"Another Year" (PG-13). English writer-director Mike Leigh scores again with this detailed look at how a middle-aged couple's good nature is put to the test by a psychologically needy friend. The fully imagined characters are vividly brought to life by a cast including Jim Broadbent, Ruth Sheen and Lesley Manville. Grade: B+ Opens Friday, Feb. 4.
"The Roommate" (PG-13). Not reviewed. Leighton Meester and Minka Kelly star in this thriller about a college freshman obsessed with her roommate. Opens Friday, Feb. 4.
"Sanctum" (R). Not reviewed. This action adventure tells of a team of divers exploring the world's most dangerous caves. Opens Friday, Feb. 4.
"Blue Valentine" (R). Ryan Gosling and Michelle Williams play a couple whose disintegrating relationship is depicted with bracingly realistic vigor, but some of the character traits and narrative strands feel incomplete in the scripting and directing. Grade: B-
"Country Strong" (PG-13). Gwyneth Paltrow is woefully miscast as a troubled country music queen in this twangy melodrama. What nearly redeems the movie are the more convincing supporting performances by Tim McGraw, Garrett Hedlund and Leighton Meester. It turns out that the opening acts are more impressive than the main attraction. Grade: C+
"The Dilemma" (PG-13). The close friendship between automotive engineers Vince Vaughn and Kevin James may fall apart owing to melodramatic complications. This wildly uneven film bounces from mood to mood with such uncertainty that it seems unsure what it wants to be. With Jennifer Connolly, Winona Ryder, Channing Tatum and Queen Latifah. Grade: C+
"The Fighter" (R). Solid role for Mark Wahlberg as a boxer who does much of his fighting outside the ring, because his troubled blue-collar family is always ready for another round. The story verges on seeming overly familiar and even tedious, but it's kept lively by a supporting cast that includes Christian Bale, Melissa Leo and Amy Adams. Grade: B
"The Green Hornet" (PG-13). Seth Rogen is aptly cast as a playboy-turned-superhero in a movie that pretty much sticks to genre conventions. Director Michel Gondry brings snappy pacing and some visually inventive touches, but otherwise he's just directing traffic here. With Jay Chou as the sidekick Kato, and Cameron Diaz as a female sidekick of sorts. Grade: B-
"The King's Speech" (R). Colin Firth plays the stuttering King George VI and Geoffrey Rush plays his speech therapist in the sort of inspirational, beautifully acted and handsomely produced English movie that amounts to Academy Awards bait. Although the clever banter and sentimental message sometimes verge on being just a vowel short of cloying, it's a smartly packaged picture that emotionally wins you over. Grade: B+
"The Rite" (PG-13). Colin O'Donoghue plays an American seminary student who goes to Rome and studies at what amounts to a graduate school for exorcists. Anthony Hopkins plays the veteran exorcist who has supernatural lessons to impart. The predictable story is enhanced by better than expected production values in that eternally photogenic city. Grade: B-
"True Grit" (PG-13). This expertly crafted western by the Coen Brothers will please genre fans and doubtless spark debates about whether it's better than the John Wayne-starring 1969 original. Jeff Bridges has a fine time playing a mean marshall who's also a mean shot, and newcomer Hailee Steinfeld is a natural as the outspoken 14-year-old girl who hires him to find the man who killed her father. With Matt Damon and Josh Brolin. Grade: B+
"The Way Back" (PG-13). Director Peter Weir's handsomely photographed Travelogue tracks a group of prisoners who escape a Soviet prison camp in Siberia during World War II and make a long journey on foot. Colin Farrell, Ed Harris and others in the international cast do not always mesh as an acting ensemble and the long running time amounts to a very long walk. Still, it's a well-crafted adventure. Grade: B
All capsule reviews and grades are by Mike Giuliano unless otherwise noted. Bookings change on Friday. For showtimes and to confirm listings, call the phone number in Screen Scene.
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