OPENING FRIDAY
JANE EYRE 4 stars (PG-13) Charlotte Bronte’s steadfast young governess (Alice in Wonderland’s Mia Wasikowska) contends with the romantic overtures of her magnetic, enigmatic employer, Mr. Rochester (the excellent Michael Fassbender). Cary Fukunaga places the heart of Jane Eyre in the pair’s volleying conversations, while Moiri Buffini sustain the themes of female empowerment without neglecting the haunted-house flourishes. Jane Eyre’s depths offer a lesson in tortured romance and Gothic mood to fans of Edward Cullen and Bella Swan. — Curt Holman
KABOOM (NR) Not the big-screen adaptation of the breakfast cereal, this indie sci-fi drama from Mysterious Skin director Greg Araki concerns a group of hot college students whose sexual awakening coincides with a world-altering conspiracy.
LIMITLESS (PG-13) The Hangover’s Bradley Cooper plays a lazy would-be writer who takes an intellect-enhancing drug that makes him a celebrity financial genius — and a target for bad guys who want the drug for themselves.
THE LINCOLN LAWYER (R) Apparently this Lincoln is a comeback vehicle for Matthew McConaughey, who’s getting his best reviews in years as an ambulance-chasing attorney who works out of his car and must reconsider his values when he defends a sleazy rich kid (Ryan Phillippe). Don’t let the title mislead you into thinking that it’s a period piece about Honest Abe’s law practice.
PAUL 2 stars (R ) Aspiring sci-fi artists/fanboys Graeme and Clive (Simon Pegg and Nick Frost) tour the UFO hotspots of America’s Southwest, only to encounter the uncouth but friendly fugitive alien Paul (voiced by Seth Rogen). For Paul, some of our greatest comic actors and Superbad/Adventureland director Greg Mottola team up for what might as well be “Alf” for pot-smoking, Star Wars T-shirt wearing nerds. The film’s affection for Paul and his raffish ways shines through, but the script eventually sounds like a straight-up list of lazy quotes from 1970s and 1980s blockbusters. — Holman

DULY NOTED
FOUND FOOTAGE FILM FESTIVAL (NR) For the fourth year, Nick Prueher and Joe Pickett bring their latest discoveries of instructional tapes, home-made music videos and other hilarious oddities, including “Heavy Metal Parking Lot.” 7:30 p.m., March 24. The Plaza Theatre, 1049 Ponce De Leon Ave. 404-873-1939. www.plazaatlanta.com
FOUR LIONS 4 stars (R ) English satirist and journalist Chris Morris directs this ingenious comedy about a bumbling group of would-be Islamist terrorists from Sheffield, England. Cinefest Film Theatre, Georgia State University, Suite 240 University Center. March 14-20, 11 a.m., 1, 3, 5, 7 and 9 p.m. 404-413-1798. www2.gsu.edu/~wwwcft.— Holman
KAMOME DINER (NR) A new diner in Finland attracts both curiosity-seeking locals and expatriate Japanese in this comedy about people forming connections that cross cultures. Japanese Film Festival. Free-$7. Sat., March 18, 8 p.m. Rich Theatre, High Museum, Woodruff Arts Center, 1280 Peachtree St. 404-733-5000. www.high.org.
LIVING FOR 32 (NR) This documentary profiles Colin Goddard, who survived the 2007 Virginia Tech massacre. Tue., March 22, 4 and 7:30 p.m. White Hall, 301 Emory University. filmstudies.emory.edu/
SHOWGIRLS (R ) The Plaza Theatre proves that it knows what sells by presenting members of Blast-Off Burlesque and a screening of the modern campfest Showgirls (complete with costume contest and "pool scene" re-creations) as its annual membership party, as well as the kick-off to its new monthly film series, "Taboo/La-La." 9:30 p.m., March 19. The Plaza Theatre, 1049 Ponce De Leon Ave. 404-873-1939. www.plazaatlanta.com
TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES (1990) The Plaza Theatre programs the first live-action film (inspired by the animated TV series, which was inspired by a comic book parody of Daredevil) about the pizza-snarfing martial artists on the half shell. Cowabunga? March 16, 9:30 p.m.; March 18, midnight; March 19, 3 p.m. $8. Plaza Theatre, 1049 Ponce de Leon Ave. 404-873-1939. www.plazaatlanta.com.
