Our critics recommend...

Food, Inc.

This documentary looks at how corporate control and the bottom line affect the food industry and, at times, public safety.

Herb and Dorothy Two of the most unlikely of major art collectors, one a librarian and the other a postal clerk, are the subject of this documentary.

The Proposal An editor (Sandra Bullock) pressures her young assistant (Ryan Reynolds) to marry her to avoid deportation to Canada. The fun starts when he takes her home to meet his family.

Year One Two men from prehistoric times set out on an epic journey through the ancient world. Jack Black and Michael Cera star.

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

Goodbye Solo Director Ramin Bahrani's film is a wise and soulful study of two very different men - a resilient Senegalese cabbie and a crusty white Southerner nearing life's end. Set in Winston-Salem, N.C., and full of quietly revealing performances, this is beautiful, powerful stuff that speaks to the human condition. 1 hr. 31 No MPAA rating (profanity, adult themes) - S.R.

Sugar Half Nelson filmmakers Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck follow a young Dominican pitcher as he joins a single-A team and dreams of playing in the majors. A baseball movie, a stranger-in-a-strange-land movie, a movie about real people facing real challenges in the real world, this is a modest, masterful gem. 1 hr. 54 R (drugs, adult themes) - S.R.

Up Buoyant Pixar film about a childless grouch (voice of Ed Asner) and a fatherless boy (Jordan Nagai) who float off to the wilds of Venezuela in a house lashed to helium-filled balloons. It darts unpredictably between comedy and adventure, defying gravity and age. 1 hr. 36 PG (perilous situations, appropriate for those 5 to 105) - C.R.

Il Divo

Paolo Sorrentino's sensational (in both meanings of the word) account of the corruption-plagued regime of seven-time prime minister Giulio Andreotti, the Anton Ego of Italian politics. In Italian with English subtitles. 1 hr. 51

No MPAA rating

(violence) -

C.R.

The Merry Gentleman A hit man, a woman on the run from an abusive husband, and a police detective cross paths in this sly, surprisingly sublime noir romance - which also marks the directing debut of its star, Michael Keaton. Actress Kelly MacDonald shines. 1 hr. 50 R (violence, profanity, adult themes) - S.R.

Pressure Cooker A heart-grabbing, awe-inspiring documentary about a teacher and her students in the culinary arts program at Philly's Frankford High. No need for phony Hollywood uplift, this is the real deal. 1 hr. 39 No MPAA rating (adult themes) - S.R

Star Trek J.J. Abrams' enjoyable reboot of the sci-fi saga takes a refreshing chug from the fountain of youth, imagining what happened When Kirk Met Spock. With Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Zoe Saldana, and Leonard Nimoy. 2 hrs. 06 PG-13 (brief sexuality, action violence) - C.R

State of Play A journalist (Russell Crowe) and a politician (Ben Affleck), once college roommates, play hide-and-seek in this enthralling thriller where murder, mystery, and political scandal intersect. With Rachel McAdams, Helen Mirren, and the ever-resourceful Jason Bateman. 2 hrs. 07 PG-13 (violence, profanity) - C.R

Summer Hours Olivier Assayas' achingly beautiful meditation on inheritance and generational change is wildly different in scope and tone from the French director's recent genre trilogy and Boarding Gate. A mature and ultimately moving look at how three siblings (Juliette Binoche, Charles Berling, Jeremie Renier) come together for the imminent death of their mother. 1 hr. 43 No MPAA rating (adult themes) - S.R.

The Hangover ***

Four guys go to Vegas for a bachelor party, and mayhem and memory loss ensue. A loopy farce from the warped mind that brought you

Old School,

with a scene-stealing performance from indie comedy dude Zach Galifianakis. Bradley Cooper also stars. 1 hr. 40

R

(drugs, drink, profanity, nudity, cartoon violence, adult themes) -

S.R.

Land of the Lost ** Will Ferrell stars in this epically silly homage to Sid and Marty Krofft's much-beloved Saturday morning series - a lavish Hollywood redo of a cheesy '70s TV show about three Earthlings transported to a planet of dinosaurs and walking reptiles called Sleestaks. Knuckleheaded comedy ensues. 1 hr. 41 PG-13 (profanity, sexual humor, cartoon violence, adult themes) - S.R.

Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian ** Ben Stiller returns in this knee-jerk sequel to the surprise 2006 family-friendly smash. A super-size rehash - transplanted from New York's Museum of Natural History to the sprawling Smithsonian in Washington - with lots of running around and CG effects. Amy Adams, Robin Williams, and Owen Wilson are among the gang of museum figures come to life. 1 hr. 45 PG (action, comic mayhem) - S.R.

