7.7 | / 10 |
Users | 4.4 | |
Reviewer | 4.5 | |
Overall | 4.4 |
A mountain climber becomes trapped under a boulder while canyoneering alone near Moab, Utah and resorts to desperate measures in order to survive.
Starring: James Franco, Amber Tamblyn, Kate Mara, Clémence Poésy, Kate BurtonBiography | 100% |
Psychological thriller | 88% |
Drama | 88% |
Adventure | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (48kHz, 24-bit)
Spanish: Dolby Digital 5.1 (448 kbps)
French: Dolby Digital 5.1 (448 kbps)
Portuguese: Dolby Digital 5.1
English SDH, French, Portuguese, Spanish
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Two-disc set (1 BD, 1 DVD)
Digital copy (on disc)
BD-Live
D-Box
Slipcover in original pressing
Region A, B (locked)
Movie | 4.5 | |
Video | 5.0 | |
Audio | 4.5 | |
Extras | 2.5 | |
Overall | 4.5 |
If you’ve ever dropped your cell phone into the toilet, locked your keys in the car, or blurted out something you really shouldn’t have said, you know what it feels like to wish you could rewind time for just a few seconds and have a do-over. Extreme outdoorsman Aron Ralston had one of those moments in 2003, only his stakes were much higher than most of us will ever experience. While hiking into Utah’s remote Blue John Canyon, Ralston made a misstep and dislodged a boulder the size of a large snowman’s bottom section, pinned his right arm to the rock wall. Adding to his regrets, he had told no one where he was going that day, he had brought only one 32oz. water bottle, and he had forgotten his trusty Swiss Army knife. Somehow, Ralston survived for five days trapped in the canyon, but mere survival wasn’t enough—he needed to escape. Knowing that rescue was unlikely and that death was imminent, he did the unthinkable, sawing off his arm below the elbow with a cheap, dull, Chinese-knockoff multipurpose tool. It’s an against-all-odds survival story that forces you to ask the question: Could I do the same?
James Franco as Aron Ralston
I have no doubt that the 1080p/AVC-encoded transfer for 127 Hours will be among the best of 2011, not just for being true to its high definition digital video source, but also because the image is simply stunning—vivid and sharp, with sculpted contrast, all coming together for a picture with real depth and presence. The film was shot primarily with the same Silicon Imaging SI-2K digital cameras that Boyle and cinematographer Anthony Dod Mantle used on Slumdog Millionaire, and the results they get here are just as strong, if not better. Clarity is exceptionally refined, revealing every nuance of Aron's cramped canyon quarters. The contours of the rock face, small bits of sand, the individual threads on Aron's baseball cap, the flaky, dried-out texture of his chapped lips—it's all nearly tactile. Color is equally intense, especially in the above-ground scenes before and after Aron gets trapped, where Boyle shows us broad expanses of craggy Utah landscape, with aquamarine skies over nearly orange desert. Black levels are solid and contrast is perfect. I did notice a single instance of slight aliasing/shimmer during a high aerial shot of the desert below, but otherwise there are no noticeable compression/encode quirks. I really can't imagine the film looking any better than it does here.
127 Hours' DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track is nearly just as impressive. Much of the mix relies on the loneliness of unsettling silence, but there are also some effective uses of minute sounds that you'd rarely hear in any other film, like the click-click of an ant's feet as moves across Aron's hand. Rear channel ambience is quiet and unobtrusive, but you will hear some crackling peels of thunder and pouring rain at one point, and some of Aron's hallucinations are accompanied by clever uses of the soundfield, like when we hear a beer being poured somewhere in the space behind our heads. Where this track really shines is its music—which all sounds full, rich, and immersive—from the semi-ironic use of the 1970s soul hit "Lovely Day" to the triumphant strains of Icelandic export Sigur Ros, the go-to band for lending a scene a sense of spiritual majesty. A.H. Rahman's original score is fantastic as well, especially during the amputation scene, where it rises to an almost unbearable frenzy, complete with one of the most jarring sound effects I've ever heard in a film—a squall of feedback that blares anytime Aron hits a nerve. I get chills just thinking about it. Dialogue is clean and clear through, and for those that need or want them, English SDH, Spanish, French, and Portuguese subtitles are available in easy-to-read lettering.
Some of you were probably hoping for some real footage from Aron Ralston's adventure—to be honest, I was too—but I can understand why Ralston wouldn't want to make that material public. Still, there are some great supplements on this disc, especially the audio commentary and making-of documentary.
Although it didn't win any of the Oscars it was nominated for—Best Picture, Best Actor, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Original Score, Best Original Song, and Best Film Editing—127 Hours is one of the best films of the year, a remarkable true story of survival featuring a career-defining performance by James Franco. Fox Searchlight's Blu-ray is also a winner, with a stunning high definition transfer, a solid audio track, and a few great extras. Highly recommended!
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