WONDERROOT FILM FESTIVAL (NR) The High Museum's Rich Theatre hosts "WonderRoot's General Local, Mostly Independent Film Series: Best of Year One," which includes short films, animation, experimental video and narrative documentary. 8 p.m. March 19, Rich Theatre, Woodruff Arts Center, 1280 Peachtree St. 404-733-5000. www.wonderroot.org

CONTINUING
THE ADJUSTMENT BUREAU 2 stars (PG-13) A bad-boy congressman (Matt Damon) falls in love with a free-spirited dancer, only to discover that the supernatural “adjustment bureau” of sinister guys in fedoras wants to keep them apart. In this adaptation of a short story by Philip K. Dick, debut filmmaker George Nolfi struggles to give the film a steady tone and alternates awkwardly between Murphy’s Law comedy, star-crossed love story and the surreal paranoia of an Inception knock-off. The zany energy of the finale, which features magic hats and teleportation-based race across New York, doesn’t keep the fates from conspiring against the film. — Curt Holman
BATTLE: LOS ANGELES 3 stars (PG-13) Aaron Eckhart plays a Marine staff sergeant who leads his platoon against space invaders in this gritty sci-fi action film that aims more for Black Hawk Down than Independence Day. With lots of firepower but little character development, Battle: Los Angeles plays like a very expensive, two-hour U.S. Marines recruiting film, but it approach to the tactical perspective of troops on the ground keeps the jingoism in check. — Curt Holman
BIG MOMMAS: LIKE FATHER, LIKE SON (PG-13) Keeping in line with the title, this father son duo, Malcom Turner and Trent, go undercover at an all-girls performing arts school after son, Trent, witnesses a murder. Posing at Big Momma, they must find the murdered before he finds them in this kill or be killed comedy.
BIUTIFUL 3 stars (R ) Newly-minted Best Actor Oscar nominee Javier Bardem commands this gritty, downbeat drama as Uxbal, a single dad and all-around hustler in the mean streets of Barcelona. Director Alejandro González Iñárritu narrows his focus from the globetrotting plotlines of Babel to a few days in Uxbal’s insanely complicated life as he switches between his black market work with illegal immigrants, his bipolar ex-wife (Maricel Álvarez) and a health crisis that forces him to question his children’s future. Even at nearly two and a half hours, Biutiful attempts to follow too many plot-threads, but Bardem gives an astonishingly rich and complex performance as a flawed man trying to transcend his surroundings. — Holman
BLACK SWAN 2 stars (R) A perfectionist ballerina (Natalie Portman) begins losing her grip on reality after being cast in a high-pressure production of Swan Lake. Like the obsessive character, Portman and director Darren Aronofsky present their focused, technically top-notch artistry, but in the service of an overly simplistic, at times silly thriller about art, sex and madness. Following the naturalism of Aronofsky’s previous film, The Wrestler, Black Swan’s horror-movie hyperbole feels like a step backwards. — Curt Holman
BLUE VALENTINE 3 stars (R ) Ryan Gosling and Michelle Williams play a young couple in this downbeat drama that chronologically criss-crosses between their budding romance and the dissolution of their marriage. The MPAA initially and inexplicably gave the film an NC-17 rating for its non-explicit but uncomfortably realistic scenes of missed sexual connections. The two leads give raw, sympathetic performances throughout, but the film ends more on a note of emotional release than character insight. — Holman
CEDAR RAPIDS 3 stars (R ) A boyish small-town insurance agent (former Atlantan Ed Helms) comes of age amid the “big city” temptations at a Cedar Rapids convention. Like Up in the Air, reconceived as a fish-out-of-water comedy, Cedar Rapids simultaneously mocks corporate kitsch while celebrating Middle-American idealism. Helms’ starry-eyed fatuousness anchors a strong cast, which includes John C. Reilly, “The Wire’s” Isiah Whitlock Jr. and Anne Heche in a totally charming comeback role. — Holman
THE COMPANY MEN 2 stars (R ) Ben Affleck, Chris Cooper and a particularly moving Tommy Lee Jones play executives who reassess their materialistic values when their global transportation company institutes round after round of layoffs. To borrow an outplacement center’s cheesy slogan, “I have faith, courage and enthusiasm!” writer/director John Wells shows admirable faith in his A-list and demonstrates courage by producing such a potential bummer about downbeat American trends. The enthusiasm seems to be missing from The Company Men, however, a fuzzily well-intentioned socioeconomic critique that seldom musters much passion for its subject. — Holman
DRIVE ANGRY IN 3D (R) Straight out of hell and raging with fury, a father chases after the men who killed his daughter and kidnapped his daughter. Vengeance is his.
