Reviews

I distinctly remember sitting in my college apartment in 2003 and reading the story of a hiker who cut his own arm off to free himself from a fallen boulder that had pinned it against a crevice wall. One can't help but ask: What kind of mental state does a person have to be in to see that as the only way out? Danny Boyle's new film, 127 Hours, brings hiker Aron Ralston's gut-wrenching tale to vivid life. What he has accomplished is a film that is undeniably grueling, but also full of hope, oddball humor, and a reminder that no matter how bad you think things are, they can always be worse. Be glad you are alive.

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127 Hours is not an easy film to sit through, but it does remind us of the will that many of us have in the face of danger, not to mention death. Ralston is a very courageous man, and his story is not one that will soon be forgotten. The fact that the film ends on an upbeat note and emanates hope gives us a window directly to Ralston's current state. He's content, he still climbs (after leaving a note behind telling where he is going, of course), and is not looking for sympathy. He did what he had to do to survive, and is a benchmark example of the human spirit.

By Bill Clark, from FromTheBalcony.com

"127 Hours" is -- trust me on this -- an inspiring story of self-amputation. The film dramatizes canyoneer Aron Ralston's ordeal when a falling boulder pinned him against a rock face for five days. It sounds agonizing, and there is an atmosphere of desperation and loneliness through much of the movie. Yet in the wizardly hands of director Danny Boyle ("Slumdog Millionaire"), the nightmare becomes a tribute to Ralston's bravery -- without casting him as a hero. He just got tired of waiting to die and decided to live.

By Colin Covert, from Star Tribune