Help me.

127 Hours

A crowning achievement for James Franco, 127 Hours is Danny Boyle's latest and the true story of climber Aron Ralston and the harrowing days he spent trapped under a boulder.

Danny Boyle is great at telling extraordinary stories about extraordinary and sometimes flawed men. Like Almodovar is a great director of women, Boyle is a great director of men. He understands his characters pros and cons, ticks and nuances. He's great at drawing out the best and worst in his men by placing them in heart-pumping situations. He places his camera in the face of his characters, giving the audience an extreme closeup of their face and inner most thoughts. Furthermore, Boyle's always been great at showing his man in action, whether they are running from the rage-filled undead or scurrying through the claustrophobic streets of Bombay. Boyle's films are distinct and 127 Hours is a fitting addition to Boyle's resume.

127 Hours is the James Franco show. Despite other supporting characters, Franco owns the movie. This is one of the most authentic male performances I've seen in a while and Franco seems to become Ralston. Franco accurately shows experiences of reflection, catharsis, and honesty as well as all the stages of grief. We see denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance sweep across Franco's face; it's really beautiful. He's very real and really makes the audience question themselves: what would you do if you were in a situation like this? Franco really shows his chops and it's a high point for his career. I've always liked Franco (despite how weird he seems) and he's elevated himself to a whole new level with 127 Hours. He connects with his character and his audience. An Oscar nomination is definitely in his future.

Boyle reunites with composer A.R. Rahman for the 127 Hours. While I do miss John Murphy's work, Rahman creates an imaginative and heart-pumping score. The music matches the scenes. Moreover, the film's original song, the appropriately titled "If I Rise," is haunting. Sung by Dido, the song should definitely get a nomination. Actually, this year's best original score race should be a tough one to call, what with previous winner A.R. Rahman, Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross's electronic and hypnotizing score for The Social Network and Clint Mansell's classical and scary music for Black Swan.

I was nervous about all the film's potential downtime. I wondered how they would handle all the time Ralston spent trapped under that boulder. But there was never a dull moment in 127 Hours. While Ralston and the audience are worrying over the dwindling amount of water or how to break free, Ralston reflects on his life, imagines and relives experiences and conversations, dreams of liberation, and has a premonition that ultimately gives him something to live for. The screenwriters and Franco even manage to throw in a little comedy with a Ralston one-man talk show.

Boyle creates a whole film experience with 127 Hours. The exhausting climbing and biking sequences, the sweeping shots of the stunning Utah landscape, the heart-racing final act and James Franco's exceptional performance make 127 Hours one of the best films of 2010.

Anne Hathaway in Love and Other Drugs

Let's just make this an Oscar Host 2010 post. Hathaway really gives a strong performance in this cheesy romance/minor crap fest. Like James Franco in 127 Hours, she too has the five stages of grief fill her facial movements and physicality, but she includes a little bitterness and a huge dose of bitch. She definitely made this disappointment watchable.

Netflix

Running with Scissors-Always wanted to see this.
Secretary-Maggie Gyllenhaal is supposed to be great.
Laguna Beach Season 1-Netflix Instant. I need something for background noise.