Incredibly, Aron escaped the canyon by eventually severing his arm with a mere pocket kinfe and hiked out of the canyon, surviving the horrific incident. Aron went on to write a book about the experience called "Between A Rock And A Hard Place", which was adapted by director Danny Boyle (Slumdog Millionaire, 28 Days Later) into a film called 127 hours. The film stars James Franco as Aron and chronicles the time he spent stuck in the canyon, trapped helplessly, and lets us into his life, giving us a slight idea of his childhood and of the girl he once loved.
The film begins in Boyle's usual flashy style, with grainy images of excitement and chaos around the world, while Aron quickly packs and hops in his truck, hauling down to Moab at night and even filming himself on the road into the trail head, exhibiting a child-like sense of excitement as he barrels towards the trail. He crashes for the night in the back of his truck, wakes up, and jumps on his bike, pedaling hard across the Moab desert and having a grand old time.
He ends up meeting two young women who are lost, and offers to show them to the spot where they're trying to hike. They find out how bold he is when he takes them to the top of a canyon slot and merely drops down below into a pool of water, telling them to come down without telling them what's at the bottom. After some fun spent at the pool, Aron goes on his way and the girls leave, inviting him to a party at their place the next day.
And so Aron moves on, putting on his headphones, listening to Phish as he bounds away with bursts of energy, leaping over rocks, dropping down off of ledges. He reaches the top of a slot canyon and looks down in eagerness, testing a dead tree branch for stability. He uses it to lower himself down, then tries another leap only to slip, fall, and have a heavy boulder fall with him and pin his lower right arm against the canyon wall. He can only sit there in incredulity, until he tries as hard as possible to pry the boulder off with his legs and free arm. But it's no use. And so begin the 127 hours that Aron is stuck in the slot canyon, trying his hardest to figure a way out while also trying to not panic.
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| Aron ponders his situation |
After 24 hours, Aron gets his video camera out and begins to explain his situation to the camera, letting it know who he is and who his parents are, so whoever finds it can take the tape to them. For the next few days, Aron sits, pinned, and reflects on his life. He laments the fact that he never speaks to his mother, that he didn't plan to be at his sister's wedding, that he let go of the girl he loved. Boyle uses some incredible visual techniques to keep us right there with him, never straying too far from the scene and even including some brilliant shots such as one that shows the last few drops of water flowing from his Camelback from the inside.
Franco gives an incredible "one man show" style performance, keeping us engaged and with him the whole time. We feel with him, for him, we encourage him to keep trying. He sits and realizes how foolish he was to go hiking by himself, and how trying to act like "the hard f***ing hero" could ultimately lead to his demise.
The result is a story that's gripping, sometimes terrifying, and all inspiring. Boyle and Franco both tell the story without being cheesy or over-the-top, and the emotion all feels real. On top of that, the visual style is unique and fascinating.
Bottom Line: 127 hours is a film that combines an Oscar-worthy performance, stunning cinematography, and terrific directing with an inspirational story. It's undoubtedly one of the best films of the year, and even the past few years.
Grade: A
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