Entertainment

B+THE BLACK BALLOON: Coming-of-age drama treads somewhat familiar ground, especially if you've seen 1993's What's Eating Gilbert Grape, with its similar story of a young man carrying the cross of a severely challenged sibling and learning, after much frustration, to set it down. Writer-director Elissa Down has her own things to say, though, delivering a bittersweet ode to everyday life. Starring Rhys Wakefield, Luke Ford, Gemma Ward and Toni Collette. PG-13 (sexual content, a scene of violence, brief strong language). 97 mins. At the Inwood. – Boston Globe

B+EVERLASTING MOMENTS: Maria Larsson (Maria Heiskanen) is an impoverished, overworked woman saddled with a brutish husband (Mikael Persbrandt) and a growing gaggle of children in this small, graceful epic. Maria obtains a still camera and is shocked to find her creative fires lit. The true subject of Everlasting Moments: seeing and preserving what is seen. Also starring Jesper Christensen. Directed by Jan Troell. Unrated (scenes of domestic violence). In Swedish with subtitles. 132 mins. At the Magnolia. – Boston Globe

CGOOD: Adaptation of C.P. Taylor's morality play about a "good" German swept into the Hitler madness of the late 1930s is an exercise in frustration. We should be side by side with the protagonist as he slides into hell. Instead, director Vicente Amorim keeps us at a distance. Starring Viggo Mortensen, Jason Isaacs and Jodie Whittaker.

Not rated. 96 mins. At the Dallas Angelika. – Los Angeles Times

B+HANNAH MONTANA: THE MOVIE: This film may not make any Hannah Montana converts, but the fans won't be disappointed. All the favorite sitcom characters are back. There is a lot of good toe-tapping music and a sweet message about finding yourself, all wrapped up in a pretty package with no sex, profanity or violence. Starring Miley Cyrus, Emily Osment, Mitchel Musso, Rascal Flatts, Vanessa Williams and Billy Ray Cyrus. Directed by Peter Chelsom. G. 98 mins. In wide release. – N.C.

B+HARVARD BEATS YALE 29-29: Documentary director Kevin Rafferty takes viewers through the fateful 1968 game to its nail-biting final minutes and seconds, all the while limning the politics, culture and permutations of socioeconomic class that formed its context. By way of both sport and social history, Harvard Beats Yale 29-29 movingly recounts how everybody won the day the Crimson tied. Unrated (very brief, mild profanity). 105 mins. At the Magnolia. – Washington Post

FOBSERVE AND REPORT: Set mostly at a suburban shopping mall where a flasher is terrorizing female shoppers and employees – and where one very aggressive security guard (Seth Rogen) is trying to prove his masculine bona fides – the movie humiliates its actors, mocks overweight and substance-addicted people, and punctuates the comic set pieces with bursts of graphic violence. Also starring Celia Weston and Anna Faris. Directed by Jody Hill. R (violence, strong language and nudity) 86 mins. In wide release. – Christopher Kelly

BADVENTURELAND: A recent college graduate (Jesse Eisenberg) ends up working at a dumpy amusement park where he falls in love with a troubled young woman (Kristen Stewart) in this comedy-drama written and directed by Greg Mottola (Superbad). The movie operates in fits and starts, never quite finding the right tone. But it's been crafted with heart and intelligence, and it's acted with understated charm. Also starring Ryan Reynolds, Martin Starr and Kristen Wiig. R (strong language, drug use, sexual references). 107 mins. In wide release. – Christopher Kelly

C+ALIEN TRESPASS: Neither as terrifying as the movies it's channeling were meant to be in their time nor as funny as a pure sendup would have been, Alien Trespass falls into an awkward (neither fish nor foul, extraterrestrial nor human) middle. The year is 1957, the place is Mojave, Calif., and astronomer Ted Lewis (Eric McCormack, Will & Grace) rushes to check out a strange object that streaked across the night sky and fell to Earth. Turns out it's an alien spacecraft carrying Urp – a tall, silver interstellar federal marshal of sorts – and his quarry, the vicious, goo-alicious Ghota, which has escaped. Director R.W. Goodwin certainly gets the look right with the intense colors, melodramatic acting, the fake rubber monster and purposely cheap special effects. While there's a lot to admire, it all feels like an engaging though needless academic exercise. Also starring Robert Patrick. PG (sci-fi action, smoking). 90 mins. At the Plano Angelika and the Magnolia. – Cary Darling

