I gotta preface the review by acknowledging that I was very aware of the story of Aron Ralston and everything that he went through. You couldn't escape the news about it, no matter how hard you tried to get away from it. And because I heard so much about it, the last thing I wanted to do was spend 2 hours in a cave, knowing full well of what is to come. As crazy as the real story is, I didn't really see how the film maker (Danny Boyle) would be able to sustain the entire movie with just one actor (James Franco) and one giant boulder on his hand.

Well, having just watched 127 Hours, I can say that this movie is unlike anything I have ever seen and Danny did manage to keep things moving forward by interjecting moments throughout that took us out of the cave to experience what Aron was thinking about at any given moment. These snippets or recollections and in some cases, fantasies could come off as abstract, making this film at times seem like an experimental one at that. This might rub some people the wrong way. I for one thought it was a great way to go. You're stuck at the bottom of a cave with a rock on your hand, you know you are facing imminent death, you have no food, you're running out of water. Of course you're gonna go delusional, which is why I think those segments play really well within the context of the movie.

As for the big moment, it was hands down (pun not intended) one of the more unsettling things I've seen in a movie in a long, long time. I think it had more to do with knowing that this actually happened and a choice was made to do just that in order to save himself. James Franco did an amazing job. Having just witness a truly amazing performance by him, I am absolutely stunned that he wasn't even nominated for his role. Another reason why the Oscars are becoming more and more of a joke with each passing year. I highly recommend this as a Rent. This is a movie that you won't soon forget.

Well, the DVD that I checked out didn't have any bonus stuff at all, other than commentary tracks. So, I had to hit YouTube to see if there was anything that I could watch that would shed so more light on what happened in Blue John Canyon and I stumbled across the Hour-long Dateline NBC Special with Tom Brokaw.

Just like the movie 127 Hours, I've never quite seen a special / doc like this. Can you really recall anyone going through what Aron went through, returning to the exact same place where he cheated death? Remember, this Special was shot a year after his ordeal. I don't think anyone other than Aron could do that. But even he isn't mighty as he does break down a few times. The bulk of the interview takes place in the very same spot, face to face with the very same boulder.

This was beyond riveting. I was moved while watching this and in a couple of spots got teary eyed as Aron recounts in great detail what he went through, as well as what his family was going through in a frantic search for her son. This is a great interview and if they haven't already done so, I hope that this Special is included on any forthcoming re-release of the movie as you aren't going to find a better source of material. I will definitely be checking out his book when I can find the time to do so.

I only adding Part 1 of the Special. If you circle back to YouTube through the video's link tab, you can find the other 5 Parts. Definitely check this out. Definitely worth an hour of your time.

Danny Boyle is awesome and as you said, one of the best film makers out there.