James Franco Gets Intense in Danny Boyle's 127 Hours

When Aron Ralston found himself inextricably trapped for 127 hours between a boulder and the wall of an isolated canyon in Utah in May of 2003, the last thing he had on his mind was telling his story to millions of people in a book or movie. While most people are aware of the story of how Aron came to be trapped as well as the fact that he had to amputate his own arm in order to free himself, that's where the story ends for most of the general public-until now. In spite of the fact that most of us know how the story ends when we walk into the theater, Academy Award-winning director, Danny Boyle (Trainspotting, Slumdog Millionaire), conveys the complexity of Aron Ralston's predicament beautifully with an Oscar-worthy performance from James Franco.

127 Hours does a fine job of captivating its audience and pulling them down into the isolation of the subterranean Hell where Ralston (James Franco) found himself trapped. James Franco is not only believable as Aron Ralston in 127 Hours, in a way, he becomes him. Danny Boyle's use of camera angles, sound, and music does wonders for making the audience feel truly trapped in the situation with Aron Ralston (James Franco). 127 Hours painfully illustrates the lengths to which we, as humans are capable of going in order to save our own lives.

A common response I've heard from people when discussing 127 Hours and the story behind it is "Oh, I could never do that!" Now, I'm not saying that everyone would be able to do what Aron Ralston did in that canyon, but everyone of us is capable, and the film truly is a triumph of the human spirit. 127 Hours doesn't just tell the story of what happened to Aron Ralston, it examines the journey of how having to do something so awful is sometimes empowering.

Interestingly enough, James Franco will be co-hosting the 2011 Academy Awards with Anne Hathaway. It will certainly be interesting to have a host who has a shot at taking home the 2011 Oscar for Best Actor. While Colin Firth won the Best Actor Golden Globe for his role in The King's Speech, don't count James Franco out at the 2011 Academy Awards. Franco's performance in 127 Hours is worthy of the award.

I will mention that 127 Hours 'R' rating is deserved. The scene where the actual amputation is portrayed is intense. If you are the squeamish sort, I'd just recommend not looking. I wouldn't recommend missing out on the movie because you are nervous about that scene. It is graphic, so be aware. Overall, I think James Franco's performance is outstanding in 127 Hours and it gets 4 stars from me. It's a great cautionary tale for us invincible adventurous types-always tell someone, anyone, where you are going!

Source: 127 Hours