Rating: ****
Films with just one actor and just one location are tricky. Take Phone Booth for instance. Starts off really well and then the interest wanes. For the most part, 127 Hours also has just one actor, James Franco, and one location, a narrow crevice in the Grand Canyon. But yet, it’s terrifyingly gripping.
The outdoors can be a heady experience. More so when you are hiking alone. But it’s foolhardy when you do it without leaving a note at home about your whereabouts. Aron Ralston does just that. He takes his car as far as it can go, then takes his bicycle as far as it can go and then he takes himself, as far as he can go. As he frolicks on the rock faces, you too can feel the rush. And then suddenly, a loose boulder that he steps on, comes off, and he is pushed inside a gap with the rock. When the dust has settled, his right hand is stuck between the rock and the inside of the crevice. Irretrievably. For five days.
This is the second collaboration between Danny Boyle and A R Rahman and both have outdone their previous efforts in Slumdog Millionaire. Boyle is unquestionably, a master of style. His camera captures all possible angles that can be exploited in a space no larger than 5 feet wide. Even simple acts like sipping from a water bottle look profound under Boyle’s touch.
James Franco is perfectly suited for this role. As the carefree backpacker for the first ten minutes, he takes us along for the ride, before it ends abruptly. Then on, you stay with him, not just physically but emotionally too. His increasing frustration is catchy; it will make you squirm in your seat.
127 Hours is based on a true story. Which seems shocking after you have seen the film. But it lends credibility to the high point that the film finishes on. If this were fiction, it wouldn’t have been so convincing.
No comments:
Post a Comment