Our critics recommend...

These movies open Friday unless noted.

Caramel

This romantic comedy centers on five Lebanese women who gather to share dirt at a Beirut beauty salon. Arabic and French with subtitles.

The Eye

In this thriller, a blind concert violinist has surgery that restores her vision, but also lets her see a supernatural world. Starring Jessica Alba.

Hannah Montana & Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds Concert in 3D

Singing sensation Miley Cyrus performs as herself and as Hannah Montana during her 2007 tour.

Honeydripper

In this movie directed by John Sayles, Danny Glover stars as a 1950s rural Alabama nightclub owner whose financial difficulties lead him to turn to an unknown electric guitar player (Gary Clark Jr.) to pack 'em in.

Let's Get Lost

The life of jazz legend Chet Baker is the subject of this documentary, originally released in 1989.

Over Her Dead Body

A ghost tries to disrupt the latest relationship of her very-much-alive boyfriend. Eva Longoria, Paul Rudd and Lake Bell star.

Strange Wilderness

The cohosts of a struggling nature TV show head to the Andes in search of Bigfoot in an effort to boost their ratings.

Reviewed by critics Carrie Rickey (C.R.) and Steven Rea (S.R.). W.S. denotes a wire-service review.

Nanking

Riveting documentary about the Rape of Nanking by Japanese forces in 1937-38, with mesmerizing testimony by survivors and invaders, and actors movingly reading eyewitness accounts. 1 hr. 28

R

(violence, sex, nudity, children in peril) -

W.S.

Persepolis

Marjane Satrapi's brilliant adaptation (with Vincent Paronnaud) of her graphic-novel memoir to animated film. Recounting her childhood and youth in Iran from the fall of the shah to the rise of the mullahs, Satrapi creates a universal coming-of-age story that's as unique as a fingerprint. 1 hr. 35

PG-13

(mature themes, war sequences, profanity, marijuana use) -

C.R.

The Rape of Europa

Equal parts history, thriller, and inspirational, an account of Hitler's plunder of artistic masterpieces and the amazing stories of their recovery and repatriation. 1 hr. 57

No MPAA rating

(documentary with footage of war and death) -

C.R.

The Diving Bell and the Butterfly

Julian Schnabel's impish and pitiless profile of Jean-Dominique Bauby, a Parisian rake who suffers a massive stroke that leaves him almost completely paralyzed. In this portrait of the artist who creates despite physical restraints, Mathieu Amalric plays Bauby, who dictates a memoir one letter at a time by blinking his eye to his secretary. In French with English subtitles. 1 hr. 52

PG-13

(nudity, sexual content, profanity) -

C.R.

Enchanted

Supercalifragilistic. Amy Adams is a delight as the cartoon princess from Andalasia who falls down a well, climbs up a sewer and finds herself - a real live woman now - smack in the middle of Times Square, searching for true love's kiss. With Patrick Dempsey and James Marsden, songs by Alan Menken and Stephen Schwartz. 1 hr. 47

PG

(innuendo, mild cartoon violence) -

C.R.

The Great Debaters

Enthralling Depression-era David and Goliath story about a debating team from historically black Wiley College that faces off against blue-blood national champs from Harvard. Directed by and starring Denzel Washington, with Forest Whitaker, Jurnee Smollett and Nate Parker. 2 hrs. 07

PG-13

(discreet sex, lynching victim) -

C.R.

Juno

A 16-year-old girl (sensational Ellen Page) has an unplanned pregnancy, plans to give up the baby for adoption. Improbably endearing comedy about a decidedly unfunny situation. Also starring J.K. Simmons, Allison Janney, Jennifer Garner, Jason Bateman and Michael Cera. 1 hr. 31

PG-13

(sexual candor, procreative candor, mild profanity) -

C.R.

