Release Date: March 2, 2011
Rating: R
Running Time: 94 minutes

From Academy Award winning director Danny Boyle (Slumdog Millionaire) comes the powerfully uplifting true story of one man’s struggle to survive against mountainous odds. Aron Ralston (James Franco) has a passion for all things outdoors. But when a falling boulder traps him in a remote Utah canyon, a thrill-seeker’s adventure becomes the challenge of a lifetime. Over the next five days, Ralston embarks on a remarkable personal journey in which he relies on the memories of family and friends–as well as his own courage and ingenuity–to turn adversity into triumph!

127 Hours is one of the most gripping stories of survival that I have seen in a long time. For someone who found himself stuck under a rock in Blue John Canyon in Utah after not telling anybody where he was going, Aron Ralston is incredibly intelligent guy. His survival skills are remarkable and the decision to cut off part of his arm, not knowing if he would bleed to death before he received help…that redefines the word inspirational. The film starts out very simple yet equally as heartbreaking as viewers find the many things that could have helped Aron on his harrowing journey. As the film goes on, the suspense builds and viewers are taken on quite an emotional and physical journey…one that Aron was not prepared to take but in so many ways more prepared than the majority of the viewers. Because he is so intelligent, he never seems to panic or feel defeated which says a lot about his character and optimism throughout.

Aron still has highs and lows…with his cry for help early on and the humour he takes on later in his “morning show,” James Franco owns this character. This role could not have been played by anyone else and received the same moving results. And while the film soars because of Franco’s brilliant performance, it’s not like Buried…more like Castaway in that we do meet other characters and see parts of Aron’s life before and after his time being trapped. Another very significant aspect of this film is the directing. The camera angles and shots of not just Franco but of the Canyon as well as the cinematography are spectacular. This film comes together in a way that no one could have envisioned, even knowing the story. Danny Boyle makes the unimaginable as authentic as Aron Ralston experience and what a disturbing one it is but inspiring one to watch.

Bonus Features:

Commentary – The commentary was conducted by director/co-screenwriter, Danny Boyle, producer Chistian Colson, and co-screenwriter, Simon Beaufoy. Of course, it begins with a mention of the Slumdog Millionaire nod in the opening sequence. But the three guys get down to business talking about what was changed from the original story and the photographs and video that are replicated exactly the same way. For instance, in real life, Aron dropped his car keys while stuck not his knife. Though for a more dramatic effect, the knife was chosen. Though all of the photos and video that James Franco took, Aron took. The three also discuss working in the canyon, scoring the film, and Aron’s extraordinary resourcefulness among other things. If viewers were intrigued by the film without knowing about Aron’s story beforehand, I’d recommend watching the film, reading Aron’s memoir, and then watch the commentary.

Deleted Scenes – There are seven deleted scenes, though my personal favorites are “Glad You Made It” and “Four Options.” “Glad You Made It” takes place just before the drink montage when Aron is parched and it shows this one shot of Aron’s ex-girlfriend and friends on a mountain top. That shot won me over! What a beautiful shot. It is unfortunate that this shot did not make it into the film but thankfully it made it to the DVD format. In “Four Options,” Aron is discussing cutting his arm off, which he believes is a suicide mission. His other three options were interesting as well and should definitely be watched by all of have this DVD, if you only watch one part of the special features. As for the “Alternate Ending,” well it definitely is not as satisfying as the ending that made it. What I did find interesting was seeing the people who found him at the end in the mountains having more lines and being interviewed about the experience as well as Aron’s time in the hospital and more of the aftermath. Though it was all more emotional silent. Though the display of Aron’s life today was much better in this ending, as the font was white against a black background which made it much easier to read.

Own 127 Hours on DVD today.