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FeedTIFF Day 4: The intense, brilliant "127 Hours," and more
It has been almost twenty-four hours since seeing the world premiere of Danny Boyle's 127 Hours, and I find myself still reeling. The true story of a daredevil-y guy stuck with his arm under a rock for almost a week, it is a stunning, visceral, bold experience; one audience member referred to it as "the most intense moviegoing experience I've ever had," and brother, I know what you mean. It builds steadily toward an almost unspeakably horrific moment, but handles it in a way that feels not gross, or scary, but triumphant. It's a story of surviving at any cost, and it has bypassed Never Let Me Go (for me) as not just the best film of TIFF, but easily the best I've seen this year.
It's a stronger, better work than the very good Slumdog Millionaire, and Boyle and writer Simon Beaufouy deserve major kudos. But this is James Franco's show. Onscreen by himself for much of the film, he is funny, moving, and downright heartbreaking. So is the movie. The real Aron Ralston was at the screening, and his choked-up reaction to the power of the film seemed to visibly move the audience. I know it moved me. This is an incredible film, and a 10 out of 10.
Our other films yesterday were good, if not altogether enthralling. Robert Redford's The Conspirator is a fascinating, well-acted film about the trial of Mary Surrat, and Norwegian Wood, while coming across as much, much more somber than Murakami's modern classic of a coming-of-age novel, is gorgeous and occasionally devastating. Let's say 8 for Conspirator and 7 for Wood.
And that's all she wrote. But it's not all we wrote, and will write. Look for more from Jared and I on TIFF here, and also for a feature on the festival in the November issue of Spree.
Reader Comments:
I can't argue with anything Chris has said here except for a slight change in final scores. 127 Hours is a massive success and the experience has remained with me even now. However, and admittedly only because it is a true story (non-fiction somehow never resonates with me as much as fiction), I'd stick it with a 9/10 (Boyle's Slumdog and Sunshine both superior work to me), but definitely say it's my number two of the fest (Never Let Me Go taking top prize) and quite possibly entrenched in my year end Top 10.
As for The Conspirator, I think I enjoyed it a little more than Chris, but agree with the 8/10 rating. Norwegian Wood, on the other hand, was perhaps too somber for me; the very deliberate pacing not helping a story riddled with tragedy and suicide. I still give it a 6/10 for some spectacular cinematography and top-notch acting, though.
My task of reviewing all 15 films we saw begins tonight (the first couple paragraphs for Film Socialisme already jotted down). Once they are complete, I will create a post with links, as well as a compiled rating list of both mine and Chris's scores from the weekend.