127 Hours (Blu-ray + Digital Copy)
Directed by Danny Boyle
Studio: Twentieth Century Fox
Year: 2010
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 1080p AVC codec
Running Time: 94 minutes
Rating: R
Audio: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 English; Dolby Digital 5.1 Spanish, French, Portuguese
Subtitles: SDH, French, Spanish, Portuguese
Region: A
MSRP: $ 39.99
Release Date: March 1, 2011
Review Date: March 1, 2011
The Film
4.5/5
A harrowing and ultimately triumphant tale showing the will to survive, Danny Boyle’s 127 Hours is a beautifully made and expressively filmed saga. The idea of a virtual one-man show might not on the surface seem very appealing (especially if one is familiar with the true story the film is based on and some of its grisly details), but Boyle has used every possible trick in the cinema handbook to keep things moving, interesting, lively, and provocative. He’s also kept the running time to a beautifully sustained hour and a half which is more than enough time to tell this particular tale of anguish and eventual triumph.
Rock climber and nature explorer Aron Ralston (James Franco) sets out on a weekend expedition in southern Utah’s gorgeous but potentially lethal Bluejohn Canyon without telling anyone specifically where he’s heading. Though he meets a couple of lost hikers (Amber Tamblyn, Kate Mara) and assists them, after leaving them, a rock he assumes is steady slips, and he falls into a narrow crevice in a very remote spot and finds that his right hand is jammed between a one ton rock and the canyon wall. With only a dull knife, a video camera, some climbing ropes, his backpack, and enough food and water for about four days, Aron tries everything he can think of to free himself from his deadly predicament knowing that even if he manages to get free, he still has a four mile hike to his bicycle and a four mile journey from there to his vehicle.
Anyone who’s never understood that film is a director’s medium need only to watch this movie to understand how true that fact really is. Danny Boyle uses split screen, odd angled photography from a variety of vantage points, a succession of camcorder inserts, hallucinations, flashbacks, and every other cinematic device he can think of to keep the stagnant setting and a single actor in the frame from becoming tedious or repetitive. What he achieves is something of a miracle, a fascinating glimpse into the external and internal worlds of Aron Ralston, and there is not a moment of wasted film in showing us what makes this man tick. Boyle and Simon Beaufoy’s screenplay actually finds some humor in the situation (Franco interviewing himself a la David Letterman is a hysterical sequence until it reaches a moment of profound inevitability) while also dealing with joltingly keen and poignant struggles in attempting to extricate himself from his dire situation. Yes, the filmmakers don’t shy away from the visceral horror of what the character must do to have any chance at survival, but the sequences following are so profoundly moving and audience-involving that those horrific shots are quickly forgotten. The director errs at the end with his decision to allow Aron of the movie to come face-to-face with the real-life Aron, a shot that will take the viewer right out of the film, but it’s a small misstep in an otherwise superb motion picture.
James Franco earned the best reviews of his career with his terrific work as Aron Ralston, and he deserves them. Completely believable as a nature loving hiker and camper, Franco’s one man show is a pleasure to watch from beginning to end. The momentary excursion with Amber Tamblyn and Kate Mara is fun and reveals a side of Aron that we otherwise wouldn’t have gotten to see (especially since the two girls also turn up in video camera footage he watches as he runs out of options), but other excellent actors like Kate Burton and Treat Williams as his parents really have limited opportunities to do anything meaningful in the movie apart from their very brief flashback appearances. It’s really Franco’s show all the way, but he’s such an astute actor that his solitary performance registers as quite an achievement.
Video Quality
4/5
The film has been presented in its theatrical aspect ratio of 1.85:1 and is offered here at 1080p using the AVC codec. With all of the differing types of video representations offered here (from low res to high def), the Blu-ray handles them nicely. The vastness of these remote locations are offered in very beautifully detailed shots that are sometimes like paintings, but some of the interior canyon sequences are a little lacking in contrast which then affects clarity just a bit. Flesh tones are natural, and the reds and oranges of the scene will inspire the greatest amount of awe. Black levels are wonderfully delineated. The film has been divided into 24 chapters.
Audio Quality
4.5/5
The DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 sound mix will really impress you with the creative ways that sound has been utilized to give the movie a great amount of character. This is a high energy sound mix in terms of the music (A.R. Rahman wrote the score), and there are unexpected riches to be had during the course of the film’s 94 minutes, particularly with a surprise storm sequence that will knock you out of your chair.
Special Features
4/5
The audio commentary for the movie is provided by director Danny Boyle (who does most of the talking), producer Christian Colson, and co-writer Simon Beaufoy. As commentaries go, this one isn’t the best nor the worst with the participants relating some on-set stories along with tediously describing what we’re seeing on screen.
All of the video featurettes are presented in 1080p.
“Search & Rescue” allows us to meet all of the real-life people who played a part in this remarkable story as they relate events which led to Aron’s ultimate fate. It runs 14 ¾ minutes.
“127 Hours: An Extraordinary View” is the Blu-ray’s “making-of” documentary as we see director Danny Boyle and actor James Franco collaborating closely both on the canyon set and on the real-life locations. Each is interviewed about his approach to the material in this 35 ½-minute feature.
There are seven deleted scenes which may be viewed individually or in one 34 ¼-minute grouping. Among these are an almost 15-minute alternate ending which thankfully was not used in the theatrical release.
God of Love is the 18 ¾-minute short film which just won the Academy Award for Short Feature for director/star Luke Matheny. It’s a sweet fantasy about some magic darts which can bring six hours of devoted love to anyone struck by them. From the looks of this, we have a new Woody Allen for this generation.
The disc is BD-Live ready. The film’s 2 ¾-minute theatrical trailer can be found on-line (it is not on the disc) as well as an exclusive 4-minute interview with star James Franco conducted at the Telluride Film Festival in which he discusses his return to university studies.
The disc offers promo trailers for Unstoppable, Conviction, Never Let Me Go, and Love & Other Drugs.
The second disc in the set is the digital copy of the movie. There are instructions inside for installation on Mac and PC devices.
In Conclusion
4.5/5 (not an average)
A scintillating excursion into the tragedy and triumph of human endeavor, 127 Hours takes a one-person story and makes it something all can watch with rapt admiration. Some really well done bonus material shares the disc with an excellent video and audio transfer. Highly recommended!
Matt Hough
Charlotte, NC
