Stuck in the moment you can't get out of: James Franco gives his best performance yet in 127 Hours
127 Hours--Danny Boyle just isn't one of my favorite directors. Granted, I haven't seen *all* of his films (his best, to me, being Trainspotting), but his frenetic style is something I can only take in small doses. It didn't necessarily elevate Slumdog Millionaire beyond it's repeated core, and doesn't add much to his new film, 127 Hours. What does make the film memorable and, actually, very good is the highly impressive performance from James Franco (an actor who always does well but not exactly extraordinary until now) among a few other effective elements.
Franco stars as Aaron Ralston, a young and active daredevil-with-a-death-wish who, after meeting two female hikers (Amber Tamblyn and Kate Mara, making the most out of their brief but pivotal appearances), gets his arm stuck under a bolder in a cave in April 2003. The rest is history, as we all know what happens and how it occurs, but 127 Hours still ignites enough excitement in a story whose ending we already know. One of the strongest attributes of Boyle's film is his dedication to this intimate, claustrophobic space and how he cinematically conveys this sensation. His choice in editing, while overdone at times, serves to emphasize the emotional tension Ralston is going through, while A.R. Rahman's score (as well as some other tracks) sets a pulsating tone.
The film however, especially in the last thirty minutes, seems a bit too preachy. Ralston does reach some insightful realizations regarding himself and his family, but those don't arise without some forced thematic montages (characteristic of Boyle) that neglect the strong, intimate resonance. Nevertheless, Franco gives an empowering performance full of range and poignancy--Ralston becomes an accessible, human figure; actors portraying real-life people sometimes tend to make them seem mundane and one dimensional but, thanks to Franco, this is not the case here. Though excessive in some areas, Boyle's 127 Hours is ultimately harrowing, dramatic, and emotional.
Grade: B+
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