Film Review: 127 Hours

Of all the films I expected to see before the end of last year, 127 Hours was probably the most disappointing missed opportunity. It's kind of difficult to write something that hasn't already been said about the film at this point. Plenty believe that the entire film is about the crucial climactic scene that everybody has to talk about at one point or another. It's plenty more than that, although this is probably the most simple film in the Best Picture race this year. That doesn't necessarily count against it, and it actually works as the feature-length equivalent of a short story. The primary obstacle that the film must face is how to keep an audience interested and invested in a film that spends a great deal of it's run time in one single area.

Quite a few films last year have dealt with isolation, and I'm not just talking 127 Hours and Buried. The Social Network and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 also dealt with those issues, albeit in a much more conventional way. 127 Hours goes for the unconventional road, much like the main character. It's the story of Aron Ralston, a mechanic with great confidence in his own ability to survive on his own. He displays an isolationist attitude, trying at every chance to escape the derivative bustle of the cities, and that leads him on a solo rock climbing trek. Oh, and then he gets his arm pinned against a wall by a large and immovable boulder.

I've been generally surprised by how many films this year have been so relatable to me, so it was nice that I could relate Aron Ralston to somebody other than myself. After the fifteen minute opening, I couldn't help but see a little bit of my older brother in him. That probably means nothing to those who live far outside the state of New Hampshire, but it's nonetheless true. He's overly confident that he can succeed in situations where others would crack, but there's always a point where it's unbearable. James Franco does a brilliant job capturing that slow and gradual descent from airhead to delirium. It never feels forced, as if the hallucinations are just coming in full force like a switch has been turned on. All the slight treats of warmth, water, and even familiar company are taken away gradually, and it all feels rather believable.

The cinematography has the gloss and colorful flourishes stripped away from it, leaving a cold tone similar to pale image of a video camera. There's never a moment when it's just sitting around in some mundane position. There's always some flash of movement. A.R. Rahman follows up his award winning soundtrack to Slumdog Millionaire with a kinetic and quick minded score indicative of an action feature, which it feels a lot like in certain sequences, not the least of which is the climactic scene everyone talks about. In a strong year for directors, it shouldn't be an insult to say that Danny Boyle comes in fourth place behind David Fincher, Christopher Nolan, and Darren Aronofsky. To come off such an underdog success and deliver a film like this is an impressive feat. There have been so many films that have canned the idea of a happy ending, because that's not the way life is. There's misery and pain all around, but 127 Hours shows how precious life is, and how pathetic things are when it's taken away. It doesn't touch the poignancy of 2010's more tragic films, but it's the most affective telling of that story, and it'd be worse if it wasn't told at all.

B+

Awards 2010: Detroit Film Critics Society Winners

Can we just proclaim an official winner at this point, because no matter what, it's probably going to happen. I'm calling it, right now, that The Social Network will be the 83rd feature length film to win Best Picture at the Academy Awards. I truly wish there was more intensity in this race, and it may unexpectedly come up out of nowhere, but David Fincher pretty much has this thing in the bag. A backlash hasn't started up yet, and it's not likely to. The film is demolishing the critics awards, but there is still recognition across the board. Detroit critics obviously decided to honor the cast of Winter's Bone first and foremost, but the adoration was spread across the board.

Best Film: The Social Network
Best Director: Danny Boyle (127 Hours)
Best Actor: Colin Firth (The King's Speech)
Best Actress: Jennifer Lawrence (Winter's Bone)
Best Supporting Actor: Christian Bale (The Fighter)
Best Supporting Actress: Amy Adams (The Fighter)
Best Ensemble: Winter's Bone
Best Breakthrough Performance: Jennifer Lawrence (Winter's Bone)

Awards 2010: Detroit Film Critics Society Award Nominations

I took a second look at Winter's Bone this weekend, and I was pleasantly surprised by how much it meant to me the second time through. So it makes much more sense why the film is astonishing at all these critics awards, including the Detroit Film Critics Society, who just announced their nominations this year. This week is going to have several critics awards being jammed in here and there, so be prepared for plenty of reading material. Winter's Bone and The King's Speech took the greatest majority of the nominations, but it feels like the critics are leaning more towards the former in this case. You can take a look at the nominations below, and let me know what you think.