FROM PRADA TO NADA (PG-13) Angel Gracia directs Camille Belle and Alexa Vega in a contemporary, Latina spin on Sense and Sensibility as two spoiled sisters move in with an aunt in East L.A.
GNOMEO & JULIET (G) Star-crossed lovers on the wrong side of the fence, two garden gnomes fall in love. Caught in a feud between their red and blue hatted friends, the couple struggles to find happiness.
THE GREEN HORNET 3 stars (PG-13) Seth Rogen plays the party-boy son of a media magnate who turns into a masked, crime-busting vigilante after his father’s murder. Puckish post-modernist Michel Gondry helms this curious-looking update of the famed pulp hero and 1960s TV star.
HALL PASS 2 stars (R) Owen Wilson and Jason Sudeikis play suburban dads granted a week of no-strings-attached freedom from their wives (Jenna Fischer and Christina Applegate). Writer/directors Bobby and Peter Farrelly get a few big laughs with gross-out slapstick, but mostly waste an intriguing polyamorous premise, while the lighting and make-up put the cast’s worst faces forward. Filmed in Atlanta, but set in Providence and Cape Cod.
I AM NUMBER FOUR (PG-13) Teen angst in high gear. John Smith is on the run from enemies sent to destroy him. On the run, with his guardian Henri to help him, he changes his identity several times but can't outrun regularities of the young adult life: his first true love and incredible friendships.
THE ILLUSIONIST 3 stars (PG) In the late 1950s, a French stage magician finds his brand of entertainment pushed aside in favor of rock ’n’ roll, but a young Scottish lass renews his zest for life. The Triplets of Belleville director Sylvain Chomet helms this animated adaptation of an unproduced screenplay from beloved French filmmaker Jacques Tati, and constructs a loving homage to his spiritual mentor’s brand of gentle slapstick. Bittersweet and slow-paced, The Illusionist serves as a loving tribute to any profession or art form being replaced by new trends and technologies. - Holman
INSIDE JOB 4 stars (PG-13) Documentarian Charles Ferguson applies the same muckraking instincts and policy-work grasp of details from his Iraq war film No End in Sight to the 2008 global economic meltdown, with even more compelling results. Inside Job sums up the dizzying financial chicanery that caused the Wall Street crash, and zeroes in on the greed-crazed corporate culture and even more damning lack of regulatory oversight. Matt Damon narrates an infuriating tale that finds plenty of blame to go around on both sides of the political aisle. — Holman
JUST GO WITH IT (PG-13) Or don’t go with it. It’s up to you. Adam Sandler plays a plastic surgeon who enlists his assistant (Jennifer Aniston) to play his estranged wife in a scheme to romance a young hottie (Brooklyn Decker). Nicole Kidman and Dave Matthews are also in it.
JUSTIN BIEBER: NEVER SAY NEVER (G) Because some wishes come true. This real life fairytale documentary traces the roots of Bieber Fever to Stratford, Ontario and ends in 3D with a sold out performance at Madison Square Garden. Cue the shameless screams and applause now.
THE KING’S SPEECH 4 stars (R ) Colin Firth should rehearse his King’s Best Actor Oscar acceptance speech for this light-hearted docudrama about the Duke of York’s struggles with his speech impediment on the eve of World War II. The film doesn’t touch on as many contemporary themes as such other Royal dramedies as The Queen or The Madness of King George, but offers an entertaining account of one man’s self-actualization, with Firth and Geoffrey Rush (as the king-to-be’s unconventional speech therapist) volleying the elegant dialogue back and forth like old pros. — Holman
THE LAST LIONS (PG) A lioness travels Botswana's Okavango Delta in this documentary from National Geographic. The narrator is Jeremy Irons, who voiced Uncle Scar in The Lion King, which seems like some kind of inside joke.
