James Franco may have trouble delivering teleprompter lines realistically, but you shouldn’t let his Oscar hosting skills dissuade you from watching his excellent performance in 127 Hours ($20). If you happened to miss the memo on Danny Boyle’s latest masterpiece, Franco plays the role of outdoor legend Aron Ralston, who earned his notoriety by sawing off his own arm with a dull pocket knife to escape from being trapped under a boulder. Yeah, it sounds like a gruesome b-movie tale, and 127 certainly has its gut-checking moments (re: no burritos before watching), but Boyle and Franco surprisingly extract far deeper meanings and implications from the tale. The result will leave you questioning your current attitude towards those you love, not to mention feeling grateful for that right arm clutching the remote.
