Hello, I'm TheCinemaChick.
Today, I'm going to relive two films I liked: 127 Hours and Tangled. Both are very different, but both have their good and bad points. Since I'm currently hyped up on blood orange frozen yogurt, lets get rolling.
I'd like to begin with 127 Hours. The only name you need to remember for this is James Franco. You spend the most time with him and really, that's it. The film is 94 minutes long and I'd say 80 minutes are nothing but dialogue between Aron Ralston (played by Franco) and his little camera. He has hallucinations and visions that show both the past and future. The only problem I had was towards the end, where there is a scene with Franco actually amputating his own arm. Obviously, it is not real, but the film is so convincing, I spent ten minutes with my face pressed to my buddy Butterfly's shirt. He didn't mind because he knows I get a little queasy when I see blood.
Yes, the movie is slow, it does drag, but Franco is so convincing that you believe he is really trapped. Your heart breaks when you see him making a will in his video and you want to cry when he makes the decision to chop off his arm, then cheer when you learn he survives. Obviously, Ralston does survive because he went on to write a book about his ordeal, "Between a Rock and a Hard Place". The title is ironic but it fits. I would say Aron Ralston is a hero and an incredible man. If I could meet him and interview him, I'd want his thoughts on the film. I have not read the book, but after seeing 127 Hours, I would love to. However, I am a broke and currently unemployed college student, so I'll have to wait until I have enough cash to spare.
To James Franco, I became a fan after seeing Pineapple Express, but now, I want him to win an Oscar. I'm torn between him and Colin Firth, though I think Leonardo DiCaprio will win it.
127 Hours will take you on an emotional journey that is damn near difficult to explain. It is well worth the 94 minutes and the money you pay to watch it.
And now, I bring you Tangled. Yes, yes, it a Disney animated romantic comedy romp through a fairy tale, but I enjoyed it. It was one of the few movies where I was wanting the happy ending. It's a retelling of the classic Rapunzel story. I saw this movie with my friend Fry and our Tennesee friend Kit Kat. We all had the same opinion, that it was cute. Mandy Moore provides the voice of Rapunzel and Zachary Levi voices Flynn Ryder. I'll be honest, I don't know who Zachary Levi is, but he's respectable.
There's a lot of singing and funny moments, your typical Disney film. We have Mother Gothel, who discovers a magical flower than can revive her and keep her eternally young. The queen becomes ill and sends the kingdom to find the flower. Though Gothel tries to hide it, it is found, made into a tea and the queen survives. She has a baby with golden hair. Keep in mind both parents are brunettes and you will never hear them talk. Well, Gothel sneaks into the castle and snips a lock of hair from the baby's head and it turns brown. She figures if she cuts the hair, it losses its magic and kidnaps the baby. Rapunzel is locked in her tower and then we have a time ship to the day before her eighteenth birthday.
Pascal is a chameleon and personally, my favorite supporting character. He is a good friend and a good source of comic relief. Mother Gothel comes to the tower and she sings a song that is the best in the film, in my opinion, "Mother Knows Best". Then we meet Flynn who is traveling with the Stabbington Brothers and together, they have stolen a crown. I wish the Brothers had been fleshed out a bit more because they are voiced by Ron Perlman. I love Ron Perlman.
As with every Disney movie, they run away together, get into a fight and end up happily ever after. I normally have a problem with this formula, but after seeing the movie for a second time, I noticed that this film is not aimed specifically at little girls. Kit Kat pointed that out and it makes sense. Also, the film was not originally called Tangled. It was going to be Rapunzel, but the Disney execs decided to make Flynn an equal and put him in a more prominent role. So, the name became Tangled and Flynn became a star.
What does TheCinemaChick think about the two movies?
I recommend both of them. Take the little kids to see Tangled, but definitely keep them away from 127 Hours. As an adult, I enjoyed both, but clearly 127 Hours is intended for adults with its R rating. Even Tangled is rated PG, which isn't normal for an animated movie.
Next on my list, The King's Speech and the controversy surrounding it.
Happy theater hopping,
TheCinemaChick
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