127 Hours

Based on a true story, James Franco stars as Aron Ralston who goes off hiking one weekend, only to spend the next 5 days trapped in a canyon because his arm is stuck under a boulder. Without much food or water, we witness Aron's frustrations, despairs, hallucinations, paranoia, and finally his regained sense of purpose and strength to amputate his arm in order to escape and find help.

The script is very well written, a fine balance of the real time entrapment that weaves in Aron's thoughts about things in the past, what he remembered, what he regretted, and then later a glimpse of the future that could be his if he survived. James Franco does a great job as well, drawing the audience into that small space with his character.  From the happy-go-lucky Aron in the beginning to the disbelief and still light hearted of the trapped Aron, to the Aron who finds the courage to do what needs to be done, Franco does it all.

Music is the one Oscar nomination I might really question about this film, at times the score felt mismatched with the film, to the point where we almost feel we're back in Bollywood and India, in Slumdog Territory (Rahman's previous work)

3.5/5