesome scene. I used to love gory movies, but somewhere along the road to 47, my stomach turned and I started looking away when things got messy. But I forced myself to watch the amputation scene in “127 Hours,” including the shot where Ralston cuts through a spaghetti-like strand of nerve by slipping the knife under it and, in an excruciating moment of pain, pulling up. I didn’t want to miss one frame of this extraordinary movie.
If you’re still with me, you probably believe you can handle the amputation scene, too. Or you’re curious how a two-hour movie about a man stuck in a thin crack in the Earth can possibly be interesting. Good question.
The story of Ralston’s survival is remarkable, but it works as a movie because of the efforts of two talented people: Franco and director Danny Boyle. For those of you who aren’t as obsessed with movie credits as I am, Boyle’s last movie was the Academy’s Best Picture of 2009: “Slumdog Millionaire.”
Although Boyle shoots on shoestring budgets, he has an interesting visual style, and his films hum with energy. From the majestic views of Blue John Canyon to the claustrophobic scenes of Ralston in the cave, Boyle packed “127 Hours” with optical delights.
In one scene, sunlight washes through the crevice and hits Ralston in the leg; in another, a storms moves quickly over the rocky landscape above Ralston, bolts of lightning striking the earth and rain pouring into the gap.
Boyle also comes up with interesting ways to display the things Ralston did to survive. In one amusing scene, he literally douses viewers in yellow liquid. I could almost smell the urine. I’m glad Boyle didn’t film “127 Hours” in 3D.
It’s unlikely Franco will win an Oscar for his performance, since it looks like “The King’s Speech” is going to sweep the awards, but if he does, it will be well deserved. Working off video Ralston made while in the cave – and I’m assuming talks with the man himself – Franco is captivating. I love the look of disbelief on his face the first time he sees his arm wedged behind the rock; it’s a classic reaction shot. Throughout the movie, Franco pulled me into every moment, whether Ralston was struggling to stay mentally sharp, visualizing himself drinking beer at a party, battling hunger and thirst, or thinking back on past relationships, missed opportunities and regrets.
The moments when Boyle takes us not out of the canyon
but into Ralston’s mind are powerful. As Ralston thinks back on
his life and then has a vision of
his future, his quest to free himself by any means possible becomes about more than survival; he desperately wants redemption and to live a life of purpose.
If you don’t catch “127 Hours” in theaters, see it at home. It’s a singular achievement that proves movies don’t have to be shot on a grand scale to tell a triumphant story. All you need is one director, one actor, a tiny cave and an exceptional story about what a person can accomplish when sufficiently motivated.
Rated R for language and disturbing content. Four stars out of four. Email David Laprad at dlaprad@hamiltoncountyherald.com.
|
|