MARS NEEDS MOMS (PG) A nine-year old boy (Seth Green) learns to appreciate his mom (Joan Cusack) after she’s abducted by aliens and he has to leave the planet to save her. This 3-D, CGI family feature was based on a children’s book by “Bloom County” creator Berke Breathed, and produced by the people who brought you The Polar Express.
NO STRINGS ATTACHED (R ) Natalie Portman plays a commitment-averse medical resident who strikes up a purely carnal relationship with an old friend (Ashton Kutcher). The flick’s rom-com vibe suggests these crazy kids’ hearts will win out over their libidos. (Not to be confused with July’s rom-com Friends With Benefits.)
RANGO 4 stars (PG) Through dumb luck and tall tales, a chameleon known as Rango (Johnny Depp) convinces the desperate denizens of Dirt that he’s a hero capable of solving their water shortage, even though he’s just a former house pet with delusions of being an actor. It’s slow to start and kids probably won’t get the jokes about Western clichés, vision quests and pretentious actor behavior. Where Gore Verbinski’s Pirates of the Caribbean films let Johnny Depp improvise on rock stars and pirate lore, Rango riffs on master thespians and spaghetti westerns with brilliant animation and thoroughly entertaining set pieces. — Holman
RED RIDING HOOD (PG-13) Catherine Hardwicke, who directed the first Twilight film, helms this Brothers Grimm-inspired thriller about a snowy village stalked by a werewolf. The cast includes Gary Oldman, Billy Burke, Virginia Madsen, Julie Christie and Amanda Seyfried as the girl n da hood.
THE ROOMMATE In this psychological thriller, the excitement of moving away to college is countered by the common fear of the dreaded roommate. When a college freshman, Sarah (Minka Kelly) is assigned a random roommate Rebecca (Leighton Meester) things get too close for comfort as Rebecca becomes obsessed with Sarah.
SANCTUM (R) James Cameron produces this thriller about a team of explorers who become trapped in a series of underwater caves. One wonders how the 3D effects will look in a film that’s probably dark most of the time.
THE SOCIAL NETWORK 4 stars (R) A handful of computer savvy Harvard students (notably Jesse Eisenberg and Andrew Garfield) launch a social networking website that annoys the schools privileged snobs — and eventually becomes a global sensation. Fight Club and Zodiac director David Fincher and “The West Wing” scripter/creator Aaron Sorkin combine their flair for conveying dense amounts of information with this highly entertaining study of how Facebook’s founders fell out after the site took off. The ending feels arbitrary and inconclusive, but The Social Network captures the seedy underbelly of past decade’s on-line bubble, while providing an amusing riff on the Revenge of the Nerds genre. — Holman
TRON LEGACY 2 stars (PG-13) Hacker/corporate heir Sam Flynn (bland hunk Garrett Hedlund) finds himself zapped into cyberspace realm called “The Grid,” populated by sentient programs that look like people. He reunites with his long-lost father Kevin Flynn (Jeff Bridges, reprising his role from the original) to stop Dad’s on-line doppleganger Clu (also played by Bridges) from extending his tyrannical reign. The sequel to 1982’s Tron presents a visual feast of cutting-edge visual effects, especially in the film’s first half. But director Joseph Kosinski punts his chance to comment on contemporary computer habits and opts for an incomprehensible story about an on-line genocide of angelic programs, until the film feels like the worst aspects of The Matrix sequels. — Holman
TRUE GRIT 3 stars (PG-13) In this remake of John Wayne’s Oscar-winning Western, Haillee Steinfeld plays Mattie Ross, a 14 year-old girl out for revenge when a ranch hand (James Brolin) guns down her father. Ross enlists a boozy, one-eyed U.S. marshall (Jeff Bridges) to track the no-good varmint, and tolerates a preening Texas Ranger (Matt Damon) on the trail, leading to snappy repartee and suspenseful shoot-outs. The Coen Brothers’ remake improves on the original, particularly in its portrait of the harshness and cruelty of the frontier, but “new Grit” doesn’t achieve the greatness of the Coen’s modern classics. — Holman
UNKNOWN (R ) Liam Neeson plays a doctor visiting Berlin who, after a car accident, discovers that he cannot prove who he really is to anyone including his wife (January Jones). It sounds like a spiritual sequel to Neeson’s earlier Euro-thriller, Taken.