127 Hours (Danny Boyle, 2010)

[lacritfan]

Finally got around to seeing this and can't believe there wasn't a thread yet. I don't have a whole lot to comment on the actual filmmaking, my reaction was a much more personal, emotional one. Like Aron I've kind of always felt like I could do everything myself and didn't need others to help me, and like Aron I have to admit in a lot of ways I'm selfish, take others for granted and don't let people get too close to me, so when he realizes toward the end that the rock

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was meant to pin him there so he can realize how he's been and teach him not to keep people "at arm's length" I felt like I had the epiphany with him.

Maybe that's commenting more on his true story than the movie but I don't believe just any actor and filmmaker could've done it so I commend Franco and Boyle & his team of doing a great job of conveying all that. And setting the climactic scene to a Sigur Ros song didn't hurt.

[mfunk9786]

Definitely one of the best films of the year and one that improved upon repeat viewings. I'll write more once I feel that my thoughts on it have fully gelled.

[James]

And setting the climactic scene to a Sigur Ros song didn't hurt.

Seriously? Seems like the most obvious and "safe" thing a director could do at a climactic sequence. Then again, I haven't seen the film.

[Jean-Luc Garbo]

And setting the climactic scene to a Sigur Ros song didn't hurt.

Seriously? Seems like the most obvious and "safe" thing a director could do at a climactic sequence. Then again, I haven't seen the film.

This sure ain't The Life Aquatic, though.

[Grand Illusion]

I could've sworn that I wrote my opinion of this film on the forum already. I'm going crazy.

As someone that hated Slumdog and found its style to be grossly inappropriate, I found that Boyle's hyperkinetic style really fit the hyperactive mind of his lead character. The film bounces and zooms and flashbacks and careens through helicopter shots, but ultimately, this is how I saw Aron's mind working, so it all worked for me.

There are still a few Slumdog holdovers that are silly, such as putting overly-literal captions of text on screen, but Franco's performance is strong enough to pull the whole piece through to an emotional conclusion. I didn't really have a problem with Boyle's interpretation of the story being one in which a minor god is humbled and learns that he needs people around him. It's simple and universal, but it works. And the sound design is excellent. I'm not overly enthusiastic, but it's a very good film.

[James]

And setting the climactic scene to a Sigur Ros song didn't hurt.

Seriously? Seems like the most obvious and "safe" thing a director could do at a climactic sequence. Then again, I haven't seen the film.

This sure ain't The Life Aquatic, though.

Yeah, I try to forget about that. One of the only glaring flaws in an otherwise great comedy from the 2000s.

[manicsounds]

Great film, great disc, and only a few posts here on it....

Anyone else think that other Bill Withers' songs could have made it into the movie?

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like, "Ain't No Sunshine", "Lean On Me", and "I Can't Write Left Handed"...