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127 HOURSMovie Reviews
Biographical drama about Aron Ralston, who in 2003 was rock climbing in Utah when he was pinned between a boulder and a canyon wall for five days, forcing him to amputate his forearm in order to survive. Cast:James Franco, Amber Tamblyn, Kate Mara, Clémence Poésy, Kate BurtonDirector:Danny BoyleRelease Date:November 5, 2010DVD Release:March 1, 2011From:Fox SearchlightRating:RLength:1 hr 33 min
127 Hours played to outstanding reviews. • Bill Goodykoontz wrote in the Arizona Republic, "...a fascinating story of survival, determination and grit. But is it a movie? Is it ever." • Tom Long wrote in the Detroit News, "...undeniably the best feel-good movie ever about self-amputation..." • And Josep Parera wrote in La Opinion, "Boyle vuelve a sumergir al espectador en una aventura límite, un desafío tanto visual como narrativo." More Reviews Below...
Thelma Adams, Us Weekly: VERY GOOD(cg) "Franco brilliantly embodies the arrogant but likable Ralston... Boyle energizes a potentially static story with fast pacing and adrenaline-driven music."(See all of Thelma Adams's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 90 words, 11/11/10
Owen Gleiberman, Entertainment Weekly: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...the darker it gets, the more enthralling it becomes.... a salute to do-it-yourself existential bravery, and an ingeniously crafted one..."(See all of Owen Gleiberman's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 795 words, 10/29/10
Claudia Puig, USA Today: OUTSTANDING(cg) "Only a truly visionary filmmaker could take a story largely set in a cramped canyon and give it a sense of openness and hope.... Franco is thoroughly captivating..."(See all of Claudia Puig's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 492 words, 11/05/10
James Berardinelli, Reel Views: VERY GOOD(cg) "...a fascinating story of determination and survival that deserves to be told. It is ultimately uplifting but it's tough going to get to that point."(See all of James Berardinelli's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 1,100 words, 11/01/10
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NEW YORK/LOS ANGELES/CHICAGO/TORONTO (14 Reviews)
A.O. Scott, New York Times: OUTSTANDING "...nearly flawless.... leaves you with the impression of having lived, vicariously but intensely, through something whose meaning is both profound and elusive."(See all of A.O. Scott's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 1,112 words, 11/05/10
Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "My question for Boyle is simple. At what point does a director's determination to activate a static scenario become dishonest?"(See all of Michael Phillips's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 575 words, 11/12/10
Dan Kois, Village Voice/LA Weekly: VERY GOOD "...a portrait of American ingenuity, with Franco's likable, practical performance at its heart.... a smartly chosen, intuitively delivered performance..."(See all of Dan Kois's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 765 words, 11/03/10
Peter Howell, Toronto Star: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...if you have an appreciation for the cruel absurdities of life and the ability to rise above them, then '127 Hours' is the ultimate 'Road Runner' cartoon."(See all of Peter Howell's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 725 words, 11/12/10
Liam Lacey, Toronto Globe & Mail: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...suffers from the filmmaker's lack of nerve, a reluctance to let the audience taste Ralston's dread and the expectation of a slow, absurd death."(See all of Liam Lacey's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 632 words, 11/12/10
Norman Wilner, Toronto Now: EXCELLENT(cg) "Boyle brings his usual flair to the action, jumping into flashbacks, fantasies and hallucinations.... the cinematic equivalent of restless leg syndrome..."(See all of Norman Wilner's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 171 words, 11/11/10
Carrie Rickey, Philadelphia Inquirer: OUTSTANDING(cg) "It takes a particular talent to build an action movie around a static figure literally stuck between rock and hard place. Boyle has the gift."(See all of Carrie Rickey's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 513 words, 11/19/10
Mick LaSalle, Houston Chronicle/San Francisco Chronicle: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...pretty much an unbearable experience... And yet, it must be said, it's exceptionally well made."(See all of Mick LaSalle's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 669 words, 11/19/10
Colin Covert, Minneapolis Star-Tribune: VERY GOOD(cg) "...vivid and intense without being offensively graphic or gory. I winced, but when it was over my overall feeling was of admiration for Boyle's tact."(See all of Colin Covert's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 598 words, 11/19/10
Chris Vognar, Dallas Morning News: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...an ode to survival, a bracing story of man and nature and an exhilarating sensory experience. It's my favorite movie so far this year.... a rush."(See all of Chris Vognar's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 538 words, 11/12/10
Ty Burr, Boston Globe: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...both grueling and transcendent... What begins as a story of survival becomes something infinitely more moving: a man's journey back toward the human race."(See all of Ty Burr's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 778 words, 11/12/10
Shawn Levy, Portland Oregonian: EXCELLENT(cg) "...it is undeniably Franco's film, and he imbues it with palpable verve, purpose and naturalness. It's a terrific performance..."(See all of Shawn Levy's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 681 words, 11/19/10
Calvin Wilson, St. Louis Post-Dispatch: OUTSTANDING(cg) "Franco is terrific... Boyle is such a gifted filmmaker that, in his hands, '127 Hours' is genuinely -- and unsentimentally -- inspirational."(See all of Calvin Wilson's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 301 words, 11/24/10
