Alternative to What: "127 Hours"

James Franco

Welcome to Alternative to What: a weekly column that tries to find a great alternative to driving to the multiplexes. Based on releases of that week, the selections will either be thematically related or feature recurring cast and crew. The goal is to help you better understand the diversity of cinema and hopefully find you some favorites while saving a few bucks. At worse, this column will save you money. Expect each installment to come out on Fridays, unless specified. 

THIS WEEK:

127 Hours (2010)

- Alternative To -

Wild (2014)

It isn't a category that gets a lot of coverage, yet it is is getting more popular. The idea of going into the woods to discover your true self seems to be developing a cinematic quality akin to westerns. There's something about the auspicious imagery and seeing nature play out its beautiful course that draws filmmakers to these stores. Of course, it could just be because the work is a beautiful place and it serves as visual stimulation via cinematography. However, the stories sometimes matter. 

In the case of Wild, the director of Dallas Buyers Club returns with a film in which Reese Witherspoon goes into the wild and discovers herself. While I haven't seen the film, it is set up to be an important film this upcoming awards season. It could just be a story in which she travels around and get existential about her life. I am not entirely sure, but it does sound like a good excuse to see some brilliant scenery and watch as one person stares in awe. However, with it being considered Witherspoon's shot at another Oscar, there's a chance that there's something more to see.

Of the many films about the wild, the one that comes closest to resembling Wild is 127 Hours. This is most evident in the fact that James Franco received a Best Actor Oscar nomination for his role as Aron Ralston as he dealt with trying to survive with his hand crushed under a rock. The performance was awe-inspiring and mixed with some beautiful imagery of mountains and even a Scooby Doo inflatable at one point. Most of all, it was a story about the triumph of the will and survival as he managed to get through 127 hours of entrapment in a place where it didn't seem like anyone would find him.

It seems a little hard to swallow the idea of one film taking place in one location for majority of its running time. However, there's more to the story than one would initially believe. Despite it being a lot of time with Ralston as he tries to deal with new place in life, it is also a reflection of his life. He looks into his past, including several parties that lead him to a life of stubbornness. While it does feature a controversial arm amputation scene that caused people to faint in theaters. Still, the tale is something special and manages to find beauty in the horrific situations. While other films encapsulate the grand beauty of a wide array of places, this manages to find something wonderful about being trapped in one place.

Where Jean-Marc Valle came to prominence last year with his AIDS drama, Boyle is coming off of Best Picture winner Slumdog Millionaire with this one. It may not be his most ambitious, but it definitely is one of his most beautiful and intriguing films that he has released. It takes a look into a stubborn character and gives him empathy and a fascinating life. It may not have paid off as well during the Oscars as his previous one, but it did get some recognition and gave a wonderful entry into the genre of wilderness films. I am not sure if Wild will manage to be as strong or interesting as this, but it sure can try.