127 Hours - Review

High-octane, speed-fueled storytelling mixed with eccentric film editing can be entertaining when it fits in the right genre. In 127 HOURS, both of these elements do in fact work but only in the prologue where it is matched up with the superego of its main character. Once the giant rock crushes on to his hand and traps him in his "second place of home", director and co-writer Danny Boyle sadly continues his trademark cinematic pretentiousness and machine-gun artistic expressions to a full-bore. It is a major detriment and very annoying to the whole picture, especially since the film has a brilliant performance by James Franco and creates some great melodramatic thrills.

Going over the plot is not really necessary since it's simple and can be said in only a few sentences. Franco plays real-life mountain-man Aron Ralston, a hyper hiker who decides to go out into one of his favorite regions in Utah without notifying anyone. He falls down a crevice and gets his right hand jammed under a rock he used for support. After numerous ideas and plans throughout several days and nights, he finally resorts to a brutal separation of his arm and leaves for contact. It is a simple effective idea for the screen and it is kept to nicely tight 94 minutes.

However, Boyle's loony "look at me" direction contrasts against the real weight and drama of the story. He incorporates way too many long surreal flashbacks and alternate realities when only a selected few would work. There is a great bittersweet moment where Aron fantasizes about what his Sunday could have been: a secluded party, hanging out with a bunch of easy female prey, copious amounts of Mountain Dew and Mexican beer, all surrounded by a giant glowing Scooby-Doo. It fits with his testosterone-pumping buffoon lifestyle and continues his constant cravings for liquids. So, of course, Boyle has to hammer these two elements further down until it looks like Aron's severed arm. There is a totally useless plot involving a former flame that doesn't matter at all and numerous low-quality drink commercials implemented. He also keeps showcasing a couch like it's supposed to be really important and serious to the story. The crown-de-crap is his love for a three-stripe-framing structure used both for the credits and a torturous long segment in the middle.

Thankfully, he does settle down at times and lets James Franco take control of the proceedings. Franco is able to display a flurry of emotions even when he is just supposed to look tired and depressed. He maintains the existence of the human spirit during every harsh, exhausting moment Aron suffers from. Even with a scene that is highly flawed, such as when Boyle has him perform a recap done in a morning show style, Franco can make it work with an exceptional drive.

One of the best themes of the film that Boyle decided to include, and is actually brilliant, is how the overexposure of technology has reshaped modern humanity. Despite being at the canyons often, Aron still brings his two digital cameras. He just has to capture everything again and again instead of bringing more important items, such as a Swiss Army knife and a Gatorade bottle. Once stuck, the video camera is his only sanity left in check due to its ability to record reality. It becomes his friend, his audience, his masturbation tool. There is a great composed shot where Aron's face exists in three separate "realities": The side camera viewer, the iris viewer, and his own. After he breaks free, instead of leaving instantly for help and water, Aron is compelled to photograph his torture chamber.

It is aggravating that Boyle seems to care more about spreading his own ego further over the other factors of the film. He can and does pull off real-life drama and horror effectively, such as the much-hyped arm surgery scene. But Boyle's blunders with his new artistic trials set the film back. During the finale, he creates a genuinely beautiful piece of cinema accompanied by a great piece from A. R. Rahman. He then follows it up with another three-stripe frame, filled with fast motions and slow cut-up animations.

FINAL REVIEW: 3 / 5