127 Hours
Dir: Danny Boyle
2010
****
Visually it's brilliant, very flash with an awesome soundtrack - typical Danny Boyle really. The one thing that bothers me though is that being trapped in a cave for 5 days isn't that exciting. I think it would have been a greater challenge to have shown the real emptiness, loneliness and nothingness that the experience in that situation would really be like. Steve McQueen (III) would probably have made it like that but then again, it probably wouldn't have been as entertaining. Where he really excels is in his depiction of madness, the loosing of ones mind - played brilliantly by Franco but without Boyle's realist surrealism (Can I copyright that?) this film just wouldn't have worked. Respect due for not shying away from showing the graphic sides of the story too and I also loved the Scooby-doo bit, it's great seeing that kind of thing in an mainstream/Oscar nominated film. I've not read the book it's based on but I can guess how it translates, my only wonder is whether it's a good read or not. It's an interesting story, don't get me wrong but I don't know if the cliches of the film are from the book or not. For example, I can see why Aron Ralston in the film is filming himself, whether he did or not in real life doesn't really matter, but did he start talking like a game-show host when he started to go a bit mental because I've seen that a couple of time in film already, I'm just saying! But like I've touched upon, Franco's performance is perfect, he's definitely an actor on the up and even though I've had issues with Danny Boyle's films in the past, I always look forward to his next.