Movie Review – 127 Hours

Cinema | February 17, 2011 | Share

Running Time: 1 hr 33 min
Genre: Drama
Director: Danny Boyle
Cast: James Franco, Kata Mara, Amber Tamblyn, Clemence Poesy, Treat Williams

Oscar winner Danny Boyle yet again proves his ability to showcase a different side of the story. After Slumdog Millionaire, 127 Days has again succeeded in attracting audience’s attention. The plot revolves around the true story of a mountain climber Aron Ralston’s significant struggle to save himself after a fallen stone crushes his arm and he gets trapped in an secluded canyon in Utah.

This is an excellent portrayal of will power and the never say die spirit of a struggler who attempts desperately for his survival. After five hard days, Aron Ralston scales a 65 foot wall, cuts his own arm and hikes over eight miles before he is finally rescued. The movie is more about Ralston’s condition, his small achievements, setbacks and remoteness.

Though the major shots were shot in the canyon, yet we get to watch a glimpse of some sequences of the protagonist at home before leaving, memories from his early life, his lover, and the two hikers whom he meets along the way. The story lacks some suspense as the ending is very well known, but this flaw is compensated by the extra ordinary camera work. The movie is very well edited and has multiple creative jump cuts.

127 hours is a must watch, a tale of inspiration that is different from the rest of the survival stories. It focuses on victory rather than defeat, when the audience walks out of the theatre, they are contented and motivated.

Suvidha Bhatnagar