Danny Boyle excels at capturing senses more than any working filmmaker. Not only is he attune with sight and sound, but he can transport smell, touch, and taste right into our mind.
His skills have never been more apparent with 127 Hours. This is the nerve-racking story of mountain climber Aron Ralston, who gets trapped under a boulder and resorts to cutting off his own arm with a dull knife to save his life.
Under most filmmakers, this would turn into a direly depressing affair punctured by a cold lead performance. The result could easily have turned into a somber Saw-like avocation. With Boyle’s unadulterated confidence we are given an ecstatic celebration of life, led by James Franco at his best.
Kicking things off with a triptych of constantly evolving and connecting images, Boyle and composer A.R. Rahman jolt immediate life into the frame. After a quick wake-up in Ralston’s apartment, we waste no time getting to the adventure.
Inventing new ways to capture the gorgeous surroundings with every shot, cinematographers Enrique Chediak and Anthony Dod Mantle are at the top of their game. After a vibrant 17.3 mile bike ride through the terrain, Franco runs into two lost hikers, played by Kate Mara and Amber Tamblyn. He projects his cocky, but likable demeanor that carries him through what he (and we) are about to endure.
Then the inevitable happens. The boulder falls and we are trapped with our hero. Through the heightened sound of a tape rewinding or putting the camera inside Franco’s ever depleting water bottle as he searches for the last drop, Boyle takes complete advantage of every little space our lead occupies.
To pull us away from the canyon and delve deeper into Ralston’s life, Boyle takes us on a series of increasing hallucinations. From his childhood to his love life, each new existential trip fleshes out our deteriorating lead.
The worry I had coming in though still remains. We all know the story, resulting in a slight lack of suspense. Despite Boyle capturing this event in the most visceral way possible, what we knew all along would happen…happens. There are a few times when we want to believe down to our every last blood cell someone will come save our hero, but the knowledge he can’t escape forever lingers.
On the other side, this knowledge compounds into increasing anxiety that makes the payoff a euphoric relief. Details aside, you simply can’t look away. Boyle doesn’t stop the story there. Anchored by Sigur Ros, the final ten minutes are a blissful journey as Ralston reunites with society.
Dealing with the importance of human connection, family and life itself, Boyle had me in tears as the credits rolled. I’ve fallen in love with the director’s previous films on a purely entertainment level, but here he is reaching for something deeper and the impact is immense.
9 out of 10
127 Hours hits theaters November 5th.