127 Hours - James Franco, have you arrived? [SPOILER ALERT]

The second half of my Toonie Tuesday Double Feature was Danny Boyle's 127 Hours. This film tells the true story of Aron Ralston, a climber and outdoor adventurer (much in the way I used to dream my life would be when I was 17 and wanting to be able to be outside the rest of my life).

Pretty straightforward: Aron goes out one weekend April 2003 canyoneering in Utah (Blue John Canyon), and during the course of his activities, a boulder came lose and crushed his right arm, pinning it to a rock.

I remember so clearly reading about this when it happened, and thinking how amazing it was, and in film form, it's just as amazing.

Aron made the one cardinal mistake you cannot make when you go into the backcountry: he didn't let anyone know where he was going. I'll be honest, in some instances I've done the same thing, but never on my own that far out.

Because no one knew he was there, no one knew he was missing and no one was looking for him.

James Franco has been given the role of a lifetime here, and he absolutely deserved his nomination for Best Actor. He's pretty much the only one in the movie, and the entire focus of the film is on him. To his credit, he thrives in the role. I could imagine many actors not being able to pull it off, so to see Franco do it, is a very rewarding experience.

This being a true story, you already know the ending, but the sign of a great film is when they can make the journey to that ending one that captures your emotions and has you completely invested in Aron and what's happening to him.

Time begins to pass as Aron realizes just how completely screwed he is. He goes through stages of anger, sadness, rage, acceptance, and the gamut between. Over the course of 5 days, you see him descend into delusions and hallucination, as he runs out of water and has to resort to drinking his own urine. You feel like you're there with him, and you're the one who has to do it or dehydrate and die.

One crucial scene has Aron on the cusp of a breakdown when he catches himself and repeats to himself "Don't lose it. Don't lose it."

When the realization sets in, Aron videotapes goodbyes to his family as we catch flashback glimpses to his life. These are gutwrenching and you feel the anguish he must've felt knowing that he'd likely never see his parents or anyone again.

Boyle has done a fantastic job directing, because I felt so invested in Aron, and I cared so much about him, and what he went through, and how he had to fight through everything before making the choice that I'm sure a majority of people wouldn't be able to.

The boulder isn't moving. He hasn't chipped it away with his multitool (NOT a Leatherman, but a no name piece of junk that he curses), so he finally rationalizes that in order to live, he must cut off his hand and get himself out or he will die. Unfortunately, the tool is too dull to saw or even break his skin. So he starts to carve his name and dates in the stone as a final marker for his resting place.

It seems as though he's given up and abandoned himself to his fate, when he hallucinates a child, his future son, and is renewed in his inner strength. At this time he just bends his arm so far that he snaps first one, and then the second, of his arm bones. What follows is VERY GRAPHIC, gory, and unsettling, but also crucial to the story. That he ACTUALLY cut off his own hand to free himself. The worst part is shown to be when he has to cut through a nerve and the pain is just excruciating to the point where I could feel my own arm in the theater hurting. (It was all in my head of course, but you know what I mean).

The moment when he finally detaches brings a sort of calm to things, when he actually realizes what it means; that he's free.

He bandages himself up as well as possible, packs up his stuff, offers a Thank You to above, and makes the labourious way out of the canyon.

When he makes it to a small pool and falls in for that drink, you're as happy for him as anything. Then when he takes off further, and can barely find his voice, screaming with nothing coming out (much like in dreams or nightmares), you're urging him on, willing his voice to cry out, and when he finally does cry for help and the hikers turn and come running, your spirit soars. When he takes the water down, when he gets 2 of the 3 hikers to run ahead so he can keep going, you will him to go on, and when he collapses, you worry, even though you know this can't be how it ends...finally, when it looks like Aron is losing consciousness, the helicopter comes around the bend and touches down, I'll be honest, I started crying.

This is a movie about the human spirit, and just how powerful it is. That usually sounds cheesy, but in this case, it's true. James Franco is fantastic, and I urge you all to see this film. If you enjoyed Into the Wild, think of this as a similar film with a happier ending.

This film doesn't need an Oscar, the fact that this actually happened, and Aron is still alive and thriving (with that son now) is more than enough proof in the victory of the human spirit, that Best Picture seems small and meaningless in comparison. I'm in super cheeze mode apparently, but this film really inspired me.