Terminator Salvation **1/2 Man and machine can't seem to get along in this sci-fi shoot-'em-up, the fourth installment in the Terminator series. The year is 2018 and the mood is postapocalyptic, with Christian Bale as John Connor, the resistance fighter leading the battle against the evil Skynet and its relentless robot army. A few moments of self-referential humor, but generally the tone is solemn, severe, sermonistic. 1 hr. 55 PG-13 (violence, profanity, postapocalyptic despair, adult themes) - S.R.

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

1776

(Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival) It was a very good year for independence (and musicals). Previews Wednesday and Thursday, opens Friday.

Fully Committed (Montgomery Theatre) Tony Braithwaite plays four dozen parts. Previews Thursday, opens Friday.

Spark Showcase (Plays & Players) Five new indie plays in one night. You choose the best. Friday.

Avenue X

(11th Hour Theatre Company) A passionate, interesting musical about racism in Brooklyn in 1963, sung entirely a cappella by an ensemble of excellent actors with gorgeous voices. Through next Sunday.

- T.Z.

The Brothers Size & Marcus; or The Secret of Sweet (McCarter Theatre) Two of bold new playwright Terrell Alvin McCraney's "Brother/Sister Plays," both directed and acted with the passion they deserve. They play at McCarter concurrently with the third fine play, "In the Red and Brown Water," but can stand alone. Ends today. - H.S.

The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged) (Philadelphia Shakespeare Theatre) Three talented guys turn the Bard upside down and inside out in a spoof that's become a classic free-for-all. Through June 28. - H.S.

Doubt: A Parable (People's Light & Theatre Company) John Patrick Shanley's Pulitzer- and Tony-winning play gets a perfunctory and stiff treatment, though Ceal Phelan's Sister Aloysius tries to create sparks out of all that dead wood. - W.R.

Forbidden Broadway's Greatest Hits (Walnut's Independence Studio) Four talented performers mock Broadway's greatest hits: If you know your shows, you'll have a hugely entertaining evening. Through June 28. - T.Z.

Grey Gardens (Philadelphia Theatre Company) Based on the true story of "Little Edie" and "Big Edie," reclusive eccentrics who were related to the Kennedys, PTC's production of this musical doesn't fulfill expectations created by the wildly praised Broadway production. Through June 28. - T.Z.

Honk! (Theatre Horizon) A mother-son duck team battle discrimination. Through July 2.

Hysteria (Wilma Theater) This imaginary meeting of Sigmund Freud, Salvador Dali, and a mysterious girl is less sparkling than it could be, but still intrigues. Ends today. - W.R.

Let's Pretend We're Married (1812 Productions) Jennifer Childs and Tony Braithwaite are perfect in a charming, fresh revue that bounces marriage up and down the aisle. Ends today. - H.S.

Little Lamb (InterAct Theatre Company) A new play about a white gay man adopting a black baby and the social and religious issues this raises. The characters are stereotypes, the plot is illogical, and the production requires that we sit through several tedious sermons. Through June 28. - T.Z.

The Meatpackers Book Club (Philadelphia Theatre Workshop) A good idea - four meatpackers forming a book club in the break room - but the clumsy play tries for a number of themes, never cohesively. Ends today. - H.S.

Nunsense (Hedgerow Theatre) Catastrophe strikes the Little Sisters of Hoboken! Through June 28.

Oklahoma (New Candlelight Theatre) This dinner-theater production of the Rodgers and Hammerstein classic succeeds with a combination of pluck and good country cheer. Through July 25. - W.R.

The Producers (Walnut Street Theatre) A jolly if tame revival of Mel Brooks' outrageous show about two guys trying to produce a Broadway flop. The actors in minor roles provide the most fun. Through July 17. - T.Z.

Respect: A Musical Journey of Women (Act II Playhouse) Women's 20th-century trials and tribulations get little respect in this slapdash revue notable only for Danielle G. Herbert's performance. Through June 28. - W.R.

The Seafarer (Arden Theatre) A ghostly, boozy Christmas present in Dublin isn't quite boozy, Irish, and slam-bang intense enough to serve Conor McPherson's inventive play. Ends today. - H.S.

Tyler Perry's Madea Goes to Jail *1/2

Tyler Perry is back as Madea, who lands in the slammer this time around and meets all sorts of characters. 1 hr. 43

PG-13

(adult themes, drug content, some violence, sexual situations) -

W.S.