Steve Persall, St. Petersburg Times: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...has a visceral punch even before the amputation scene. It's gory and gut-wrenching but strangely life-affirming..."(See all of Steve Persall's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 588 words, 11/25/10
Tom Long, Detroit News: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...undeniably the best feel-good movie ever about self-amputation... can also give you a serious case of the willies."(See all of Tom Long's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 520 words, 11/19/10
Dan Kois, Village Voice/LA Weekly: VERY GOOD "...a portrait of American ingenuity, with Franco's likable, practical performance at its heart.... a smartly chosen, intuitively delivered performance..."(See all of Dan Kois's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 765 words, 11/03/10
Josh Tyler, Cinema Blend: EXCELLENT(cg) "...the kind of movie you absolutely must see once and then, battered and broken by enduring Ralston's gruesome predicament with him, you'll never want to see again."(See all of Josh Tyler's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 990 words, 11/01/10
Peter Keough, Boston Phoenix: VERY GOOD(cg) "The camerawork, the editing, and the soundtrack reproduce with panache and sometimes poetry the flailing consciousness of a person in extremis."(See all of Peter Keough's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 572 words, 11/11/10
Scott Tobias, AV Club: GOOD(cg) "Boyle captures the intensity of Ralston's experience in a swift, agonizing, defiantly cinematic 90 minutes. But intensity is one thing; depth is another."(See all of Scott Tobias's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 356 words, 11/04/10
Norman Wilner, Toronto Now: EXCELLENT(cg) "Boyle brings his usual flair to the action, jumping into flashbacks, fantasies and hallucinations.... the cinematic equivalent of restless leg syndrome..."(See all of Norman Wilner's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 171 words, 11/11/10
Curt Holman, Atlanta Creative Loafing: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...concludes on a note of genuine emotional release, but overall, the narrative engages with few ideas or themes beyond the nuts and bolts of survival."(See all of Curt Holman's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 501 words, 11/17/10
HIGHBROW PRESS (7 Reviews)
Joe Morgenstern, Wall Street Journal: EXCELLENT "...exciting, stirring, often funny, sometimes lyrical and unusually thoughtful. And, with that one egregious exception, genuinely pleasurable."(See all of Joe Morgenstern's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 786 words, 11/05/10
A.O. Scott, New York Times: OUTSTANDING "...nearly flawless.... leaves you with the impression of having lived, vicariously but intensely, through something whose meaning is both profound and elusive."(See all of A.O. Scott's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 1,112 words, 11/05/10
David Denby, New Yorker: GOOD "Boyle is terrified of boring an audience... The movie is best when it calms down and concentrates on the sinister peculiarities of the experience..."(See all of David Denby's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 671 words, 11/01/10
Peter Debruge, Daily Variety: VERY GOOD "James Franco's take on Ralston feels both credible and compelling; few actors could have made us care so much, or disappeared so completely into the role."(See all of Peter Debruge's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 962 words, 09/05/10
Stephen Farber, Hollywood Reporter: OUTSTANDING "Jon Harris's editing is matchless... Rahman's score effectively heightens the emotion... however, it is the talents of Boyle and Franco that sock this movie home."(See all of Stephen Farber's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 706 words, 09/06/10
Patrick Z. McGavin, Cinema 24/7: EXCELLENT(cg) "...manic, immersive and devilishly alive.... has a strange kind of buoyancy. It is lithe and thrilling, with some surprisingly deft and funny stretches..."(See all of Patrick Z. McGavin's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 965 words, 09/13/10
A.O. Scott, New York Times: OUTSTANDING "...nearly flawless.... leaves you with the impression of having lived, vicariously but intensely, through something whose meaning is both profound and elusive."(See all of A.O. Scott's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 1,112 words, 11/05/10
Joe Morgenstern, Wall Street Journal: EXCELLENT "...exciting, stirring, often funny, sometimes lyrical and unusually thoughtful. And, with that one egregious exception, genuinely pleasurable."(See all of Joe Morgenstern's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 786 words, 11/05/10
19.1 Percentage Points Average Difference Between Reviews (Norm is 18.4pp; <18.4pp = More Consistent; >18.4pp = More Mixed)
127 Hours's reviews are separated by an average 19.1 percentage points. The norm for this measure is 18.4 percentage points. Less than 18.4 indicates more consistent reviews; greater than 18.4 indicates more mixed reviews. In the chart below, each dot represents a review, with the dots at the top more positive than the dots at the bottom. From left to right, the dots represent reviews in big, bigger and biggest publications. Roll over each dot for more detail.
127 Hours (51 reviews) Roll over dots for each review
Coverage:127 Hours's reviews cover 99.7% of potential readers (average is 67.9%). Volume:The film's reviews total 32,042 words involume (average is 20,194 words). Length:The film's reviews average 628 words in length (the norm is 517 words).
Reviews Broke 10.6 Hours After Release (Norm is 1.2 Release)
127 Hours's reviews on average broke 10.6 hours after opening. Norm for this measure is 1.2 hours before. The chart below shows reviews on opening day and the days before and after opening; the left side is earlier and the right side is later. The red bars extending above the horizontal mid-line represent more positive reviews, and the red bars extending below represent more negative reviews. The white space/red bar in the middle is 127 Hours's opening day. Click on any bar for a list of the reviews for that day.
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