Movies: Battle: Los Angeles, The Company Men, Fair Game

Not exactly an A-list of stars, but Aaron Eckhart and Michelle Rodriguez do their best to save humanity on the streers of California in Battle: Los Angeles.

LA is the last stand because other top cities have already fallen to the alien incursion, and Eckhart and his crew of marines have to hold the line. Screenplay: Christopher Bertolini

If you like films where the special effects are what stay in the mind rather than the story, go for it. tunning special effects make the action seem shockingly real

> The big names are to be found in The Company Men, in which Ben Affleck, Chris Cooper, Tommy Lee Jones and even Kevin Costner join the case for a story about the American dream gone wrong. in this triumphant drama.

Affleck is a high-flying exec suddenly out on his ear and taking a job on a building site to make ends meet, and gradually putting his life back together.

It sounds grim but there are plenty of smiles to be had in a tale for our times, and the writer/director is John Wells, the driving backroom force between TV classic ER.

> Still on the serious side we have Sean Penn and Naomi Watts – neither known for their comedy chops – in Fair Game, a tense political drama based on the real-life experiences of Valerie Plame, a US spy whose status was revealed by a White House leak.

Political geeks will love the glimpse into the murky world of government, but it’s also a portrait of a marriage under pressure from outside forces. For grown-ups, obviously.

> For those trapped in perpetual adolescence there’s Hall Pass, the latest Farrelly Brothers comedy where grossout is guaranteed somewhere along the way.

Owen Wilson and Jason Sudikis are best pals getting into a rut, granted a week of complete freedom by their wives – no, I don’t believe a word of it.

Things go predictably awry but the chemistry between the two leads and the Farrelly formula combine to offer an enjoyable but guilty pleasure.

> Not enough horror for you this week? It’s time to turn to Hilary Swank, who is having a hard time in The Resident. And Christopher Lee is in it, and it’s actually a Hammer horror film.

After splitting from her rat of a hubby, a hot young doctor – that’s Hilary – is looking for a fresh start. But her new loft apartment has a few drawbacks. The landlord (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) is a bit creepy and keeps appearing in the strangest places.