Our critics recommend...

Amarcord

Rerelease of Fellini's 1973 comic drama about life in a coastal Italian town during the 1930s. Italian and Greek with subtitles.

Crank: High Voltage This time, Chev Chelios squares off with a Chinese mobster who has replaced his heart with one that runs on batteries. Jason Statham and Amy Smart star.

Hunger In this biopic, Irish Republican Army leader Bobby Sands leads a prison hunger strike.

In a Dream This documentary about the work and stormy marriage of Philadelphia mosaic artist Isaiah Zagar was filmed by his son, Jeremiah.

Paris 36 Three unemployed stage performers in 1930s Paris decide to forcefully take over a theater and put on a show. French with subtitles.

17 Again Matthew Perry and Zac Efron star in this comedy about a down-on-his-luck father who gets a second chance at being a teen.

State of Play A reporter (Russell Crowe) investigates the murder of a mistress of a powerful congressman (Ben Affleck). Adapted from the BBC mini-series.

Reviewed by critics Carrie Rickey (C.R.), Steven Rea (S.R.), David Hiltbrand (D.H.), and Tirdad Derakhshani (T.D.). W.S. denotes a wire-service review.

Everlasting Moments A portrait, incandescent and inspiring, of an accidental portraitist, a humble working-class woman named Maria Larsson who understood the transforming powers of photography. The film from Jan Troell takes place in Malmo, Sweden, at the turn of the 20th century and chronicles the life of the photographer who exalts what she sees, however humble. 2 hrs. 11 No MPAA rating (spousal abuse, sexual candor) - C.R.

Slumdog Millionaire A street kid-turned-gofer gets on the Indian version of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire and keeps answering the questions correctly, amazingly. 2 hr. R (violence, profanity, adult themes) - S.R.

Wendy and Lucy Michelle Williams loses herself in the role of a hard-luck vagabond whose car breaks down in a small town, and she loses her dog, too. Old Joy's Kelly Reichardt directs. 1 hr. 20 R (profanity, adult themes) - S.R.

The Class

Sobering, funny, and finally enlightening portrait of the education tango as danced in a middle-school classroom in Paris' melting-pot 20th arrondissement. In French with English subtitles. 2 hrs. 09

PG-13

(profanity) -

C.R.

I Love You, Man Metrosexual meets caveman in this fresh comedy starring Paul Rudd as a newly engaged guy without a male friend to be his best man, and Jason Segel as a prospect. With Rashida Jones and Andy Samberg. 1 hr. 45 R (profanity, sexual candor) - C.R.

Sin Nombre Cary Fukunaga's startlingly impressive first feature is ruthless in its depiction of the brutality and degradation confronting the hordes of illegal immigrants crossing rivers and hopping trains trying to get to the U.S. The paths of a teenage Honduran girl and a Mexican gang member intertwine as they head for the Rio Grande. 1 hr. 36 R (violence, profanity, sex, adult themes) - S.R.

Fast & Furious **1/2

Vin Diesel returns for the fourth installment

of the street-racing franchise. The supercharged action film brings back the rest of the original cast: Paul Walker, Jordana Brewster, and Michelle Rodriguez. Vroom, vroom. 1 hr. 40 PG-13 (violence, profanity, sex, drugs) - D.H.

Hannah Montana The Movie *** Miley Cyrus as brunette Miley Stewart, by day a stuttering, accident-prone high schooler, by night (under a Barbie blond wig) a strutting pop princess. Can down-home girl coexist with upbeat celebrat? Mildly diverting for parents, a three-star entertainment for their spawn. 1 hr. 42 G (product placement, shopaholia) - C.R.

The Haunting in Connecticut ** Tepid ghost story with fine performances by Kyle Gallner as a teen with cancer who sees dead people and Virginia Madsen as his protective mom. I'd wait to rent this one on DVD - as part of a triple show with 1979's The Amityville Horror and its 2005 remake. 1 hr. 32 PG-13 (disturbing images, terror, corpses) - T.D.

Knowing ** A weird and gloomy existential sci-fi thriller with Nicolas Cage as an MIT professor who discovers a page of numbers that seem to predict cataclysmic events. Run for your lives! 2 hrs. 02 PG-13 (violence, calamity, adult themes) - S.R.

Monsters vs. Aliens *** Playing in 2-D and 3-D formats, this goofy computer-animated romp is an amicable amalgam of the vintage sci-fi schlock Attack of the 50 Foot Woman and Pixar's Monsters Inc. With the voices of Reese Witherspoon, Seth Rogen, and Kiefer Sutherland. 1 hr. 34 PG (cartoon violence, sci-fi mayhem) - S.R.

