The Stranger

Located 50 feet west of the legendarily grubby and delicious soup shack Pho Bac, Pho Viet offers all the vegetarian pho options (in addition to meat dishes) its sister establishment refuses to, in a setting that doesn't make you consider a tetanus shot. It's the little things that make Pho Viet's pho stand out—most notably, the singed and crushed garlic cloves lacing the broth, which give this classic rainy-season fare an addictive new kick. (Pho Viet, 1240 S Jackson St, 568-0882.) by David Schmader

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It pains me to think that someday someone will renovate the Moore. They'll strip its peeling paint, wash its filthy molding, scrub the scum out of its water fountains, and blast away its elegant, decaying grandeur. But tonight, for its hundredth birthday party, the Moore will indulge in dusty, vaudevillian nostalgia, with dozens of variety performers—a 30-member Sousa band, Russian jugglers, Tamara the Trapeze Lady, a Spanish opera singer, tap dancers, and so on. (The Moore, 1932 Second Ave, 467-5510. 5–8 pm, free.) by Brendan Kiley

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An adaptation of the Ian McEwan novel about the catastrophic fallout from a child's rebuffed crush, Atonement should confirm Joe Wright—along with most of his production team from Pride & Prejudice—as a master of period film. Impeccable design, perfect casting, sound that takes the clack of a typewriter and embeds it into all sorts of furious onscreen rhythms... I was swooning even before the love story kicked in. Admittedly, Keira Knightley and James McAvoy are pretty dreamy, too. (See Movie Times for details.) by Annie Wagner

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Having six actors playing six versions of Bob Dylan (none of whom are named Bob Dylan) is a masterstroke, allowing director Todd Haynes to concurrently poke fun at and pay homage to Dylan's megalomania. The first Dylan is an 11-year-old, train-hopping black kid named Woody Guthrie—precisely the character Dylan wished he were back in 1961. Subsequent Dylans include Arthur Rimbaud, Billy the Kid, a jackass movie star, a gospel preacher, and Cate Blanchett as the snarling, stoned Dylan of Don't Look Back. The film has flaws—you will, at the two-hour mark, want your life back—but it's the best biography the world has seen in ages. (See Movie Times for details.) BRENDAN KILEY by Brendan Kiley

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This is the production I've been waiting for all year: an adaptation of Hedda Gabler, directed by Genius Award–winner Jennifer Zeyl at the Genius Award–winning On the Boards, performed by Marya Sea Kaminski, Lathrop Walker, and other genius actors of Washington Ensemble Theatre. The title demonstrates these guys know precisely what they're doing—you'll never hear a better summary of Hedda's plot. Expect this to be smart, fast, physical (actors will literally climb the walls), and maybe a little lewd. (On the Boards, 100 W Roy St, 217-9888. 8 pm, $18, through Dec 17.) by Brendan Kiley

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