Oh, the places we’ll go

Against the Ropes. Boxing manager Jackie Kallen is the real-life inspiration for this fictional story of a fighter (Omar Epps) and his handler (Meg Ryan). With Tony Shalhoub, Tim Daly, Kerry Washington. Directed by Charles S. Dutton. Paramount, March

All the Real Girls. Small-town Southern boy experiences lust, love and betrayal on his way to growing up. Directed by David Gordon Green (“George Washington”). Sony Pictures Classics, Feb. 14

Angela. Donatella Finocchiaro stars as a woman seeking respect within the contemporary Mafia of Sicily. Directed by Roberta Torre. First Look, May

Assassination Tango. Robert Duvall directed and stars as a veteran hit man seduced by the rhythms of the dance. Luciana Pedraza and Ruben Blades co-star. United Artists, March 28

Better Luck Tomorrow. Looks at the explosive mix of ambition and boredom fueling the Asian American high school generation. Directed by Justin Lin. Paramount/MTV Films, April

Beyond Borders. A woman (Angelina Jolie) is drawn from her wealthy London life into some of the world’s harshest regions by the pleas of an idealistic doctor (Clive Owen). Directed by Martin Campbell. Paramount, TBA

Big Fish. Tim Burton directs Albert Finney, Ewan McGregor, Billy Crudup and Jessica Lange in the story of a father-son relationship and fanciful tall tales. Columbia, Fourth quarter

Blue Car. Neglected teenage girl develops an increasingly complex relationship with her English teacher. With Agnes Brucker, David Strathairn. Miramax, April 25

Carandiru. Director Hector Babenco delves into the lives of the inmates at Latin America’s largest prison, the overcrowded Sao Paulo House of Detention. Sony Pictures Classics, Fall

Casa de los Babys. John Sayles wrote and directed this story of six American women anxiously waiting to adopt in a South American country. Daryl Hannah, Mary Steenburgen, Maggie Gyllenhaal and Marcia Gay Harden star. IFC Films, June 28

Cet Amour. A student’s obsession with an author leads to love, despite the fact that the author, played by Jeanne Moreau, is several years older. Directed by Josee Dayan. New Yorker Films, TBA

Chaos. Frenchwoman leaves behind her husband and bourgeois life to care for a prostitute who’s the target of vicious criminals. Directed by Coline Serreau. New Yorker Films, TBA

Charly. Idealistic Mormon falls for carefree woman who’s about to marry another man. Excel Entertainment Group, Friday

City of Ghosts. James Caan, Natascha McElhone, Stellan Skarsgard and Gerard Depardieu appear with Matt Dillon in his directing debut about an American on the run from an insurance scam in Cambodia. United Artists, April 25

The Clearing. Robert Redford and Helen Mirren’s dream life is shattered and their marriage tested when Willem Dafoe kidnaps Redford. Directed by Pieter Jan Brugge. Fox Searchlight, Fall

The Company. Robert Altman applies his distinctive technique to the world of dance, focusing on a promising member of the Joffrey Ballet (Neve Campbell, whose peers are played by the actual Joffrey corps). Sony Pictures Classics, Fall

Confidence. Edward Burns as a con man who gets in over his head when his target turns out to be a mobster’s accountant. Director James Foley’s cast includes Rachel Weisz, Andy Garcia and Dustin Hoffman. Lions Gate, April 25

The Cuckoo. A Lapp woman in Finland shelters two members of enemy armies near the end of World War II. Directed by Alexander Rogozhkin. Sony Pictures Classics, June 27

The Dancer Upstairs. John Malkovich directs the story of an idealistic policeman in pursuit of the guerrilla leader who threatens to destroy their Latin American nation. Javier Bardem stars. Fox Searchlight,

Feb. 26

Dark Blue. Veteran LAPD detective Kurt Russell tutors rookie Scott Speedman on the ins and outs of intimidation and corruption as they investigate a high-profile quadruple homicide. Ving Rhames co-stars. Ron Shelton directed, from a story by James Ellroy. United Artists, Feb. 21

Devdas. Bollywood musical based on the classic Indian novel of a tragic, timeless love. Eros Entertainment, March 14

Dirty Dancing 2: Havana Nights. The 1987 surprise hit is retold, set in Cuba on the eve of revolution. An American rich girl learns new moves from local pool boy Diego Luna (“Y Tu Mama Tambien”). Artisan, Nov. 21

