Danny Boyle takes what is a very simple story—the true account of rock climber Aron Ralston who gets trapped beneath a boulder while spending a weekend in the Utah desert—and squeezes every last drop of tension from it, using all the stylistic arrows in his quiver. That includes split-screen, zooms and jagged spurs of sound. James Franco as Ralston is a coil for the electricity Boyle delivers. Ralston tries everything he possibly can to free himself, succumbing to comforting flashbacks and hallucinations of escape. And when the much-publicized limb-severing takes place, it’s not for those with a tender disposition, nor should claustrophobes invest in a ticket. But for fans of cinema, it’s an adrenalized, impressive 94 minutes.
This article appears in Jan 27 – Feb 2, 2011.