The movie stars James Franco in an original and challenging role, and you never want to leave your seat till it is all over and done with. So, the perils of adventure sports are all too evident in this movie, and yet most people will not deter or restrict themselves from venturing into tough natural habitats.
Getting stuck between a rock and literally a hard place is no one’s idea of a challenge, but if you’re an engineer, you are expected to survive even that. And so he does, and emerges victorious in the faced of certain defeat.
There’s nothing remarkable about the movie, in fact, it could have been shot with a handycam and edited at home on your PC. The true test of grit and intelligence is sensitively portrayed in this movie, and frankly, Franco can act. So what if he starts to see things? So what if loses one half of an arm, the spirit to survive is brought out effectively in the movie. This movie should be made compulsory for all failures and depressed people who just give in to loss and the comfort of not having to make it. It’s really easy to give up on life, and it takes true genius and sheer will and intelligence to make it against all odds and oddballs.
So, six days of sticking it out in a rough terrain take their toll, and Aron is almost ready to give up, having written his dying statement and a dying peace message, and also recording his last moments, but fate has different plans for him. He gathers enough courage to get rid of the arm that causes his nightmare, and in no time, he is whisked away to safety, and the comfort of known environs. But Aron doesn’t stop here; he gets back to his passion of rock climbing with a vengeance, and makes it look like a peace of cake all the while.
There is a hidden message in this too. And that is that never abandon your passion for any hobby or extra curricular activity, and also that perseverance pays, if not sooner, then definitely later! Also, subtly, the movie makers want to say this to people, that people who help themselves are most often the most helped by others and even providence.