In this post we present two Best Picture nominees that demonstrated just how to survive some fairly perilous situations. Whilst it's very unlikely that you'll be in the same predicament as either of these film's protagonists I think it's still very handy to know what to do in times of crisis no matter how bizarre the situation.
But perhaps handy is a bad term to use when describing 127 Hours, which showed just how to cope if you find yourself wedged in a ravine. The film was Danny Boyle's follow-up to his Best Picture winning Slumdog Millionaire and showed just how versatile the director could be. Boyle also assembled the majority of the team that worked on Slumdog including screenwriter Simon Beaufoy, cinematographer Anthony Dod Mantle and composer A.R. Rahman. The film tells the story of thrill-seeking engineer Aron Ralston who travels to Utah for a spot of canyoneering. Unfortunately for Ralston, he slips down a canyon with a boulder trapping one of his arms making it impossible for him to escape. The 127 hours of the title refers to the time that Ralston was trapped down in the canyon with his survival based on his collection of water and keeping himself relatively sane by narrating his stories to the video camera he had on his person. With more than half of the film being devoted to Ralston's dilemma, it's a testament to Boyle and Beaufoy that 127 Hours is never dull. Instead the footage of Ralston's hopeless situation is interspersed with memories of his family as well as fantasies about the two girls he met just prior to his fall. The editing in 127 Hours is certainly impressive with Jon Harris cutting between Ralston's current position and other points in his life. Mantle's cinematography enhances the narrative as we see the situation from several perspectives, perhaps most memorably from inside Ralston's water bottle. Possibly the most memorable part of 127 Hours occurs in its final few scenes as Ralston finally frees himself by hacking off his hand. Whilst this isn't the most practical of survival tips it saved Ralston's life and the final montage; which features the real Ralston more than proves that.
Having now watched two Boyle films for this project, it's clear that he's someone who's interested in character rather than plot. The character of Aron Ralston is an interesting one as initially he's presented as a free spirit who doesn't care about anything but finding his next thrill. This is perfectly represented in the opening sequence where Ralston takes two girls on an adventure who then realise that they didn't figure into his day at all. However, as Ralston's situation worsens, we see another side to him as the caring son and loving brother. Throughout the film it feels as if Boyle and Beaufoy strip away Aron's cool exterior to reveal a man with plenty of anxieties but someone who is resourceful enough to survive his extraordinary circumstances. Making Ralston even more likeable is actor James Franco, who we previously saw give a show-stealing performance in Milk. Here Franco continues to grow as he utilises his cool guy persona to full effect but also employs his dramatic abilities and as a result makes us sympathise with his character. Rahman's score is also worthy of a mention as it lends itself well to the tone of the film and echoes Ralston's mood perfectly. After romping home at the 2009 ceremony, Boyle's 127 Hours team failed to pick up one Oscar which I feel is a shame as it was one of the more technically sound movies released that year. Unfortunately, the 2011 ceremony included the strongest line-up of films since the field was increased and 127 Hours was a film that fell victim to the fact that it was up against nine other contenders. That being said this is an incredibly intense nail-biter of a film that is enhanced by some fine technical components and a memorable central performance from Franco.
Three years on another British director and American star teamed up for more survival tips this time informing the audience how to cope if one is ever attacked by Somali Pirates. Paul Greengrass' Captain Phillips told the true story of Richard Phillips, whose perilous cargo ship journey around the Somali coast later became the subject of a memoir. Due to the fact that he's played by everybody's favourite nice guy Tom Hanks, Philips is presented as a down-to-Earth guy who is trying to carry out a job to the best of his ability. What I liked about Billy Ray's screenplay was the fact that Captain Phillips isn't a one-sided story and instead it focuses on the Somalian pirates as much as it does Phillips and his crew. I would go as far as to say that Grengrass and Ray make you care about Abduwali Muse, the self-proclaimed leader of the pirates who becomes Phillips' opposite a the film progresses. The first half of the film hypes up the tension as Muse's team boards Philips' container ship but is outwitted by his crew who capture the former and try to negotiate a trade. However, this trade is unsuccessful and the second half of the film sees the matter becoming even more gripping as the pirates abduct Phillips in the ship's lifeboat. As the situation for the pirates becomes more perilous, Ray makes us realise why these men take up piracy in the first place and what options they have in their native land. Although the Americans ultimately end up victorious, I couldn't help but feel a little sympathetic as Muse found himself arrested for piracy whilst his friends were all killed.
It's the blurring of the lines between good and evil that is one of Captain Phillips' main strengths and helped to make it one of the best films of 2013. Paul Greengrass is one of my favourite directors and he made Captain Phillips feel almost as claustrophobic as his 9/11 drama United 93. Cinematographer Barry Akroyd employs a similar style to the one he used on The Hurt Locker and as a result makes Captain Phillips feel almost like a documentary. Greengrass perfectly amps up the tension gradually with the pirates' first attack on the ship feeling particularly tame when compared to their later treatment of Phillips. Christopher Rouse's frantic editing of the piece is also outstanding and helped to make me feel slightly uneasy all through the film. Captain Phillips also features what is, in my opinion, Tom Hanks' Best Performance of the last ten or fifteen years. Hanks is so absorbing that he makes you sympathise with Phillips even before the pirates board his ship. His portrayal of the everyman in a perilous situation put me in mind of his turn in Saving Private Ryan in which he played an equally sympathetic character. I personally felt it was rather odd that Hanks didn't even receive a nomination for his role here and was seemingly snubbed in favour of Christian Bale's comedy hairpiece-led turn in American Hustle. In fact the only member of the cast who was nominated for their role in the film was Barkhad Abdi who delivered a breakthrough performance as Muse. Abdi was great at mastering certain facial expressions which portrayed his desperation as the situation slipped out of his control. It's through Abdi's performance that you at least have some sympathy for Muse's plight and why people like him are forced into piracy. Although Abdi won a BAFTA for his role, not one of Captain Phillips' six nominations resulted in a win. This is a shame as I feel that it's a great film full of tension, great characterisation and two winning performances. But at least I know now that, if I ever do find myself on a freighter ship on the African coast, I'll be able to survive it in the same way that Phillips did.
Next time we go from survival skills to dance lessons with a side of psychological torment
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