‘Oops.’ That’s what experienced ‘outdoors-man’ Aron Ralston (James Franco) says to himself as the dawn of realisation, washes over him. Ralston is trapped. He’s been trapped for days, after going it alone in the isolated Blue John Canyon in Utah and falling down a narrow crevice, pinning his right arm between the wall of the canyon and one hefty boulder. Oops, indeed.

127 Hours tells the shocking real-life story of Ralston’s 2003 experience, which saw him stuck in the canyon for, er, 127 Hours, with little hope of survival. With Trainspotting and Slumdog Millionaire's Danny Boyle at the helm, the result is a surprisingly action-packed, vivid, and inevitably uncomfortable adrenalin rush.

Franco really steps up as Ralston. The film is essentially ‘The James Franco Show’ - aside from initial scenes of his expedition which show Ralston guiding two lost girls - and he manages to portray the emotions of Ralston perfectly throughout. From the cocky, adventurous and care-free explorer in the film’s lively opening sequences to the anguished, remorseful victim and finally the relentless, determined survivor, Franco is Ralston both physically and emotionally; all wounds exposed.

Boyle also does particularly well to keep the action going, despite having only one, largely immobile, person on screen for much of the time. Dipping into hallucinations, flashbacks and dreams as well as using triple split screens, sped up sections and unusual camera points (including through his water tube and even inside his arm. Yuck), Ralston’s impatience and thirst for fast living is portrayed hugely effectively and is the ideal subject for Boyle’s energetic direction and those spectacular camera shots.

But despite the director’s ability to compel and distract us from the fact that we’re watching a pretty stationary drama, the film spends a lot of time dwelling on Ralston’s delerium and ends up skimming over the meatiest (literally) chunk of his hellish isolation. Many people will be extremely thankful for this decision but we found that some parts dragged a bit, tiring slightly from the clever dream-scape conventions.

Whether you’re already aware of what took place at Blue John Canyon or not, 127 Hours is a continuous stream of thrilling, edge-of-your-seat drama and is at one point, almost excruciating just to watch. It’s not often you get a whole cinema of people squirming in their seats, frequently darting their eyes away from the screen and occasionally letting out involuntary squeals in reaction to what’s in front of them. But, really, this film momentarily made us heave. Hmm. Too much information?

Instantly comparable to 2003’s Touching the Void (and just as good), 127 Hours is a true-life story that will stay with you long after you’ve left the showing - not least because we’re left with footage of Aron Ralston himself. Franco is superb, Boyle is on form and the film, rather importantly, doesn’t ram a feeling of sentimentality down our throats. This one is ultimately difficult but strangely feel-good viewing.