Reel Picks

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The American (R)

A weary but effective American assassin (way cool George Clooney), retreats to a small Italian village and, while taking on a mysterious assignment, finds romance and friendship — a risk for someone in his line of work.

3 shells

Despicable Me (PG)

Animated exploits of a nasty but redeemable curmudgeon who adopts a tiny trio of orphaned sisters to further his plot to steal the moon. Popular movie.

4.5 shells

Eat, Pray, Love (PG-13)

It’s all Julia Roberts — in close ups. Privileged woman leaves perfect marriage and embarks on perfect world quest for self-discovery. With Javier Bardem, Billy Crudup. Based on bestselling memoir by Elizabeth Gilbert.

3 shells

The Expendables (R)

A low-tech, high body-count action flick about South American drug lords, mercenaries, and a corrupt CIA agent (Eric Roberts). Directed and co-written by Sylvester Stallone, who costars with all the ’80s action stars still able to do push-ups — Bruce Willis, California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger (no, really), Mickey Rourke, and Dolph Lundgren.

2.5 shells

Get Low (PG-13)

A warm, sensitive, funny down-home tale. In a stunning portrayal by Robert Duvall, a hermit who’s become a local legend in rural Tennessee, comes out of hiding after 40 years and learns what townsfolk think of him by staging his own funeral. Bill Murray as the sorrowful undertaker, Sissy Spacek as his old flame. Brilliant.

5 shells

Inception (PG-13)

Complicated, sci-fi thriller. A corporate espionage team travels across multiple levels of dreamscape realities to steal ideas by entering a person’s brain during the dream state. Result: Nightmares. With Leonardo DiCaprio.

2.5 shells

The Kids Are All Right (R)

Teenagers (Mia Wasikowska and Josh Hutcherson) find their biological father Paul (Mark Ruffalo) — the sperm donor used by lesbian couple Nic (Annette Bening) and Jules (Julianne Moore) — and everything gets scrambled in a thoughtful, reality-based way.

5 shells

Nanny McPhee Returns (PG)

The magical and eccentric Nanny — a perfect Emma Thompson — comes to a 1940s English farm to rescue a harried mom (Maggie Gyllenhaal) trying to cope with her three kids and their two rotten city-bred cousins. Loaded with charm, a solid cast (Ralph Fiennes, Maggie Smith, Rhys Ifans), and basically, fun.

4 shells

The Other Guys (PG-13)

Will Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg as mismatched detectives who stumble on a major crime that lands them at the door of the precinct chief (Michael Keaton). With Eva Mendes, Steve Coogan, Samuel L. Jackson, and Dwayne Johnson.

2.5 shells

Ramona and Beezus (G)

A family film with a dose of economic reality. Financial setbacks create problems for Dad (John Corbett) and Mom (Bridget Moynahan) that affect everyone: mischief-prone Ramona (Joey King), and his perfect teenage sister, Beezus (Selena Gomez).

2.5 shells

Vampires Suck (PG-13)

And so does this Twilight parody movie.

.5 shells