Simply the Best - Good Will Hunting

Having not seen this film in years I recently purchased a copy and decided to become re-acquainted with Mr. Damon, pre-Bourne and Mr. Affleck, pre- J-Lo. Fresh faced and eager to please, Good Will Hunting showcases both Damon and Affleck’s acting abilities as well as their debut in writing.

As soon as the film flicked to 90’s Boston it was amazingly apparent how far film quality has evolved in fourteen years. Do NOT let this cast disillusion on the experience, the film is good, very good.

The story follows young men in the Irish community of Boston, more importantly Will Hunting’s life. The agenda – work, hang out with friends, party in the evening, solve ridiculous math equations in spare time. Damon plays the likeable Will, a cleaner at the prestigious MIT ( Massachusetts Institute of Technology). Whilst cleaning corridors he comes across complex and impossible math equations posted outside the room. He gradually takes it on himself to solve these problems, leaving students and Prof. Gerald Lambeau (Stellan Skarsgard) stunned. As all things in life, when trying to be secretive the off chance of being caught is high. The Professor discovers the mysterious puzzle solver is in fact an average teenager with a more than average intelligence.

Soon Skarsgard’s character learns Damon can use his brain in ways that most cannot, re-calling information as though he had only just read it. A photographic memory is a wonder many wish they could possess however Will feels differently. Being uncommonly intelligent is a burden, with friends and mentors now expecting him to use his remarkable skills to further himself, to do what they can not, the pressure mounts.

As well as being remarkable bright, Will remains haunted by childhood abuse from foster parents after being orphaned. In steps his psychologist Sean (Robin Williams), the treatment being a condition of parole.

Robin and Damon’s chemistry takes on the father/son formula, and works well. Not only do they antagonise each other, but they bond over male favourites, women and sports. Williams who is a lonely widow, who works in a lesser role than his rival and long time friend Skarsgard, responds to Damon’s lack of stability in life. Having always relied on friends Damon finds himself growing out of his home in South End, Boston and his life there.

Throughout Damon’s acting excels, with Affleck taking the back seat in this production. One particular scene in which he embarrasses a student in a bar whilst simultaneously impressing his love interest (Minnie Driver) leaves the audience in awe. Not only is Damon believable in his role as a genius but his unassuming presence makes the film shine.

There is more to life than just coasting along, and the future is brighter than he could have imagined

5.3 days, 7620 minutes, 457000 seconds or 127 Hours.

5.3 days, 7620 minutes, 457000 seconds, no matter how you look at this time frame, being stuck in a life and death situation, on your own, in the middle of nowhere, is unimaginable.

127 Hours tells the story of Aron Ralston the adventure and adrenaline junkie who found himself in a horrifying predicament in the middle of the Utah desert. James Franco (Pineapple Express, Rise of the Planet of the Apes) embodies the laid-back attitude and rugged look of a traveller, portraying the real life character with effortlessness.

For the people that had never heard of this astonishing act of courageousness before, seeing Franco speeding around on his mountain bike in the first few scenes sets the uneasy tense tone of the film. With the blinding colour of the desert and daring stunts, it’s hard not to be instantly captivated. The scenery is desolate, which is clarified when he meets only two women before his plight with the boulder.

As his arm becomes trapped he instantly switches to survival mode, distraught but single-mindedly trying to find a solution to his impossible circumstance. Armed with a backpack filled with necessities for one days trekking, he begins to formulate plans. How to keep warm? Is there any way to move the boulder? How can he make the little sustenance he has last? Every minute spent in the crevice was a minute that could be spent getting out. The movie shows how Aron kept a video diary, a sort of progression to death from Day 1, 5 hours in. A perpetual reminder of the trauma he endured, to be prepared and ALWAYS tell someone where you’re going if you’re alone, or simply to pass time. The passing of time is ultimately what Danny Boyle needed to present when directing this, as visually, it can become tiresome to watch someone wait, and wait.

Franco’s interpretation of Aron’s ordeal shows surprising sanity; his acting hits the mark in so many ways despite obviously not truly understanding the terrifying situation. As the feature includes only one protagonist, in one setting, the composition of the film needs to be attention-grabbing. His behaviour is what the audience monitor throughout the film, going from proactive but realistic in the first few days, to the delusions and hopelessness of his last few hours. Danny Boyle (28 Days Later, Slumdog Millionaire) incorporated the true life drama with an element of whimsical hallucinations, his interpretation of acceptance.

James Franco delivers a believable and evocative performance. His depiction of grief at not seeing the people he loves the most in the world whilst waiting for death, grips the audience. It’s a tale of desperation that pushes a man to extraordinary lengths.

Live fast and die young obviously wasn’t in his vocabulary.