Dirty Pretty Things. Stephen Frears (“The Grifters”) depicts a London underworld, focusing on a young man and a chambermaid at a crime-ridden hotel. Miramax, April 11

The Dreamers. Bernardo Bertolucci directs the story of three young cineastes drawn together in Paris against the backdrop of the city’s 1968 political tumult. Fox Searchlight, TBA

The Event. Parker Posey, Olympia Dukakis, Sarah Polley, Don McKellar, Jane Leeves head an ensemble cast in director Thom Fitzgerald’s tale set among the gay population of Manhattan’s Chelsea district. ThinkFilm, Spring

Gerry. Director Gus Van Sant and stars Casey Affleck and Matt Damon wrote the script about two friends who get lost while hiking. ThinkFilm, Feb. 14

The Girl Next Door. If you’re living next door to an adult film operation. Emile Hirsch and Elisha Cuthbert in the story of a high school romance plagued by a problematic past. Fox, Fourth quarter

The Good Thief. Nick Nolte eyes a casino heist in the Nice underworld. Neil Jordan (“The Crying Game,” “The End of the Affair”) directs this update of Jean-Pierre Melville’s “Bob le Flambeur.” Fox Searchlight, April 16

The Hard Word. Three larcenous brothers, a beautiful wife and a treacherous attorney are the principals in a story of heists and double-crosses. Guy Pearce and Rachel Griffiths star. Directed by Scott Roberts. Lions Gate, June 13

Holes.Jinxed youngster in detention camp leads pals against warden and her henchmen. With Sigourney Weaver, Jon Voight, Tim Blake Nelson, Shia La-

Beouf. Directed by Andrew Davis. Walt Disney, April 18

Honey. Dancer-choreographer Jessica Alba is reinvigorated by a group of neighborhood kids, set against songs composed by hit-maker Rodney Jerkins. Universal, TBA

House of Fools. Director Andrei Konchalovsky takes a satirical look at war through they eyes of a love-struck woman. Paramount, Classics, March 21

House of Sand and Fog. Former Shah of Iran intimate settles in U.S., where his purchase of a house at auction pits him against tenacious homeowner Jennifer Connelly. Ben Kingsley stars. DreamWorks, Fall/holiday

How to Deal. High schooler Mandy Moore is disillusioned with love until a tragedy triggers a transforming encounter. New Line, April 18

The Human Stain. Nicole Kidman becomes involved as disgraced professor Anthony Hopkins seeks rehabilitation through friendship with intrigued writer Gary Sinise. Directed by Robert Benton. Miramax, Fourth quarter

I Capture the Castle. A teenage author does some growing up when she falls in love with her sister’s fiance. IDP/Samuel Goldwyn-Fireworks, May 9

In America. Jim Sheridan (“My Left Foot,” “In the Name of the Father”) wrote and directed this semiautobiographical tale of an Irish immigrant family seeking to make a home in New York City. Samantha Morton stars. Fox Searchlight, May 21

Irreversible. Provocateur Gaspar Noe contrasts violence and tenderness in an unconventional narrative about a couple’s fateful evening. Monica Bellucci and Vincent Cassel star. Lions Gate, March 7

The Italian Job. Paramount dips into its vault and comes up with a remake of the 1969 caper. This time Mark Wahlberg and Charlize Theron plot to recover their loot from ex-accomplice Edward Norton. Directed by F. Gary Gray. Paramount, May 30

J.M. Barrie’s Neverland. Johnny Depp plays the author in an account of the writing of “Peter Pan.” Kate Winslet, Julie Christie, Radha Mitchell and Dustin Hoffman also star for director Marc Forster (“Monster’s Ball”). Miramax, Summer

Laurel Canyon. Lifestyle crisis looms when med-student son and freewheeling record-producer mom reunite at her Hollywood Hills home and studio. With Frances McDormand, Christian Bale and Kate Beckinsale. Directed by Lisa Cholodenko (“High Art”). Sony Pictures Classics, March 7

The Legend of Suriyothai. A princess’ choice between love and duty in 16th century Thailand is just part of this story of war and intrigue. Directed by Chatri Chalerm Yukol. Sony Pictures Classics, TBA

Levity. Paroled murderer Billy Bob Thornton is drawn to the city of his crime and to the family of his victim. Morgan Freeman, Holly Hunter and Kirsten Dunst also star. Directed by Ed Solomon. Sony Pictures Classics, April 4

The Life of David Gale. Kevin Spacey plays a death penalty opponent who’s scheduled for execution himself, for the rape and murder of a fellow activist. Kate Winslet and Laura Linney also star for director Alan Parker. Universal, Feb. 21