B+BEAUTY IN TROUBLE: Marcela (Ana Geislerová) is trapped in an unhappy marriage to Jarda (Roman Luknar), a shady character who runs a stolen-car ring and, eventually, runs afoul of the law. While at the police station to bail him out, she runs into one of Jarda's victims, the erudite Evzen (Josef Abrhám), a prosperous vintner who owns land in Italy. It may not be love at first sight, but it's certainly attraction. Now, Ana has a choice, and it's her dilemma that sits at the heart of Beauty in Trouble. While this seems like familiar territory, in the hands of director Jan Hrebejk and his longtime screenwriting partner, Petr Jarchovský, it's an engrossing, layered story of the ill-fitting choices and compromises everyone makes. Also starring Jana Brejchová and Emília Vásáryová. Directed by Jan Hrebejk. Unrated (sex, nudity, strong language). 109 mins. In Czech, with English subtitles. At the Dallas Angelika. – Cary Darling

BBOLT: Cuddly canine hero who stars in a TV show leaves his sheltered studio home to "rescue" his mistress. Trouble is, his TV superpowers evaporate in the real world. Unfortunately, this film's plot and character development are wispy, too. The animation, though, is spot-on. Featuring the voices of John Travolta, Miley Cyrus, Susie Essman, Mark Walton and Malcolm McDowell. Directed by Chris Williams and Byron Howard. PG (mild action, peril). 96 mins. In limited release. – T.M.

C-CONFESSIONS OF A SHOPAHOLIC: The timing seems perfect for a movie about a woman addicted to shopping and hounded by credit-card debt, but this movie has no interest in being smart or timely. It just wants to be a zany, slapsticky romantic comedy, but, despite a great cast, it mostly fails at that, too. Starring Isla Fisher, Hugh Dancy, Krysten Ritter, Robert Stanton, Joan Cusack, John Goodman and Kristin Scott Thomas. Directed by P.J. Hogan. PG (for mild language, adult situations). 112 mins. In limited release. – T.M.

A-CORALINE: Sweet and creepy blend beautifully in this animated tale. A little girl discovers a secret world behind an odd little door of the old house into which she and her busy-busy-busy parents have just moved. Director Henry Selick (The Nightmare Before Christmas, James and the Giant Peach) creates a dazzling vision featuring great 3-D effects. Starring Dakota Fanning, Teri Hatcher and Ian McShane. PG (scary images). 100 mins. In limited release. – T.M.

B+THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON: Brad Pitt is quite good in the lead in this meandering parable about a man born old who ages into adulthood, then youth and finally infancy. Pitt's performance is nicely pitched against great actresses. Taraji P. Henson is the heart and life of the film's first hour. Also starring Cate Blanchett and Tilda Swinton. PG-13 (for brief war violence, sexual content, language and smoking). 160 mins. In limited release. – Orlando Sentinel

B+DOUBT: John Patrick Shanley adapts his Tony Award-winning play for the big screen, finding ways to open up his story of a Bronx parish church and its private school and the showdown that builds between the church's affable priest (Philip Seymour Hoffman) and the school's icebergian principal-nun (Meryl Streep). Also starring Amy Adams and Viola Davis. Directed by Shanley. PG-13 (adult situations, emotional intensity). 104 mins. In limited release. – T.M.

