There was a lot of hype around this and I was sadly a little disappointed. Then again, what can be expected from a man in a hole for most of a film. In this case it was brilliant.
Ok so that gives nothing away. The story is simple, an adventurous Aron Ralston (James Franco) goes out on a run and a jump around the desert and falls between a rock and a hard place. With his right hand crushed and no fortuitous means of escape the film kicks in with the breakdown of Aron’s mind and some clever Danny Boyle cinema.
The bits that worked for me where the dream sequences and the presentation of hopeless despair portrayed by James Franco. It was in these moments that the film became a film and not a news feature, reproduction style. Also the moment of escape is very well done. The music works beautifully with the somewhat unique cinematography and gives gradual relief to the audience. The ending scenes add to the sense of success, though I could not stop thinking about how this is a true story, a real mans tale. A bit of a ridiculous situation to find oneself in, but makes an intriguing film none the less.
There were parts that didn’t do it for me, but on reflection I can let them pass, (the 90’s cinema feel and skate DVD editing). For this is a tale of human strength, fortified in its reality.
Simon Robinson's Culture Review 