Lilya 4-Ever. An abandoned Russian teenager tries to begin a new life in Sweden. Directed by Lukas Moodysson (“Together”). Newmarket Films, April 18

The Magdalene Sisters. Peter Mullan’s controversial look at four “fallen women” at the mercy of the Catholic Church in Ireland of the 1960s. Miramax,

TBA

Man on the Train. Jean Rochefort and veteran rocker Johnny Halliday in director Patrice Leconte’s look at very different lives. Paramount Classics,

July 18

Manic. Psychologist Don Cheadle treats a group of troubled young people in an institution. Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Zooey Deschanel also star. IFC Films, Spring

The Man Without a Past. A newcomer to Helsinki gets amnesia after being mugged and begins a new life. Directed by Aki Kaurismaki. Sony Pictures Classics, April 4

Mona Lisa Smile. UCLA grad Julia Roberts goes to teach art history at Wellesley College in 1953, where she inspires her students to challenge convention. Director Mike Newell’s cast also includes Kirsten Dunst, Julia Stiles, Maggie Gyllenhaal.

Columbia/Revolution, Nov. 21

The Mother. A widowed grandmother shakes her doldrums by beginning an affair with a man half her age. Roger Mitchell directs Anne Reid and Daniel Craig. Sony Pictures Classics, Fall

The Navigators. Director Ken Loach continues his social commentary when he takes on the privatization of the British railroad. First Look, Feb. 21

Northfork. The Polish brothers’ (“Twin Falls, Idaho”) surreal account of a small town standing in the way of construction of a dam in 1955. James Woods, Nick Nolte, Anthony Edwards and Daryl Hannah star. Paramount Classics, June 13

The Notebook. James Garner reads from it to Gena Rowlands, setting in motion the epic tale of two lovers separated by World War II. Nick Cassavetes (Rowlands’ son) directs. Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams play the couple in their youth. New Line, TBA

Novo. How to fall in love when you’re incapable of making new memories or holding on to old ones? Eduardo Noriega stars, directed by Jean-Pierre Limosin. IFC Films, TBA

Nowhere in Africa. Jewish family flees the Nazis in 1938, establishing a new life on a farm in Kenya. Written and directed by Caroline Link. Zeitgeist,

March 14

Open Hearts. Young lovers and a married couple confront tragedy in the Danish candidate for the foreign-language Oscar. Directed by Susanne Bier. Newmarket, Feb. 21

Owning Mahowny. Philip Seymour Hoffman as a bank manager who concocts extravagant scams to support his gambling addiction. Sony Pictures Classics, May 2

People I Know. Al Pacino as a veteran publicist who witnesses a shocking crime in the course of extricating an actor from an affair. With Ryan O’Neal, Kim Basinger, Tea Leoni. Directed by Dan Algrant. Miramax,

April 25

Poolhall Junkies. A hustler’s protege tries to leave the game but ends up playing for his life. With writer-director Mars Callahan, Christopher Walken, Chazz Palminteri, Rick Schroder, Alison Eastwood. IDP/Samuel Goldwyn, Feb. 21

Prozac Nation. Christina Ricci battles depression in her first year at Harvard in the mid-’80s. Also features Jason Biggs, Anne Heche, Jessica Lange. Based on Elizabeth Wurtzel’s bestselling memoir. Directed by Erik Skjoldbjaerg. Miramax,

March 14

Radio. High school football coach (Ed Harris) mentors a mentally challenged man (Cuba Gooding Jr.), exerting a powerful influence on a small South Carolina town. Directed by Mike Tollin. Columbia, Oct. 3

Raising Victor Vargas. A teenage Lothario puts the moves on a new girl against the vibrant backdrop of Manhattan’s Lower East Side. IDP/Samuel Goldwyn-Fireworks, March 28

The Reckoning. Fugitive priest seeks redemption in 14th century England. With Willem Dafoe, Paul Bettany, Brian Cox. Directed by Paul McGuigan. Paramount Classics, Sept. 12

The Safety of Objects. Rose Troche’s adaptation of A.M. Homes’ short stories examines four families looking for connection. With Glenn Close, Jessica Campbell. IFC Films, March 7

The Sea. Patriarch in an Icelandic village faces unexpected developments as he prepares to pass on the family fishery to his youngest son. Directed by Baltasar Kormakur. Palm Pictures, May

