127 Hours

Right off the bat I must say that I wish I saw this movie when it was in theaters last year, because it was fucking awesome. Director/writer Danny Boyle (Slumdog Millionaire, Trainspotting, 28 Days Later) did an amazing job of recreating the harrowing survival story of adventurer Aron Ralston, portrayed by James Franco (Freaks and Geeks, Pineapple Express, Spiderman).

So if you don’t know (or you’ve been under a rock for the last year [BAHAHAHAHA]) 127 Hours is an inspiring story of survival against insurmountable odds and also a story of how the things and people we take advantage of come back and can be the last thread that keeps us alive.  From the opening scene you can see a hint of the cinematic awesomeness that went into this movie as you see scenes of thousands of people moving, cheering, living showing the amazing situations in which people come together in swarms juxtaposed. After this you are given a taste of who Ralston (Franco) is: a young man with a thirst for adventure. Ralston leaves his house in Utah in the very early morning hours, with a bike, rock climbing equipment and all of the other adventurer accoutrement. Ralston then drive excitedly, in the dark, to Blue John Canyon.

That morning Aron throws some Phish on his MP3 Player and heads out into the vast Utah canyons with a handy cam recording the whole adventure. We are presented with stunning shots of the canyons and far-stretching, dry rolling plains. Ralston bikes for sometime before setting out on foot to find a location he was eagerly set on getting too in record breaking time; until he meets up with some fine hiking honeys. He takes the two girls out to some crazy underground pool and chills and flirts with them and shit before setting back out on his journey (the real Aron Ralston claims that this did not actually happen and he only showed the girls some rock climbing tips, other than that Ralston claims that this film is as close to a documentary of his situation as you could get). 

This is where the story really takes off and where the “meat and potatoes” of this film lays. While traversing the cliffs and crevices of Blue John Canyon Aron steps awkwardly on a boulder and falls into a crevice; trapping his arm between the boulder and the wall (I guess you could say he was stuck between a rock and a hard place =\ ). Aron goes through his supplies which consisted of some carabineers, ropes, a small amount of water, a dyeing head lamp, some food, his cameras and a crappy multi-tool. Over the next  6 days Aron must overcome and survive the mental and physical extremes his body goes through as he struggles for food and water.

While he’s trapped with the boulder, Aron must delve deep into his mind to find the motivation to keep living and trying. During this time you are presented with scenes from his life where you see the many relationships that he has had and left behind and the impact that they have on him.

127 Hours is one amazing movie which really plays on your emotions. During this film I found myself looking back into my own life and the people I’ve forgotten about or left behind. I often overlook the people and situations in my life that have forever  changed me and given me the opportunities to live the life I’ve been so blessed to have. I love and hate when movies do that to me. SO ANYWAY, 127 Hours was absolutely awesome and on my inconsistent scale receives a 9.3. That is all.