A-DUPLICITY: In this stylish caper-love story, Julia Roberts and Clive Owen play conniving corporate security pros and one-time lovers who keep us and each other guessing about where their loyalties lie. Despite numerous plot twists and labyrinthine intrigue, Duplicity remains an engaging film because of its central characters, and there's a sizzling chemistry between the stars. Also starring Tom Wilkinson and Paul Giamatti. Directed by Tony Gilroy. PG-13 (for language and some sexual content). 125 mins. In wide release. – McClatchy Newspapers

DTHE EDGE OF LOVE: Set during the London Blitz and the tumult of World War II, John Maybury's overly art-directed drama pivots around a real scandal in Dylan Thomas' life. A decorated British soldier by the name of William Killick (Cillian Murphy) returns from the front to find his wife romping around with the poet and his wife, apparently living off – and drinking through – Killick's savings. The good captain fires his machine gun in the general direction of Thomas. A trial ensues. The Edge of Love takes its time getting to this soap-opera moment in this pseudo-literary, pseudo-erotic malarkey. Also starring Richard Clifford, Alastair Mackenzie, Camilla Rutherford and Karl Johnson. Directed by John Maybury. Unrated. 111 mins. At the Dallas Angelika. – Philadelphia Inquirer

DFAST & FURIOUS: Fast & Furious is essentially a remake of the 2001 hit The Fast and the Furious with the same cast, except it seems to exist in some parallel universe where the word "the" no longer exists. It also seems to function outside of logic, cohesive plot structure and the laws of gravity, but hey – this being the fourth film in the street-racing series, such niceties have long since been tossed out the window and run over repeatedly. Snarling bad guys, women who pout beautifully and, of course, a wide array of brightly hued, wildly souped-up cars – but not an ounce of creativity or grace. Starring Vin Diesel, Paul Walker, Michelle Rodriguez, Jordana Brewster, John Ortiz, Liza LaPira and Laz Alonso. Directed by Justin Lin. PG-13 (intense sequences of violence and action, some sexual content, language and drug references). 107 mins. In wide release. – The Associated Press

C-FIRED UP: Teen hormones and sophomoric humor fuel this comedy about two jocks who skip football camp to join the cheerleading squad. Director Will Gluck is a first-time feature filmmaker, and he directs like a producer who thought it would be fun to try directing. The script is credited to "Freedom Jones," and it's a patch-up job – lamely raunchy most of the time, entertainingly strange in some of its riffs. Starring Nicholas D'Agosto, Eric Christian Olsen, Sarah Roemer, Molly Sims, Danneel Harris, Adhir Kalyan, AnnaLynne McCord and John Michael Higgins. PG-13 (crude and sexual content throughout, partial nudity, language and teen partying). 94 mins. In limited release. – Chicago Tribune

DFRIDAY THE 13TH: This is a graphic homage to the series that helped turn simple slasher pictures into a formula for success. It has big-budget sheen and is every bit as efficient and heartless as the original Fridays. But for all its attempted jolts, it's not all that scary. Starring Jared Padalecki, Danielle Panabaker, Amanda Righetti and Aaron Yoo. Directed by Marcus Nispel. R (for strong bloody violence, some graphic sexual content, language and drug material). 97 mins. In limited release. – Orlando Sentinel

BGOMORRAH: Gomorrah upends everything you think you know about the mob and mob movies. The adaptation of the 2006 book by Roberto Saviano, a co-writer on the film and now in hiding because of what the book brought to light, is so minimalist as to almost be mistaken for a documentary. Director Matteo Garrone follows five story lines that show how the machinery of the organization goes on and on with individuals as mere cogs. Starring Salvatore Cantalupo, Gianfelice Imparato, Maria Nazionale, Toni Servillo and Gigio Morra. In Italian with English subtitles. Not rated (contains graphic violence, language, nudity and drug use). 135 mins. At the Dallas Angelika. – The Associated Press

B-GRAN TORINO: Director-star Clint Eastwood grumbles and growls his way through his most entertaining performance in years as Walt Kowalski, a Korean War veteran and lifelong auto worker who's disgusted with the changes in his blue-collar, suburban Detroit neighborhood. The performances are a bit stiff from his young actors, all untrained first-timers. But Gran Torino becomes more intriguing as its story evolves and grows darker, albeit with Eastwood's trademark, no-nonsense aesthetic. Also starring Bee Vang, Ahney Her, Christopher Carley and Brian Haley. R (for language and some violence). 116 mins. In limited release. – The Associated Press