Best Film
127 Hours
Inception
The King’s Speech
The Social Network
Winter’s Bone

Best Director
Danny Boyle (127 Hours)
David Fincher (The Social Network)
Debra Granik (Winter’s Bone)
Tom Hooper (The King’s Speech)
Christopher Nolan (Inception)
Edgar Wright (Scott Pilgrim vs. the World)

Best Actor
Jeff Bridges (True Grit)
Jesse Eisenberg (The Social Network)
Colin Firth (The King’s Speech)
James Franco (127 Hours)
Ryan Gosling (Blue Valentine)

Best Actress
Nicole Kidman (Rabbit Hole)
Jennifer Lawrence (Winter’s Bone)
Carey Mulligan (Never Let Me Go)
Natalie Portman (Black Swan)
Michelle Williams (Blue Valentine)

Best Supporting Actor
Christian Bale (The Fighter)
Andrew Garfield (The Social Network)
John Hawkes (Winter’s Bone)
Sam Rockwell (Conviction)
Mark Ruffalo (The Kids Are All Right)
Geoffrey Rush (The King’s Speech)

Best Supporting Actress
Amy Adams (The Fighter)
Helena Bonham Carter (The King’s Speech)
Greta Gerwig (Greenberg)
Melissa Leo (The Fighter)
Jacki Weaver (Animal Kingdom)

Best Ensemble
The Fighter
The Kids Are All Right
The King’s Speech
Scott Pilgrim vs. the World
Winter’s Bone

Breakthrough Performance
Andrew Garfield (The Social Network/Never Let Me Go)
Greta Gerwig (Greenberg)
Jennifer Lawrence (Winter’s Bone)
Chloe Moretz (Kick Ass/Let Me In)
Mia Wasikowska (The Kids Are All Right)

For Your Anticipation: What's In Your Wallet?

I've had my uncertainties in the past with 127 Hours, but reviews have been holding up pretty well for it, so whenever I do get the chance to see it, I'll probably enjoy it. The problem in promotion of this film, going into limited release this weekend, is that it takes place in one place for most of the duration, and the one part of the film people will be talking about the most is rather grisly. The clips provided are rather sparse, but the one that give me the most idea of what to expect from Danny Boyle's latest is this one, where he says barely a word, yet the cinematography says a great deal.

Saturday-Sunday: 28 Days Later

To tell the truth, I wasn't expecting to follow up what I did last weekend, as it was pretty much supposed to be a one time thing. However, then I decided to sit down to watch 28 Days Later, and here we are. For those who don't know, the film is about Jim, who wakes up from a coma to discover that humanity is, for the most part, gone. Instead, there are a bunch of zombies in their place, with a small contingent of survivors focused on continuing to survive. It's a really unique and realistic look at would happen if we were to sustain a zombie apocalypse, and extra points are deserved for it being British. That always adds a slight shred of credibility to your film.

We get both perspectives of the apocalypse, with Jim experiencing these horrific events for the first time, and the survivors who are by now used to the way the world is. We have Selena, who is the ruthless survivalist who will do pretty much anything to ensure her group's survival, even if that means killing them. On the other end there is Frank, a father trying to give his daughter some sense of stability and normalcy in the new chaotic world. We quickly get a sense of how unsafe the world is now, and every time they're out in the opening, things get extremely intense very quickly.

It helps when bringing a story like this to the screen to have an acclaimed director on hand. Come to think of it, I'm don't think that there's a genre of film that Danny Boyle hasn't worked with. He's been covering all bases, and he does a pretty good job here transforming the world we see everyday into a ravaged monstrosity. The cinematography is the usual high energy sort of thing we see with his work, though the score isn't really too notable. What sells me on this work is the actors, who are genuinely fantastic. Cillian Murphy leads the pack, with an emotional performance as well as a courageous one.

Brendan Gleeson's time in this film is cut off a little too soon for my tastes, but he's so damn charming as the father with a heart of gold. Although any Potter fanatics will have a joke about that drop of infected blood falling into his eye. Naomie Harris does a passable job playing the aggressive Selena, all though I can't stop laughing at that hair. Megan Burns is just too nice to be raped, in any case. Christopher Eccleston, who was a guest star on Heroes before he inexplicably disappeared right before the series turned into a crock of s***, does a great job playing the evil military officer. Overall, a pretty great film, despite being made for merely £5 million.

B+

Oscar 2010: Is "127 Hours" Really Oscar Worthy?

A month ago, one of the biggest things to come out of Telluride was Danny Boyle's 127 Hours, but I couldn't help but notice that things weren't exactly pitch perfect. It always felt like the adoration was a little reluctant. Still, within the first few days after the film's premiere, people were quick to say that it was a front-runner. Back then, it was a strict race between this and The King's Speech. Then The Social Network turned out to be even more spectacular than the trailer, and it took 127 Hours' place easily. That really prompted me to question the film's actual chances, and here we are.

