127 Hours, directed by Danny Boyle, was worth every penny of the ticket price. It is based on the true story of Aron Ralston (James Franco), whose hand was trapped by a rock while he was hiking alone through Utah canyons. There is no hope for his rescue, as he neglected to tell anyone where he was going. Although Franco is alone onscreen through most of the movie, the film does not lack substance or hit a standstill in development. As he slowly goes insane from a mixture of dehydration, loneliness, pain and hopelessness, we see what is important to him — his regrets and the images of those he loves.

The visual displays play a large part in pacing the movie. It takes place mostly in one spot — where he's trapped — so to maintain the interest of an audience the images are crucial. Seeing the crazy hallucinations and memories frighten, sadden and connect you to Franco's character. As his mental state deteriorates into delusional frustration, I found myself going insane with him. The narrow space he is confined to seemed to become smaller and the longer he stayed there, the more fruitless each effort to escape became. This evoked claustrophobia, despair and a longing to climb into the screen and lift the boulder off his crushed hand.

Equally as effective as the visuals is the soundtrack. All the music fits perfectly for each emotion and situation.

I admit I went into this movie with doubts, thinking that a story about a man who stays in one place for 127 hours could not be all that exciting. I was pleasantly surprised to find myself entranced and biting my nails, longing for Franco to defeat his inanimate enemy: the rock.

Emma Hamming-Green is a senior at The Academy for Technology and the Classics. You can reach her at happycamper156@hotmail.com.