If like me, you have watched 127 Hours over and over you are probably a James Franco fan and his wannabe wife or husband. But before being anything to anyone I am a realist first and know that the latter would be a miracle; but the biographical story of mountaineer Aron Ralston played so authentically by ‘James’ is more than just a figment of the imagination. It is a story of one man’s fight for survival and the solitary battle to keep his will and vision for the future alive. Apart from it being another Danny Boyle cinematic triumph this thought provoking movie really asks the question; how far would you go to free yourself?

We all draw on inspiration from the memoirs and experiences of others but when faced with alone time your mind is forced into an unexpected space that forces you to think of your own. In Aron’s case, he had no choice but to reflect on his relationships, family and choices which inevitably brought him to the rock that fell on his fateful arm just as religious and spiritual books fall into your lap when you least expect them; but did the boulder find him or did he find the boulder?  At this desperate juncture who found who isn’t even a consideration but releasing yourself from its crushing hold is.

I’m not suggesting that anyone should lose a limb but going out on one would be a good start. Am I mistaken in thinking that we have become obsessed with taking one giant leap when small steps can be just as triumphant? Running before we can walk, singing before we can string a sentence together and ignoring the people that just want to hear your voice. What may be perceived as hero like behavior, does nothing but alienate you until that big bad boulder comes along without warning and bites your hand off!

For those of you who watched this film for the first time and thought this is going to end badly, you weren’t wrong; Aron Ralston performed the unimaginable but did it because a vision of what his future included became clearer than the sky over the Blue John Canyon. He was and still is a man who likes to explore and conquer terrain’s that only a dare devil would chance but he tells the people that love him where he is headed and when he’ll be back.

Beautifully shot by the visionary eye of Danny Boyle, 127 Hours is a truly remarkable story of courage and three years after its release I still wonder why James Franco didn’t win an Oscar for his believable and honest portrayal of Aron Ralston.