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FeedMovie Review: 127 Hours
Films opening this week:
127 Hours - Amherst Dipson; Eastern Hills Dipson
Burlesque - Maple Ridge; Market Arcade; Elmwood, Transit, Galleria, Quaker, Hollywood Regals; Flix
Faster - Market Arcade; Elmwood, Transit, Galleria, Quaker, Hollywood Regals; Flix - REVIEW
Love & Other Drugs - Maple Ridge; Elmwood, Transit, Galleria, Quaker, Hollywood Regals; Flix
Tangled - Maple Ridge; Market Arcade; McKinley Mall Dipson; Elmwood, Transit, Galleria, Hollywood Regals; Flix
If there is anyone working in or out of Hollywood who could do justice to the claustrophobic entrapment of hiking enthusiast Aron Ralston, it’s Danny Boyle. His track record is impeccable, and his artistic vision is constantly evolving and morphing. When I walked into the Toronto International Film Festival screening of 127 Hours, where even David Cross became a mere film fan, I was prepared to be enthralled by the spectacle of James Franco isolated in a cavern with only his camcorder and Boyle’s direction.
At first Boyle had to talk Ralston into going with a fictional narrative—built around the autobiography and videotapes originally filmed as a goodbye to his family—rather than a documentary. The suspenseful drama that has resulted captivates right from the start, as Boyle’s techno-beat triptych expresses the adrenaline rush of someone about to conquer Mother Nature.
Here is a guy riding a mountain bike way too fast on way too unpredictable terrain, a point-of-view camera catching his wicked flip overboard when slipping off a rock. His first reaction is to bust out his digital camera to document the misstep, a wide grin showing that a little pain isn’t enough to end his day early. Then he encounters two cute college-aged girls out on their own adventure, having lost the trail they anticipated taking.
After rescuing the two (Amber Tamblyn, and Kate Mara), Ralston leaves them to go deeper into the canyons, and this is where he has a stroke of bad luck, falling as a boulder plummets with him, wedging his arm between it and the cavern wall as it stops. It is the beginning of a 127-hour test of physical, mental, and emotional duress with 15 minutes a day of direct sunlight, an ominous raven flying above, and only the lone hiker's voice, a video camera, and memories of family to keep him company.
After the screening, an audience member asked if Ralston ever prayed to his God or attempted to make some deal in return for escape. He answered with a laugh that he tried making a pact with every deity he could think of, even going to the devil as a last ditch effort. The film does not include any praying—what is shown instead are a series of video journal entries to his sister (Lizzy Caplan), his mom (Kate Burton), and his dad (Treat Williams), asking forgiveness for past mistakes and betrayals, large and small. His philosophizing about how his entire life led him to this point is interspersed with dreams of miraculous escapes, memories of an old girlfriend (Clémence Poésy), and regrets about his family. Director and screenwriter Simon Beaufoy lightens this with a sprinkling of humor, including a great bit where Ralston is a talk show host interviewing himself.
As time begins to speed by, a shot of the yellow of urine rising to Ralston's mouth provides grim visual evidence of the finality of his situation. His release is a grueling affair, but it’s also a moment of choosing life and love over defeat. Expect to see 127 Hours on stage at the Academy Awards in February.
127 Hours 9/10
photography:
[1] James Franco in 127 HOURS Photo Credit: Chuck Zlotnick
[2] L-R: James Franco, Kate Mara and Amber Tamblyn in 127 HOURS Photo Credit: Chuck Zlotnick