B-THE GREAT BUCK HOWARD: There's a pinch of magic in John Malkovich's performance as the Great Buck Howard. Malkovich plays a once-famous mind reader hungry for a comeback. To reignite his career, he hires a law school dropout (Colin Hanks) to serve as his road manager and personal assistant and a self-assured publicist (Emily Blunt) to drum up coverage of his comeback. Hanks and Blunt make a pleasing romantic couple, Steve Zahn and Debra Monk pop up amusingly as a couple of Cincinnati hangers-on, and the final reels of the film are chockablock with cameos by top entertainers, including Hanks' dad, Tom. Still, Buck Howard is Malkovich's show. When he's off the screen, the film sputters, but while he's on-camera, it's magical. Directed by Sean McGinly. PG (some language, including suggestive remarks, and a drug reference). 87 mins. At the Magnolia. – Star Tribune

C-THE HAUNTING IN CONNECTICUT: A "Let's sneak into the old morgue" moment or two turns up in The Haunting in Connecticut, an Amityville Horror variation "based on the true story." If you've seen any of the Amityville movies, you know the arc of this story. Nobody believes in ghosts but one guy. There's a holy man (Elias Koteas) who senses the evil in the house but whose warnings may not be enough. Then, one bang-up night everything breaks loose. But it has plenty of creep-you-out potential for kids just discovering big-screen horror. Also starring Virginia Madsen, Kyle Gallner and Amanda Crew. Directed by Peter Cornwell. PG-13 (for some intense sequences of terror and disturbing images). 92 mins. In wide release. – Orlando Sentinel

DHOTEL FOR DOGS: A laughless, gadget-geared and poop-obsessed kid comedy, this film will sorely test any parent hoping to have a few laughs with the kids and make it home without a side trip to the Humane Society. Don Cheadle looks a little embarrassed to be seen here. Also starring Emma Roberts, Lisa Kudrow, Kevin Dillon and Jake T. Austin. Directed by Thor Freudenthal. PG (brief mild thematic elements, language and some crude humor). 98 mins. In limited release. – Orlando Sentinel

B-I LOVE YOU, MAN: The sexual anxiety of 21st-century heterosexual men struggling to be more sensitive is a terrific subject, and I Love You, Man slyly toys with the arc of a traditional romantic comedy. Boy meets boy, boy loses boy, and boy and boy eventually reunite. But like many recent American comedies, I Love You, Man feels like a clever concept in search of a completely developed movie. Starring Paul Rudd, Jason Segel, Rashida Jones and Andy Samberg. Directed by John Hamburg. R (sexual content, strong language). 105 mins. In wide release. – Christopher Kelly

DKNOWING: Nicolas Cage stars in an apocalyptic blend of sci-fi, horror and faith that is almost certain to be the most harrowing hooey you see in a theater this year. The five-writer script sucks in biblical prophecy, transforming this screwy thriller into a Left Behind with a budget. But Cage, bless him, sells this material. Also starring Rose Byrne. Directed by Alex Proyas. PG-13 (for disaster sequences, disturbing images and brief strong language). 110 mins. In wide release. – Orlando Sentinel

B-LAST CHANCE HARVEY: Dustin Hoffman turns in a masterful performance as Harvey Shine, a New York City jingle writer who finds himself in a professional and personal funk during a trip to London for his daughter's wedding. When destiny intervenes in the form of Kate (Emma Thompson), it would be hard for any audience not to succumb to their chemistry. Also starring Eileen Atkins, Kathy Baker, James Brolin and Liane Balaban. Directed by Joel Hopkins. PG-13 (brief strong language). 92 mins. In limited release. – Los Angeles Daily News

BTHE LAST HOUSE ON THE LEFT: Remake of Wes Craven's 1972 horror movie classic reprises the story of a family caught in a nightmare of violence and revenge when the daughter is raped and left for dead by a band of thugs who then take refuge in the parents' vacation home. Good acting and realistic treatment offer a counterpoint to the high-drama gore that dominates contemporary horror moviemaking. Starring Sara Paxton, Garret Dillahunt, Tony Goldwyn, Monica Potter and Aaron Paul. Directed by Dennis Iliadis. R (for brutal violence, rape, nudity, language). 100 mins. In wide release. – T.M.