James Franco is still in the race for Best Actor, since he practically carries the entire film on his shoulders. He'll definitely earn a nomination, but will in all likelihood lose to Colin Firth, as most will. Cinematography may still be a strong suit for the film, but I'm just uncertain of the style of the footage I've seen. The film will probably rely on replay value, and I'm just not sure people will want to go back to it. I know it sounds crazy to be questioning the Oscar gods at this point, but I've taken 127 Hours off my predictions for Best Picture. Once you've gotten past the initial shock, I'd suggest taking a look at this, this, and this.

Theatrical Trailer: 127 Hours

Well, I know I kind of criticized the first trailer for 127 Hours, but it was actually a lot better than this one. I know the reviews have been saying some good things about this film, but I'm just not sure. This trailer goes more of the sentimental route, and I'm not entirely sure if this film is as great as first hinted. Check out the trailer below and tell me what it is you think in the comment section below.

High on "Telluride": 127 Hours

Two years after Danny Boyle premiered Slumdog Millionaire at the festival, earning the film a distributor and saving it from a straight-to-DVD release, he returns the favor to Telluride by premiering his new film, 127 Hours, as the sneak preview of the festival. Word broke out about the film right after the screening ended. It was hard to write about anything else when everybody was feverishly talking about this film. I'll let the critics take it from here.

A.O. Scott (Awards Daily): "His experience is disconcerting enough just to think about, and to see it recreated, in Mr. Boyle’s characteristically fast-moving, immersive style, is jarring, thrilling and weirdly funny. At a question-and-answer session after the first screening on Saturday afternoon, Mr. Boyle — director of Trainspotting, 28 Days Later and of course Slumdog Millionaire, which snuck into Telluride two years ago — described himself as a thoroughly “urban” type with no great love for or interest in nature. And the jangly, jumpy energy he brings to a story of silence, solitude and confinement gives the film an irreverent kick that deepens and sharpens its emotional and spiritual insights."

Eugene Novikov (Cinematical): "This is the character arc at the heart of the film – the tempering of Aron's devil-may-care confidence, and the realization that he shouldn't take the world around him for granted. "I wish I had returned all of your phone calls," he tearfully tells his mother in one of the video messages he records half out of boredom, half as a kind of prayer. It's a familiar theme, echoing among other things the "happiness only real when shared" revelation that hit Into the Wild's Christopher McCandless too late. I was reminded also of The Lookout, a better film with Joseph Gordon-Levitt as an arrogant star athlete humbled by a crippling head injury."

So, consider this the official go ahead for a Best Picture campaign for this film. The empty nomination slots are filling up very quickly, and we may be in for one of the tightest and most exhilarating Oscar races in year. Against all these fantastic premieres, it's hard for me to keep an open mind about my personal vote of confidence.

Teaser Trailer: 127 Hours

It's amazing how such high expectations can be brought down to earth over the course of two minutes. The trailer for Danny Boyle's much talked about new film, 127 Hours has arrived, and my take of it is slightly mixed. I was one of the people who absolutely loved Slumdog Millionaire, but this looks like a whole different animal, maybe in a bad way. A lot of the cinematography is much like a hand held camera. If that's the way this entire movie is going to be, then I have some hesitations. However, this feels more like a teaser trailer than a final one, so maybe there's more than just this. I do like the quick change in tone from light and enjoyable, to panicked and terrifying. We'll have to wait and see if this ultimately figures into my Best Picture prediction for it. Check it out below.

"127 Hours" and "Black Swan" Release Dates!

You may notice in the sidebar that my Oscar predictions for Best Picture have changed, mostly because one of the big films of this year, Terrence Malick's Tree of Life, doesn't look to be coming out any time this year. So you'll find two new films have surfaced on the sidebar, the first being Darren Aronofsky's Black Swan, which is set to open the Venice Film Festival. The other is 127 Hours from Academy-Award winner Danny Boyle (Slumdog Millionaire), a film about mountain climber Aron Ralston's remarkable adventure to save himself after a fallen boulder crashes on his arm and traps him in an isolated canyon in Utah.

Both films finally have release dates set for the last two months of the year. 127 Hours is set for release on November 5th, and Black Swan will come into limited release on December 1st. This year has been mostly devoid of outstanding quality, with the exception of a few bold films. So now that we're entering the time of year when high-class filmmakers release their films, we may receive a flood of films that overshadow those three films from the first part of this year. I can see 127 Hours and Black Swan placing on the top 10 list for Best Picture.