Danny Boyle’s latest is the very true to life retelling of the Aron Ralston story. The vast majority of the film takes place with Ralston, played by James Franco, trapped in a narrow stone canyon. I’m sure I won’t be the only one to compare this film to Rodrigo Cortes’ Sundance prem-ing Buried – but apart from the similar predicament of the protagonist, the two are really quite different. Buried is all about the gimmick – “How can we make an interesting movie that only takes place in a confined space?” But 127 Hours starts from a different place – “What is the best way to tell the story of someone stuck in a confined space?” While the difference is subtle, it allows the filmmakers a greater amount of leeway to experiment with the idea of confinement and its effect on the character.

The greatest flaw in the film is that we all know from the beginning how it is going to end. This creates a bit of an anticlimax once we get past the gruesomeness of the final decision. However in this case, the journey becomes the destination. Boyle’s vision let’s us peer into the mind of Aron Ralston and Franco does an incredible job of bringing us along as he goes through the different stages of hope, grief, remorse, and desperation. What starts as an incredibly compelling if not very cinematic story becomes a very interesting exploration of a character in an extraordinary situation. Look for Franco to be rewarded at Oscar nom time with possibly more noms to come along for the ride.