C-MADEA GOES TO JAIL: Tyler Perry returns as hard-charging Madea as, yes, she goes to jail. Of course, once she gets there (after a high-speed freeway chase leads her to court), she befriends, protects and mentors a fellow inmate, played by former Cosby kid Keshia Knight Pulliam. Also starring Derek Luke and Viola Davis. Directed by Tyler Perry. PG-13 (mature thematic material, drug content, some violence and sexual situations). 103 mins. In wide release. – Orlando Sentinel

B+MONSTERS VS. ALIENS: A beautifully animated, wacky and laugh-out-loud 3-D riff on monster movies, alien-conspiracy and invasion thrillers. The action scenes are thrilling, the storytelling is brisk and witty, and the homage to alien and monster movies is funny and affectionate. Directors Rob Letterman and Conrad Vernon (and five credited writers) know their B-movies and have fun paying tribute to them. Starring the voices of Reese Witherspoon, Stephen Colbert, Seth Rogen, Rainn Wilson, Kiefer Sutherland and Hugh Laurie. PG (sci-fi action, some crude humor, mild language). 90 mins. In wide release. – Orlando Sentinel

C-PAUL BLART: MALL COP: Kevin James channels John Candy in this family-friendly comedy about a lonely loser who works as a shopping mall security guard. The title character's mundane existence veers sharply one day (not unlike the Segway he masterfully chariots) when the mall is hit by hostage-taking robbers. Unfortunately, James never really transcends the thin story line. Also starring Bobby Cannavale and Jayma Mays. Directed by Steve Carr. PG (some violence, mild crude and suggestive humor, and language). 87 mins. In wide release. – Orlando Sentinel

C-THE PINK PANTHER 2: Family-friendly farce plays lighter than Steve Martin's first Panther, even if Martin himself still doesn't get how Peter Sellers made the character of bumbling Inspector Clouseau funny. Here, the world's "greatest detective" leads an international team tracking the Tornado, who has stolen some of the world's great treasures. Also starring Jean Reno, Emily Mortimer, Andy Garcia and Aishwarya Rai. Directed by Harald Zwart. PG (some suggestive humor, brief mild language and action). 89 mins. In limited release. – Orlando Sentinel

D+PUSH: The main characters in this thriller (including Dakota Fanning, who plays her first on-screen drunk scene) possess telekinetic powers that let them do everything from read minds to forecast the future. The film ambitiously tries to shove the whole of a fairly complex comic-book universe into a single messy and garish movie, and anyone not familiar with the comics might be confused by it all. Also starring Chris Evans, Camilla Belle and Djimon Hounsou. Directed by Paul McGuigan. PG-13 (intense sequences of action, intense sequences of violence, smoking and teen drinking). 111 mins. In limited release. – Orlando Sentinel

B-RACE TO WITCH MOUNTAIN: Dwayne (formerly The Rock) Johnson plays a cabdriver caught up in the mission of two teenage aliens (AnnaSophia Robb and Alexander Ludwig). Director Andy Fickman (The Game Plan) cranks up the action and one-liners in a kids' movie that measures up to Hollywood's grown-up action fare. Also starring Carla Gugino and Ciaran Hinds. PG (action and violence, frightening and dangerous situations, some thematic elements). 88 mins. In wide release. – Orlando Sentinel

ATHE READER: The Reader is a bold and provocative look at the power of reading and how books, and understanding their contents, are among the few ways society has of preventing the world's most gruesome horrors from happening. There are deeply felt performances by Kate Winslet, who has quietly become one of our finest actors, and Ralph Fiennes, who provides a stirring, layered look at a man in turmoil. Also starring David Kross. Directed by Stephen Daldry. R (sexuality and nudity). 122 mins. At the Plano Angelika. – Michael Granberry

A-SIN NOMBRE: There is much strange beauty in the poverty and desperation captured by Sin Nombre, an evocative and impressive first feature from writer-director Cary Joji Fukunaga tracing both the journey north taken by so many from Mexico and Central America and the gang violence that stunts the lives of the many others who stay behind. This thriller-love story is, in a way, a simple one, but Fukunaga plays many emotional notes before he is finished, with sentiment that is restrained rather than indulged. Starring Edgar Flores. R (violence, language and some sexual content). In Spanish with English subtitles. 95 mins. At the Dallas Angelika. – Los Angeles Times

