LIFE OR DEATH
127 HOURS (R) Another excellent film from
Oscar-winning director Danny Boyle {Slumdog
Millionaire), 127 Hours tells the remarkable
survival story of Aron Ralston, an avid out-
doorsman who whittled off his arm to escape
dying in a canyon near Moab, UT. (Sorry, if
you didn't know Ralston's well-publicized fate,
but trust me when I say you want to know
what the movie has in store for you. It gets
gruesome.) Recently
nominated for six
Academy Awards, 127
Hours is the best film
of 2010 Athens had
to wait until 2011
to see.
Boyle's contagious
kineticism perfectly
captures Ralston's
indefatigable belief
in his own invincibil
ity. Opening with
the flashy, sped-up
preparation/drive
to Ralston's nearly
fatal act of hiking hubris, Boyle shows us in
a few moments exactly who our protagonist
is. Ralston is the kind of guy who hops up
from a nasty bike crash (that would have sent
most people home with a limp) and pedals the
remaining 15-plus miles. Unfortunately, he's
also the kind of guy who gets trapped by a
rock in the middle of nowhere without anyone
knowing where he is.
Boyle and Slumdog scripter Simon Beaufoy
keep us engaged throughout Ralston's multi
day entrapment. Flashes of memories—some
of his parents (Treat Williams and Kate
Burton), some of his ex-girlfriend (Clemence
Poesy)—take us away from his increasingly
discouraging situation. Yet Ralston displays an
inventive survival instinct unknown to most,
and no actor could have better embodied our
seemingly doomed
hero than Academy
Award nominee James
Franco. He does what
Tom Hanks did in
Cast Away: carries
an entire film on his
shoulders and mag
netic charisma.
127 Hours can be
tough to watch. One
patron sounded as
if s/he was going to
lose his/her popcorn
and Coke as Ralston
went to his great
est lengths to survive the final hours of his
predicament—too tiny sounding a word for
what the young man went through. The film
ultimately reaffirms the triumph of the human
spirit and Boyle's mastery of all genres, while
bringing much of the moviegoing population
up to speed on Franco's extraordinary talent.
Drew Wheeler
James Franco
id oceci
fyof
$33 Ooo/faxes
r? % c
xAterea' &r£>
fle, Ust «
iiTvT
i.<xa aim fl FUCKSmNNY CL .^^ mNTe
h W(1\-'0£aq Sbdewt" vs. Sew+ Id fo>M£ +o joi^TAe
Y°?£S> B/ofci&tA+asK Wee. Sewsirvj Ims doObb (amge
kis doObb ia Clas.5 (awganh
JjaviYee Suiune), kis "WoW Sei/vls kit* te dpywvHce WiTK Wizened old
ArtfWij wko's Sev\+
.i I fv . *» • «
^6^Pe<3&JS,CteS0S
o
£ieU blp
Of blooA, ?oO( IAooIW
asse*r-ti<«*5, wlifcely 4
°’"'\ls dekefttiria''
wi fcy r\6f lefbW
,,,»get uW in j
0*..
U)eAW*a
r . Jl
ic.:. 1
tttrt ->«**■
iV.l'M
W.
(\\1WjkiV kas a Sfef'davtt CWp SCAfeS(*V1Vi6 poiAV in G'neMo,
\Vs Spife -fe assume. Gartxge W Gwtai«s clk dM/ieus -fekvit),
‘TVe. Kte' briAS out -b be. one of "The +iv\es+ exawbafitfrft of
edfctf mode. Uss akoot leoi+ati^ objects <W SfiVMiry
WAs, it bMs to Sty
Wore gcooftM In rWiti
(or os wocW'fealitg" <xa
£fa(tiSV\ WoOie allowJs).
X rtost-ftStelkoOgL, wkj •
fljylojjs littlt fjtfls ««i oU
Veofb? If x u)efcHfe Deolf
s'k possess Sot>eooe J
a.tM Mote Mevwcbng...
SoutfiiL'cst Cafe
Friday, February tl • 7:30pm
ft THI
Tickets $10 adv.
$12 day of show
l/aleift
$> Dipper ]
Appetize
choice of 2
and a
196 Alps Rd. •
706.354.6655
athens
rpThe
thee
LOUNGE
~N
riT
■Til yimi
georgia
M
frfp Open Mon-Fri 2pm-2am
POPCORN! Sat 12pm-2am
Pool Tables • Great Jukebox
Friendly Neighborhood Bar
Every Wednesday and
Friday, Feb it • 9:30pm % s
KARAOKE with Lvnn
s
J7
Thursday, Feb. 3 • 7pm
BLUEGRASS
PICKIN’ NIGHT
1
Saturday, Feb. 5 • 8pm
THE HANDS
OF TIME
No t‘o\CP
S
2455 JefTcrson Rd. in Homewood Hills
706.546.0840
DMjyUjNCHSPECJAjg
Come Watch the Big
60 oz. Pitchers!
Frozen Lime
&
{Strawberry
Margaritas!
and.
Cheese Dip!
P9WNT0WN T8C0 8T8NP
•iiinrn i ikik
• \/ I JJ C U L. I I III
l 706-543-2288
• (Call to Reserve Movies)
1 mile
south of
5 Points
on Milledge
NEW
M POP STUFF
Let Me In
Monsters
Never Let Me Go
Welcome To
Riley's
NEW
COOL STUFF
Archers (BMnn u
Californicatlon
(Season 3)
Cabinet of
□r. Caligari
Slave
l
»
3
5
a
s
a
K
WINTER SALE.
BLU RAY • OVD • RECORDS • TV SHOWS
iiiimi»i n gum
£
offering
Carolina Crabcakes • Georgia Pork BBQ
Florida Key lame Pic • Charleston Shrimp & Grits
Wed. Feb 9
BALVENIE SCOTCH
TASTING
with some special
food selections.
21 & up. Limited Seating.
Call for Reserv ations.
Mon. Feb 14
VALENTINE’S
DINNER
Make your
Reservations now.
Saturday & Sunday • i tam-'jpm
GluxsnsfUjXf+te flnunclt
'2 Mimosas • *3 Blond) Marys
• '(> l.g Phickles Blood) Marys
Sundays -All Day
LflWCnUNTfty StUL
Open at 4pm Mon-Fri
Open at 11am Sat & Sun
- By the Loop -
2095 S. Milledge Ave. ■
706-548-3359 I
706-353-0500
163 n. Jackson st alhens. ga
FEBRUARY 2,2011 • FLAGPOLE.COM 11