The Kite Runner

Moving adaptation of Khaled Hosseini's beloved best seller about the intertwined lives of Afghan boys whose friendship - and lives - are forever altered one day before Soviet tanks and then Taliban fundamentalists roll into Kabul. With the splendid Homayoun Ershadi and mournful Ahmad Khan Mahmoodzada. 2 hrs. 02

PG-13

(mature themes, sexual violence) -

C.R.

Michael Clayton

First-rate thriller about a second-rate guy. George Clooney gives a sterling performance as the morally tarnished title character, a fixer at a law firm where everything is coming apart. 2 hrs.

R

(profanity, sexual candor) -

C.R.

No Country for Old Men

The Coen brothers' taut, terrific adaptation of the Cormac McCarthy novel about a psycho killer, a Vietnam vet, a Lone Star sheriff, and the bag of money that brings them together in the stark borderlands of 1980 West Texas. With Tommy Lee Jones, Josh Brolin, and Javier Bardem. 2 hrs. 02

R

(violence, profanity, adult themes) -

S.R.

The Savages

The superb Laura Linney and Philip Seymour Hoffman costar in Tamara Jenkins' mordant and poignant portrait of siblings caring for the ailing parent (Philip Bosco) who abandoned them in childhood. 1 hr. 53

R

(profanity, sexual candor) -

C.R.

There Will Be Blood

Paul Thomas Anderson steers Daniel Day-Lewis through 30 years in the life of a prospector turned petro king in this turn-of-the-(20th)-century epic about obsession, greed, folly and madness. Adapted from Upton Sinclair's

Oil!

, the film is a few barrels short of a masterpiece, but its star delivers a performance that's astounding. 2 hrs. 38

R

(violence, profanity, adult themes) -

S.R.

The Bucket List **

Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman as terminally ill men who decide to stop and smell the roses. Which would be fine if director Rob Reiner didn't rub our noses in a bouquet of plastic blooms. 1 hr. 38

PG-13

(profanity, sexual candor) -

C.R.

Cloverfield **1/2

Lost

boy J.J. Abrams produces the first monster movie of the YouTube age, in which a gang of five young New Yorkers run for their lives - camcorder ready and recording - as a giant reptilian squid thing wreaks havoc on the city, and on their party plans. 1 hr. 22

PG-13

(violence, scares, profanity, adult themes) -

S.R.

National Treasure: Book of Secrets *1/2

A thumping, gabby slog of a sequel to the surprise 2004 blockbuster. Nicolas Cage returns as the gallivanting historian, this time digging for clues in the diary of Lincoln assassin John Wilkes Booth. An impressive cast - Bruce Greenwood, Ed Harris, Harvey Keitel, Diane Kruger, Helen Mirren and Jon Voight - is wasted. 2 hrs. 04

PG

(action, adult themes) -

S.R.

Rambo (no stars)

With its first-person shooter perspective and gun-and-run narrative, this fourth installment in the Sylvester Stallone franchise is strictly for the PlayStation crowd. It's not a movie. It's an adrenalin pump and purveyor of raw carnage. 1 hr. 33

R

(extreme violence, gore, torture, sexual violence) -

C.R.

27 Dresses **

Creamy Katherine Heigl as the perennial bridesmaid, dreamy James Marsden as the Wedding Trasher. Here are actors radiating more star power than should be legally allowable in a rom-com so predictable that the audience knows what they will say before they do. 1 hr. 47

PG-13

(profanity, sexual candor, too much taffeta) -

C.R.

Untraceable *1/2

An abhorrent cyberthriller starring a compelling Diane Lane, it exploits the inhumanity of torture as it cynically condemns Internet rubberneckers (and by extension, moviegoers) for watching it online. 1 hr. 36

R

(torture, gore, profanity) -

C.R.

Reviewed by critics Wendy Rosenfield (W.R.), Howard Shapiro (H.S.) and Toby Zinman (T.Z.).

Avenue Q

(Forrest Theatre) Huge hit musical with fuzzy, oversexed puppets. Opens Tuesday.

Black Gold (InterAct at the Adrienne) A vaudevillian satire about the lust for crude, written and directed by Seth Rozin. Previews Tuesday, opens Wednesday.

