127 HOURS OF AGONY

and when i say this i mean from sheer boredom.
although the film is beautifully shot and james franco is good in the role, the film does not deliver the wallop of what i see as a much over hyped exaggeration of the amputation scene.

127 Hours is the new film directed by Danny Boyle. The film stars James Franco as real-life mountain climber Aron Ralston who became trapped by a boulder in Robbers Roost, Utah for nearly five days in 2003. The film was written by Boyle and Simon Beaufoy and produced by Christian Colson, who previously teamed up for Slumdog Millionaire, and John Smithson.

In May 2003, hiker Aron Ralston (James Franco) is trapped in an isolated canyon after a fallen boulder crushes his arm while he is hiking in Utah. Over the next six days, Ralston examines his life and survives the elements before amputating his own arm to free himself from the boulder.
The "amputation scene" was the handiwork of makeup effects artist Tony Gardner and his team at Alterian, Inc. They strove to be medically accurate in every minute detail, as Danny Boyle shot the entire scene in one take and every aspect of the scene needed to be functional as well as realistic.

(franco & ralston)

During the screenings at Telluride Film Festival, two people required medical attention. At the first screening, an audience member suffered from lightheadedness and was taken out of the screening on a gurney. During a subsequent screening, another viewer suffered a panic attack. It is unknown as to whether or not the "amputation scene" was the cause of the incidents. Similar reactions were reported at the Toronto International Film Festival.


these are the incidents i feel are hyped and exaggerated. first off the person was diabetic so their seizure had nothing to do with the scene in question. second, the amputation scene is nothing extreme, it is medically accurate and in a way done with absolute taste... any third rate splatter film will cause more "seizures" than this film. i also am personally offended they would compare this scene to the scenes in the exorcist. the all-time grand dame, classic splatter film.
that's like comparing bambi to bambi vs godzilla.


(bambi-1942)


(bambi vs godzilla- 1969)

i get the impression that this was hype to get the buzz out about the film which really does not have any attraction to the gore crowd whatsoever.

(aron ralston- hot amputee)

for me personally it was just too feel-good, sweet, i-made-it-out-alive- type story.
i mean the guy became a dull celebrity and motivational speaker... and quite frankly i think he's a milk-toast speaker at that... here's a sample.


yes i sound jaded, yes, i sound like a gore-fest lover, but keep in mind i also experienced my own real life 127 hours when i had a hideous bike accident, (back in 1997) and almost lost my limb... although i wasn't forced to cut off my leg, and am still fortunate enough to have it intact, i know what long term unfiltered pain feels like.
it separates the men from the boys.

btw, james franco makes a cute-as-a-button amputee!