Two years ago
Danny Boyle's mediocre
Slumdog Millionaire was chosen as the closing night showcase of the London Film Festival, where it then streamrolled all the way to Oscars winning Best Picture/Best Director. Yeah, I'm still trying to figure out how that happened in a year that contained
Milk, The Dark Knight and
Wall*E but ok, fine, whatever. Announced just a few short hours ago, Boyle's next - the infinitely more interesting
127 Hours - has been chosen for the same extravaganza screening, this year to be held on Oct. 28th. It will then open the following week in the U.S. however it's world premiere will be at the Toronto International Film Festival some weeks earlier where it will be showcased as a "Special Presentation". The movie is an almost complete one man show as
James Franco portrays Aron Ralston, the lone explorer who was trapped under an 800 pound boulder for six terrifying days in Utah, before making the brave decision to cut off his own arm to set himself free. The movie has already been classified by the MPAA as an R for language and some disturbing violent content/bloody images - so there won't be any holding back on the definitive moment of the film. Alongside the festival's opening night movie - Mark Romanek's
Never Let Me Go and the TBA released Robert Redford's
The Conspirator - Boyle's next is in my top three for what 2010 still yields for me.
I wrote in January;
In the mood of Cast Away or I Am Legend but much, much more claustrophobic Simon Beaufoys script, which Danny Boyle will direct this March is said to contain NO DIALOGUE for the first hour or so. Just character movement, action, suggestion. Like a Sergio Leone picture I guess, but greatly heightened and on a more traumatic emotional level. Theyll be no gimmick tricks to this one with the insertion of a volleyball, a mobile phone or a dog its strictly no dialogue what-so-ever.