127 Hours (Danny Boyle)

Ralston triumphant.

Though I was quite caught off-guard with director Danny Boyle's visual approach to the film's potentially claustrophobic theme of isolated survival, "127 Hours" is a great showcase of emotions, music (by Oscar winner A.R. Rahman) and imagery, all converging to enhance the raw powerhouse performance by James Franco in what might be the best performance of 2010.

What's very impressive in the film's overall execution is how it has able to merge the momentary pain and suffering of protagonist Aron Ralston (it's a true story, for the uninitiated) while trapped under a boulder with the almost surrealistic longing, self-reflection and intermittently spiraling state of mind of a desperate man victimized by too much free spirit and gutsy individualism. Danny Boyle, after creating a much praised exploration of Indian optimism amidst urban squalor and third-world poverty that is "Slumdog Millionaire", entered a project with a very different emotional arc and injected it with the relentless 'trademark' imagery that made his film "Trainspotting" so popular and 'slick', at least for those inclined for some other cinematic devices other than the narrative.

What resulted is a harrowing tale of both the deterioration of the body and the mind, captured by James Franco with a sense of naturalism and urgent consciousness that the man he's portraying on-screen isn't just an individual akin to a 'T-shirt at best' (borrowing from 'Se7en' there), but a fairly enduring testament of a 'clamor' for life and the will to live, which is more or less, the definitive nature of any straightforward man.

"127 Hours" is by no means a film that offers something new emotionally and aesthetically; in fact, I've seen a considerable amount of films that have utilized such type of editing style (particularly films dealing with postmodernism or at least those who pretend they do) and theme ("Cast Away?"). What makes this film significantly memorable and one of the better pictures of 2010 is its thorough observation of the semantic difference between 'deep' and 'profound': exploring the natural depth of a perilous mountain crevice, the irrevocable consequences to its every chance encounters (the first), and the landscapes of the soul (the latter); the inner recesses of a harmonious alliance between the heart and the mind to hold the words 'I'm giving up' fairly at bay.

'Do not lose it', said Aron Ralston to himself during the critical moments of his 'rocky' predicament. To which he is pertaining to isn't important; it is the fact that whatever it is, he never will and he never did. The generalized proof of human tenacity in the presence of certain death.

FINAL RATING

The Edge (Lee Tamahori)

Survival in the jungle and against each other.

Film Review Archive (date seen: November 29, 2010)

Intense wilderness adventure anchored by strong dual performances by Anthony Hopkins and Alec Baldwin, respectively. During my childhood (or at least from what I recall), I always hear about "The Edge's" inclusion of a grizzly bear and how impressive the animal's sequences were. That particular claim is certainly true, and believe it or not, without the abominable presence of the bear, the film's impact, in my opinion, would not have been that effective.

Yes, "The Edge" is really about how an extramarital affair and its psychological implications would translate into the primitive idea of survival in the wilds, but ironically enough, it's also about an unexpected friendship found in that irreversible circumstance, especially for it to develop from two people with contrasting personalities and coming from different social status. The bear fight sequence is the film's center piece, heightened by exceptional editing, intense musical score and, well, credible performance from "Bart the bear".

Timothy Treadwell (see "Grizzly Man") should have seen this film, because although "The Edge" is a purely cinematic treatment of the characteristics and behaviors of a grizzly bear, it must have been enough to prove his prolonged eccentric immersion with the animals to be a very grave impossibility, at least in terms of whether or not the bears would see him as a caring 'friend' or a 'food' within reach.

FINAL RATING

The Crazies (Breck Eisner)

'Excuse me. I really need a ride into town'.

Film Review Archive (date seen: October 24, 2010)

One of those well-made horror-thriller remakes considered superior to the original (the others I can think of were "The Hills Have Eyes" and "The Last House on the Left"). Though I thought a sheriff as a protagonist (played by Timothy Olyphant) was an obvious, immediate choice to fill in the shoes of the central character, it was performed well by Olyphant, and though his physical stature may easily belong to that of a larger-than-life hero (remember, he played "Agent 47"), he has added a considerable amount of vulnerability, giving the "edge-of-your-seat" factor a notch higher than the usual.

Its title "The Crazies" is more or less an eponym of the film's abhorring, almost mutant-like killers, but may also pertain to the military itself, playing god with science, only unleashing hell afterwards.

The original "The Crazies" was made way back in 1973, but when you look at it, although how extreme the treatment of the film has been, it's also a sharp, fear-inducing social satire much relevant today as it was 37 years ago. Think about it. "Biological Weapon". "Genocide". Much, much more, isn't it?

FINAL RATING

The Thing (John Carpenter)

The thing.

Film Review Archive (date seen: September 19, 2010)

Pure exercise in paranoid filmmaking, with a very exceptional science fiction concept (quite reminiscent of "The Invasion of the Body Snatchers") as a canvas for the blood and gore, the suspense and tension. The story is quite fundamental, a bunch of people in one place hunted by a mysterious force. With this simple premise, it all comes down to how it was executed.

Helped by the very impressive special effects by Rob Bottin, "The Thing" is a significant film that relentlessly explores the human condition if enclosed in such a hellish situation. Kurt Russell was great as Macready, a character that I think has established a cult following as one of the all-time great heroes of the horror/sci-fi genre.

But when you look at it, he never possesses any characteristics identifiable with such. He never set on to save anybody but himself, purely relying all of his actions to his id. But maybe it's these kinds of traits that all of us viewers like to see from a protagonist: an everyman facing an otherworldly predicament. A nobody in complete survival mode.

While watching "The Thing", the tagline of Ridley Scott's "Alien" repeatedly recurs in my mind (come on, don't pretend you don't know!) and I thought, it never needs to reach space; Antarctica in its vast icy glory is enough to inspire deaf ears, deep fears, and loud screams.

FINAL RATING