A-SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE: Bracing, brilliant film follows the fortunes of Jamal, a poor orphan who finds himself on the Indian version of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire. Director Danny Boyle wears his Irish heart on his sleeve for this taut, tense and witty tale of human tragedy and triumphant humanity set against the sweep of modern India. Starring Dev Patel, Freida Pinto and Irfan Khan. Directed by Boyle with Loveleen Tandan. R (some violence, disturbing images and language). 118 mins. In wide release. – Orlando Sentinel

B-SUNSHINE CLEANING: Amy Adams and Emily Blunt play loser sisters in this offbeat dramedy, but they have you believing in their characters even if the rest of the film is a stretch. The comedy and darker aspects of Megan Holley's script don't fit together easily, but Sunshine Cleaning, which has been recut since it was shown at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival, has its charms. Also starring Alan Arkin and Steve Zahn. Directed by Christine Jeffs. R (language, disturbing images, some sexuality and drug use). 98 mins. In wide release. – Los Angeles Daily News

B+TAKEN: Liam Neeson provides the exclamation point to this lean Luc Besson thriller. As a retired CIA agent whose teenage daughter is kidnapped during a trip to Paris, he epitomizes righteous, fatherly fury. Adrenaline junkies who can overlook some shopworn moments should enjoy the ride. Also starring Famke Janssen and Maggie Grace. Directed by Pierre Morel. PG-13 (intense sequences of violence, disturbing thematic material, sexual content, some drug references and language). 91 mins. In wide release. – Orlando Sentinel

C+TWO LOVERS: The movie opens with a man's halfhearted suicide attempt, and then it follows his struggle to find love as he becomes involved with the nice daughter of a dry-cleaning magnate and the crazy beauty who lives across the courtyard. Well-acted, but unrewardingly grim. Starring Joaquin Phoenix, Gwyneth Paltrow, Isabella Rossellini and Vinessa Shaw. Directed by James Gray. R (nudity, language, sexual situations). 110 mins. At the Dallas Angelika. – T.M.

C+WATCHMEN: After years of wrangling and false starts, this pop-literature classic finally makes it to the big screen. Watchmen is directed by the man behind 300 and producers plainly hope for a similar sensation. Fans have no doubt turned out in droves, but this dark tale of superheroes gone to seed and a world on the brink of destruction may prove pointless and-or impenetrable to other moviegoers. On the plus side, the movie's visually stunning; on the negative, it's disturbingly violent. Starring Jackie Earle Haley, Malin Akerman, Billy Crudup and Patrick Wilson. Directed by Zack Snyder. R (for graphic violence, sex, nudity, language). 161 mins. In limited release. – T.M.

BTHE WRESTLER: Mickey Rourke plays a broke and broke-down wrestler, Randy "The Ram" Robinson, in a performance that has been hailed as career-reviving. We'll see about that, but he is fascinating and moving to watch as a has-been celebrity who can't stop self-destructing long enough to save himself. The movie pushes a little too hard and a little too often, but Marisa Tomei counters Rourke's acting heroics with a knockout performance of her own. Directed by Darren Aronofsky. R (language, violence, nudity, sex, drug use). 105 mins. At the Dallas Angelika. – T.M.

BYES MAN: Jim Carrey plays a guy who can't say no in this comedy based on a memoir by British author Danny Wallace about the life-changing power of positive responding. Very much in the Liar, Liar mode, this film lives up to its crowd-pleasing potential. Also starring Zooey Deschanel and Terence Stamp. Directed by Peyton Reed. PG-13 (crude sexual humor, language and brief nudity). 104 mins. In limited release. – The Hollywood Reporter

MOVIE TIMES

Check Page 2E or go to www.guidelive.com to find theater chains and their screening times for movies. Minireviews are written by Nancy Churnin, Tom Maurstad, Chris Vognar, Mario Tarradell and Matt Weitz, who are identified by their initials. Short Takes does not contain reviews of all movies screening at local theaters.