Boyle's Best

127 Hours tells the gripping true story of Aron Ralston. An engineer who found excitement in mountain climbing.

Director Danny Boyle recaps the events that took place in April 2003. Aron Ralston was going about his way climbing through the canyon, when a loose boulder fell and pinned his right arm against the rocks. The film captures Aron's struggle to fight for his life with the little supplies he had.

Now I remember hearing about the news at age 13. I don't think I reacted appropriately -- I mean, a guy cut off his arm to save his life. The words went in one ear and out the other. They had no semantics till I watched 127 Hours.

From the get-go, I was bracing myself for the inevitable arm-cutting scene. But before that could happen, we had to see Aron run out of "lifelines" in order to conclude that cutting his arm was the only means of saving his life.

He gets trapped early on in the movie, and since it runs for about 90 minutes, I was wondering how they would fill up the time. In fact, Boyle decided to throw in some flashbacks, which I found to be an interesting additive. It gives the audience a peek at what Aron's life had been like. Who his family was, who he'd loved, even what he had done the morning of the accident, etc. It's realistic to add in the flashbacks. I would think that if one was presumed to die soon, one would reminisce on the past and what could have been.

Finally I get to the moment I've been waiting for -- the arm cutting scene. I'm indifferent when it comes to blood and gore. I don't love it, but I can stand to watch it. Having said that, on this occasion, when there's much arm cutting, vein pulling, and bone breaking, I'll admit I was quite tense throughout. Thankfully, I was watching it in bed, so I watched from behind my comforter.  Great scene. Pivotal.

It's amazing how actors can use their talent to manipulate you to feel as their characters feel. James Franco delivers a performance that is Oscar worthy. I experienced Aron's triumphs and tribulations. When he attempted to push the boulder off his arm, I could feel my own teeth gritting as he pushed and struggled. It's a rare aptitude that few actors possess. James Franco proves once again that he is an A-list actor who can portray both a stoner and biological character with ease.

Bottom line: Boyle + Franco = a force to be reckoned with. Well done sirs.