Observe and Report *** Seth Rogen stars as a deluded, dysfunctional mall cop on the trail of a flasher in this sick, funny comedy. It's weird stuff, delivered with subversive glee, but the characters - nutjobs all - have their hearts in the right place. With Anna Faris, Ray Liotta, and Michael Peña. 1 hr. 26 R (sex, nudity, profanity, alcohol, drugs, violence, adult themes) - S.R.

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

American Buffalo

(Theatre Exile) Three guys and a nickel. Preview today, opens Tuesday.

Cabaret (Temple Theaters) Come to the cabaret (at the Prince Theater). Opens Thursday.

Jihad Jones & the Kalashnikov Babes (InterAct Theatre Company) Hollywood offers the (despicable) role of a lifetime! Previews today, Tuesday, opens Wednesday.

Passing By (Quince Production) Two men meet at the movies. (Plus Victor Bumbalo's "Show" and "Tell" late on weekends.) Opens Friday.

Raised in Captivity (BCKSEET Productions). Two siblings and a funeral. Preview Wednesday, opens Thursday.

Something Intangible (Arden Theatre) Odd-couple brothers in Hollywood; Bruce Graham's latest. Previews today, Tuesday, opens Wednesday.

Spinning Into Butter (Montgomery Theater) Racism, overt and covert, rends a liberal college campus. Previews Thursday, opens Friday.

The White Room (Hedgerow Theatre) World premiere of a Nagle Jackson whodunit. Previews Friday-next Sunday, opens April 24.

All the Great Books (abridged)

(Delaware Theatre Company) Western lit, in a loony nutshell, with three actors who wring the thing for fun. Through next Sunday.

- H.S.

At Home at the Zoo (Philadelphia Theatre Company) A three-actor cast handily brings off Edward Albee's combination of his oldest one-act, "The Zoo Story," and his more recent one-act "Homelife." Through April 26. - H.S.

Birdy (Iron Age Theatre Company) Naomi Watts' adaptation of William Wharton's novel about a Philly boy obsessed with birds and the friend who puts up with him soars in a production at Norristown's Center Theater. Through April 26. - H.S.

Born Yesterday (Walnut Street Theatre) A lively production about D.C. corruption and greed. Misses its chance at real relevance, but is enjoyable. Through April 26. - T.Z.

Chicken (New City Stage) Fighting cocks make bad house pets. Through April 26.

Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (Academy of Music) This musical version of the movie uses kids, dogs, a flying car and eye-popping sets and costumes to help you forget how ridiculous it really is. Ends today. - W.R.

The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged) (Philadelphia Shakespeare Theatre) A crass and unfunny production of a funny show. Through May 10. - T.Z.

Criminal Hearts (Walnut's Studio 3) A wildly talky one-joke comedy performed by a crackerjack cast about how crime pays but trust doesn't. Through next Sunday. - T.Z.

Defiance (Bristol Riverside Theatre) The second, after "Doubt," in John Patrick Shanley's trilogy, is a striking play set at Camp Lejeune in 1971, with a sterling cast. Ends today. - H.S.

Footloose (New Candlelight Theatre) The chemistry in this production about repressed kids who just wanna dance is perfect - and the dancing is among the brightest on a Philly- area stage this season. Through May 30. - H.S.

Fresh Fish 2.0 (Walking Fish Theatre) The second 10-minute play festival from this tiny Fishtown company offers a slate of eight uneven pieces, but is anchored by two standouts. - W.R.

Hamlet (Lantern Theatre Company) This remarkable production is as fresh as today, with an electrifying Geoff Sobelle taking the lead. Through May 10. - H.S.

Hot 'n' Throbbing (Luna Theater Company) A steamy night, a bloody mess, a detective. Through May 2.

Say Goodnight Gracie (Society Hill Playhouse) Sweet and sentimental, this one-man biodrama about the careers of Burns and Allen is a trip down memory lane for people who remember these show-business greats. Through May 31. - T.Z.

Nunsense (Devon Theater) This musical about singing nuns is all about preaching to the converted; I cringed, the audience cackled. - W.R.

A Tale of Two Cities (People's Light & Theatre) Dickens' tale of two men in turbulent times becomes more gripping as a smart cast makes this new stage adaptation jell. Through May 3.- H.S.

Whisky Neat (Azuka Theatre Company) The world according to guys who park cars. Through April 26.

A Year With Frog and Toad (Arden Theatre) A musical for children that their parents will enjoy, too. Never sappy, full of good songs and magical theatrical effects, it's about friendship. Jeff Coon and Ben Dibble are the lovable amphibian odd couple. Through April 19. - T.Z.