A rock and a hard place

IF you're looking for a hauntingly beautiful film about the indomitable strength of the human spirit and overcoming seemingly impossible odds, then look no further than 127 Hours.

Based on the true story of amateur mountaineer Aron Ralston's gripping adventure to save himself after a fallen boulder crashes on his arm and traps him in a remote cave in the middle of the desert, this film is nothing short of incredible.

Many films that rely solely on one character for their duration are often tedious because the audience gets bored and loses interest in what's happening. Yet, James Franco manages to hold your attention with ease and delivers a phenomenal performance playing back and forth with himself.

Before I continue I would like to point out that sometimes it doesn't matter if you know the ending of a film, it doesn't take away any of the suspense of getting there. Many people already know the story of Ralston's gruesome escape from his book 'A rock and a Hard Place'. Although the film pivots on a horrific act of self-mutilation, it is no horror movie, it's a beautiful story about the human will to survive.

By adding this film to his CV, director Danny Boyle, who's previous credits included Trainspotting and Slumdog Millionaire, he has successfully jumped into my top five favourite directors of all time.

The film's premise is simple, after the young adventurer descends into a menacing cave during one of his frequent trips of isolated exploration, things get nasty when a boulder falls and traps his arm underneath, leaving him with no foreseeable means of escape.

He frantically rummages through his back pack to see what resources he has at hand (an ironic and slightly insensitive choice of words). The question is, how do you escape being trapped against a wall with only a bottle of water, a torch, a length of rope, an energy bar, a video camera, a watch and a small knife?

Well, it's no easy task, but Ralston tries with all his heart to find a way. He constructs a pulley system, uses brute strength to try and move the rock, screams for help and even tries to chip away at the enormous rock with the cheap, little pocket knife .

After being trapped in agonising pain for hours, things look bleak as he starts to become delirious due to lack of food, water, sunlight and company. So, he does what anyone would do, he uses the camera to film his ordeal and documents his various efforts to escape. Assuming he will die in the cave, he also leaves a haunting message for his family, telling them that he loves them and is sorry that he never showed them just how important they are to him.

It's all quite emotional and again, Franco does a marvelous job in his role, really making you empathise with the character, which is no easy task, since the character is, by all accounts, a selfish and egocentric guy. It's not all misery and pain though, there are some perfectly-placed comedic scenes where he manages to joke about his situation. These scenes are a welcome relief from the terrible anguish the audience will no doubt be feeling.

However, after he runs out of food and water and has exhausted every other option, an idea hits him ... if he uses the rock to break his arm, he'll be able to cut away the flesh and free himself. Gruesome indeed, but when death is the only alternative, what would you do?

This is an exciting and moving film that has been expertly directed and acted out. It is full of suspense, joy and pain, with a touch of humour thrown in for good measure, but, be warned, it is not for the feint-hearted, or anyone who wishes to go mountain climbing in the near future.

If you're anything like my girlfriend (who spent parts of the film with her face buried is disgust and disbelief) then you may want to give this one a miss. However, I recommend that you give it a chance because I'd give my right arm to see it again!

Coming to Bahrain soon