Dollface

(Prince Music Theatre) Another rewind musical, this one is about 1956. Previews begin Friday, opens Feb. 9.

Ethel Waters: His Eye Is on the Sparrow

(Hedgerow) Bio-musical, a transfer production from Bristol Riverside Theatre. Previews begin Thursday, opens Feb. 7

Grace

(Luna Theatre at Walnut 5) Craig Wright's dark comedy about Christian zealots. Previews Tuesday, opens Wednesday.

Roosters

(Theatre Exile at Christ Church Neighborhood House) Milcha Sanchez-Scott's fierce drama of Latino machismo, cockfighting and magical realism. Previews start Thursday, opens Feb. 6.

Skylight

(Lantern Theatre) David Hare, one of England's finest, most prolific playwrights (

Stuff Happens

), wrote this collision between a wildly articulate and intensely angry man and woman. Previews begin Friday, opens Feb. 6.

Art

(Delaware Theatre Company) A play about three friends and their arguments over a painting. Through Feb. 10.

A Body of Water

(Act II Playhouse) Lee Blessing's play about memory, its loss, and attempts to reconstruct the past from unreliable sources. Through Feb. 17.

Crispin: The Cross of Lead

(People's Light & Theatre) A new adaptation of the Newbery-winning novel about a boy exiled during the post-black plague Middle Ages is an interesting production, though the script could use some work. Through Feb. 24.

- W.R.

Dorothy Parker & Friends

(Hedgerow) A celebration of the legendary wit and the people she hung out with. Ends today.

Lend Me a Tenor

(New Candlelight Theatre) Candlelight's first nonmusical production is a raucously funny, whiz-bang telling of Ken Ludwig's farce, in which an opera company is missing its internationally famous tenor for a 10th anniversary production. Through March 1.

- H.S.

M. Butterfly

(Philadelphia Theatre Company) David Henry Hwang's brilliant and complex drama is so good it can survive this visually stunning but otherwise wobbly production. Through Feb. 24.

- T.Z.

Me, Myself and I

(McCarter Theatre) Tyne Daly stars in this Edward Albee world premiere about identical twins. Through Feb. 17.

Menopause: The Musical

(Society Hill Playhouse) Long-running, popular show about The Change.

The Misanthrope

(Mauckingbird Theater Company at the Adrienne) Transposing the foppishness of 17th-century French high society to the fabulosity of the gay club world, this all-male production of Moliere's comedy is highly accomplished and entertaining. Ends next Saturday.

- T.Z.

The Price

(Walnut Street Theatre) Arthur Miller's family drama premiered here in 1968, and this production features Philly native Robert Prosky and his sons Andy and John, so it's disappointing when the play sends up a muted flare instead of fireworks. Through March 2.

- W.R.

Sleeping Beauty

(Arden) Whit McLaughlin directs that rare production whose discrete elements - set, costumes, music, lighting, directing, acting - add up to one enchanting entity. Ends today

- W.R.

Souvenir

(Media Theatre) A bio-drama about Philadelphia socialite Florence Foster Jennings, who rented Carnegie Hall for a vanity concert. Through Feb. 17.

Vivien

(Independence Studio 3 at the Walnut) Janis Stevens does a fine job portraying a histrionic Vivien Leigh, even though she's confronted by a pretentious one-woman script that gives us Leigh's demons, but not Leigh. Through next Sunday.

- H.S.

Welcome Home, Marian Anderson

(Bristol Riverside Theatre) A bio-drama about the famous contralto. Through Feb. 10.

Wittenberg

(Arden Theatre) Luther, Hamlet and Faustus mix it up in 1517 Wittenberg, in this world premiere that is as funny as it is clever. Through March 16.

- H.S.

The Comebacks

*** This sports-film spoof stars David Koechner (

Balls of Fury

) as a college football coach with an abysmal record who turns ragtag losers into champs. 1 hr. 23 PG-13 (crude sexual, drug material)

- W.S.