Danny Boyle continuously amazes audiences with an astounding capacity to create cinematic triumph after cinematic triumph.
Boyle has an uncanny knack for capturing the joy of the human spirit counterbalanced by the most desperate circumstances, most recently displayed in the outstanding Slumdog Millionaire, and he may just have surpassed himself with 127 Hours.
It tells the true story of a young, energetic mountain climber named Aron Ralston who finds himself trapped in an isolated canyon in Utah after a huge boulder falls, crushing his arm against the cold, unfeeling rock.
The hype surrounding this film has been so huge it's near impossible to have not already discovered the brutal task with which the story ends, but it matters not. The viewer is enraptured from the off, eager to watch the action unfold and how our hero's unenviable Fate will play out.
The first 20 minutes celebrates all it means to Aron (James Franco) to be alive, a whirlwind of excitment, vibrant colours portray the glorious landscape with which he is so in love. Every weekend is spent in this treacherous domain, Ralston clearly believes himself invincible, possessing a devil-may-care attitude as he treks alone through the rocks he knows like the back of his hand...
After brief but thrilling escapades with two female trekkers he happens across, Ralston bids them farewell to go it alone to Blue John Canyon. Tension builds as we await the one foolish slip that leaves his right arm wedged tight in a narrow canyon, miles from human habitation. Desperate screams for help are futile, and his previous delight in feeling entirely isolated from the world soon turns to horror.
Woefully ill-equipped, dressed in only a t-shirt and shorts with a backpack containing a blunt pocket knife, climbing rope, less than a litre of water, a small flash light and a video camera with full battery. Ralston films his own demise and, astonishingly quickly, he decides to record a final farewell to his family and friends as odds of being recovered alive by a rescue mission are incredibly low.
Just 30 minutes in, I feared the slow passage of time would stunt the action, but James Franco carries the intensity of the role beautifully. Boyle invites us to climb inside Ralston's head by mixing incredible hallucinations and poignant memories with surprisingly amusing pieces direct to his video camera.
As time ticks slowly by, we pity Ralston as he hopelessly struggles to free himself. We know he has 127 Hours to go, five long days before his water runs out and the moment we've been dreading arrives. The ultimate decision between imminent death or fighting for a future, I found myself spurring him on as, agonisingly slowly, he uses a blunt blade to cut through his own flesh and set himself free. The powerful emotions this film stirs are overwhelming, if you thought Slumdog was uplifting you ain't see nothing yet.
Boyle certainly seems to cherry pick the most captivating stories, spotting the dazzling potential in Aron Ralston's short book "Between a Rock and a Hard Place" which detailed his remarkable tale of survival. More, please, Mr Boyle. More.
9/10
To see viewing times for 127 Hours please visit www.odeon.co.uk
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