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Created Feb 14, 2011 09:14AM PST • Edited Feb 14, 2011 09:14AM PST

1. Quality

2. Summary

   Perfect 5.0

   That rock has been waiting for him his whole life.

   Very few films have touched me emotionally this year as 127 Hours did. I found this to be one of the most compelling and inspirational films I’ve seen in quite some time. It made me thankful for all I had and for the people in my life.

   127 Hours is based the incredible true story of Aron Ralston. Before watching the movie, I did some research on Ralston (although his story broke in 2003, I surprisingly didn’t remember much about it) and found his story to be one in a million. The odds of someone being in his situation is…well…there’s no words for it! Like I said, Ralston’s story is one in a million.

   Ralston is depicted as he is seen. An adventurous and yet flawed human being. He is a skilled outdoorsman and although he adventures in the outside world, he has little contact with people from the outside world. One weekend he goes out on one of his usual hikes up in the canyons when the unthinkable happens: As Ralston is climbing amidst the canyon walls, a boulder is dislodged trapping his arm between the boulder and the canyon wall. As the films goes on, Ralston comtemplates his life prior to the accident, his family and friends, and what an idiot he’s been.

   From the moment the movie started I immediately said “Oh, this is so a Danny Boyle film.” It has his editing style, his fast pacing, and all the little Danny Boyle-isms you would expect. I’m sure no one would’ve expected this film to have been in Boyle’s territory but he makes it all work.

   Aside from Boyle, the driving force behind this movie is James Franco. This is his time to shine. The film rests on his shoulders and he carries it the whole way through. He’s funny, he’s emotional, he’s overall perfect.

   And as for the amputation scene which everyone has been talking about, though it is extremely gruesome, it isn’t as bad as some have made it out to be. In fact, Boyle makes it seem like a game of operation. Every time Franco hits a major organ or arterie a buzzing sound goes off. It’s incredibly suspenseful. And even though we all know the scene is coming, it doesn’t bring down the movie at all. How we get there is the fun part.

   Overall, 127 Hours is absolutely brilliant. It’s funny, it’s uplifting, and makes you very grateful for all you have. James Franco delivers one of the best performances of the year and proves again he is one of the best of his generation. One of my favorites of the year.

4. Acting

   Perfect 5.0

5. Male Stars Perfect 5.0

6. Female Stars Perfect 5.0

7. Female Costars Perfect 5.0

8. Male Costars Perfect 5.0

10. Film

    Perfect 5.0

11. Direction Perfect 5.0

12. Play Perfect 5.0

13. Music Perfect 5.0

14. Visuals Perfect 5.0
15. Content

16. Edge

    Sordid 3.4

17. Sex Erotic 3.3

18. Violence Savage 4.5

19. Rudeness Salty 2.5

21. Reality

    Glib 2.0

22. Circumstantial Glib 2.0

23. Biological Glib 2.0

24. Physical Glib 2.0