Seabiscuit. Jockey, trainer, businessman and racehorse conspire to thrill a nation in the throes of the Great Depression. Tobey Maguire, Chris Cooper and Jeff Bridges star. Directed by Gary Ross. Universal, July 25

Sex Is Comedy. Catherine Breillat’s admittedly biographical tale of a director (Anne Parrillaud) obsessed with perfecting a love scene between an actor and actress who hate each other. IFC Films, Summer

The Shape of Things. Writer-director Neil LaBute’s study of relationships in a college town. Adapted from his play, and featuring stage participants Gretchen Mol, Paul Rudd, Rachel Weisz and Frederick Weller. Focus Features, May 9

The Slaughter Rule. Refers to the mandatory ending of six-man football when a team falls more than 45 points behind. Ryan Gosling plays an alienated youth and David Morse is a shady coach. Cowboy Pictures, Friday

Smokers Only. A failed singer hooks up with a male hustler in Buenos Aires. Directed by Veronica Chen. Strand Releasing, Jan. 31

The Son. Olivier Gourmet plays a carpentry teacher at a vocational center whose life is disrupted by the arrival of a new student. Directed by Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne (“Rosetta”). New Yorker Films, Spring

The Statement. Police and assassins pick up the trail of a Nazi executioner who has avoided detection for decades. Michael Caine stars for director Norman Jewison. Sony Pictures Classics, Fall

Sweet 16. Teenager’s attempt to shield his criminally inclined mother from bad influences leads him into trouble of his own. Directed by Ken Loach.

Lions Gate, May 16

Taking Sides. Istvan Szabo directs Harvey Keitel and Stellan Skarsgard in the story of conductor Wilhelm Furtwangler, whose decision to remain in Germany during the Hitler era left him tainted by Nazi associations. New Yorker Films, June

Till Human Voices Wake Us. Psychologist Guy Pearce encounters a mysterious woman (Helena Bonham Carter) in Australian director Michael Petroni’s supernatural romance. Paramount Classics, Feb. 21

Together. Chen Kaige (“Farewell My Concubine”) directs this coming-of-age story about a talented young violinist who leaves his provincial life behind to attend a prestigious music academy in Beijing. United Artists, May 30

21 Grams. The creators of the acclaimed “Amores Perros” reunite for the story of a woman, her lover and an ex-convict. With Benicio Del Toro, Sean Penn and Naomi Watts. Directed by Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu. Focus Features, TBA

Under the Skin of the City. Co-writer and director Rakhshan Bani Etemad offers a different look at Iranian society with the story of a mother of four trying to preserve her family and home. Magnolia Pictures, March 14

Unknown Pleasures. Chinese slackers? In provincial Datong, best friends drift through their youth without much belief in a future. Directed by Jia Zhang-Ke. New Yorker Films, Feb. 21

Untitled Josh Hartnett project. Josh Hartnett stars in a psychological drama about a man obsessed with an elusive woman. Paul McGuigan directs. MGM, TBA

Veronica Guerin. Joel Schumacher directs Cate Blanchett in the true story of a Dublin journalist who crusaded against her city’s rampant drug trade. Touchstone, TBA

Waiting for Happiness. A Europe-bound teenager observes life from a fresh perspective when he visits his mother in a small Mauritanian village. Directed by Abderrahmane Sissako. New Yorker Films, April

Whale Rider. A young Maori girl aspires to be a leader in her patriarchal tribe. Directed by Niki Caro. Newmarket Films, Summer

Wonderland. Depicts the notorious 1981 Laurel Canyon drug murders that involved porn star John Holmes (Val Kilmer). Directed by James Cox. Lions Gate, July

XX/XY. Ten years after their wild college relationship, a man and a woman are faced with old feelings and hard choices. With Mark Ruffalo, Kathleen Robertson, Maya Stange. IFC Films, April 11

Yossi & Jagger. The love affair between two men is complicated by the fact that they are Israeli army officers posted at a remote base on the Lebanese border. Directed by Eytan Fox. Strand Releasing, August

The Young Black Stallion. The prequel to the 1979 favorite is Disney’s first dramatic feature made specifically for large-format screens. Walt Disney, Fall

The Young Unknowns. L.A. hipster’s laze-around-the-pool lifestyle is interrupted by the death of his mother. Written and directed by Catherine Jelski. Indican, April 11

Zhou Yu’s Train. Chinese star Gong Li as a painter at a ceramics factory whose future with a shy poet is threatened by a chance encounter. Directed by Sun Zhou. Sony Pictures Classics, Fall