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Day 213: November 29th, 2010

127 Hours



A great performance from Franco.

I applaud the film for being as entertaining and engrossing as it could possibly be, considering it's about a guy who gets his hand trapped by a big boulder and he just stands there for the rest of the film. I knew Danny Boyle would be able to pull it off though, the guy is talented.

Aron Ralston, an adrenalin junkie, becomes trapped under a boulder while canyoneering by by his lonesome in Utah. He tries all he can to escape, but it's not enough, until he's faced with the alternative, death. He takes drastic measures to ensure his life will prevail.

I walked away from the film with one thought in my mind, could I do the same thing. Well, for one thing I would be alone, but in this situation, I would definitely try everything I could to try and get out of that situation first. Would I pass out from cutting off my own arm? Who knows, but I do know that the will to live is indeed a powerful thing. The film displays this tremendously.

Beautifully shot and wonderfully edited, the film grabs you from the moments it starts and never lets you go. I was astonished to hear that some people were bored by it. Given the circumstances, I asked what did they expect from a movie about a guy who's trapped by a boulder. The real Ralston has stated that the film is as close to the real thing as anything, it could be a documentary. Another feat accomplished by Boyle and Franco, to truly capture the man in his most desperate moments. Ralston gave his seal of approval to the film and the performance, so do I.

The scene in which he has to cut off his own arm is not as graphic as I expected. It surely does look real enough though. I can easily recommend this film, Boyle delivers another great film that he can add to his impressive resume. Franco gives his best performance to date.