127 HOURS

WARNING: this review is full of spoilers. If you know nothing about this movie, just scroll to the bottom for the letter grade.

127 hours lived up to my expectations. I was a little worried that it would fall flat because of the nature of the beast. You know the story. You know about the infamous cutting off of the arm scene. And you know how it ends. Usually this is a recipe for an underwhelming movie.

Not in this case.

Danny Boyle, who directed Slumdog Millionaire, did a fantastic job of keeping the movie flowing. With his use of split screens and unique camera views, you never got bored. The musical selection was just right. Not too over the top and not too somber. The acting by James Franco was engaging. He kept you interested in watching this man, stuck in a cave, for 127 hours. He made you feel his pain, his hope, and his desperation.

The aforementioned arm scene wasn’t as bad as I thought it was going to be. The bloodiness of it was no worse than a clip from ER or Grey’s Anatomy. It’s the emotionalism and mentality of it that makes people squirm. Franco and the story have you so involved with the character that when the time comes to cut his arm, you wonder if you could do the same if stuck in that situation. You wonder how it would feel and how far gone you would have to be to actually do it. That’s why you squirm or in some cases, faint.  To most, it is just inconceivable.

The movie is well told, well directed and well acted. It is not for everyone but it is way more interesting than most of the movies that are currently out.

Grade: A