Looking ahead, categorically

The Air I Breathe

Four stories based on a Chinese proverb interweave to depict life’s emotional cornerstones: happiness, pleasure, sorrow and love. With Kevin Bacon, Forest Whitaker, Andy Garcia, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Brendan Fraser, Julie Delpy and Emile Hirsch. Written by Jieho Lee and Bob DeRosa. Directed by Lee. ThinkFilm, Jan. 25.

Alexandra

Opera star Galina Vishnevskaya plays an elderly woman visiting her grandson, an army officer, at his base in Chechnya. Written and directed by Alexander Sokurov. Cinema Guild, April 11.

Alice’s House

A middle-aged manicurist living on the outskirts of Sao Paolo, Brazil, with her taxi driver husband and three sons fantasizes about a better life when an old boyfriend shows up. With Carla Ribas and Vinicius Zinn. Directed by Chico Teixeira. Screenplay by Teixeira, Julio Pessoa, Sabina Anzuategui and Marcelo Gomes. In Portuguese with English subtitles. Vitagraph Films, Jan. 25.

Appaloosa

A western about a new sheriff and his deputy squaring off against a powerful rancher. Viggo Mortensen, Renee Zellweger, Ed Harris and Tom Bower star. Directed by Harris. Written by Harris and Robert Knott, from the novel by Robert B. Parker. New Line Cinema, TBA.

Bab’aziz (The Prince Who Contemplates His Soul)

A blind dervish wanders the desert with his granddaughter seeking a dervish reunion, spinning tales to pass the time and encountering other travelers. With Paviz Shahinkhou and Maryam Hamid. Directed by Nacer Khemir. Written by Khemir with the participation of Tonino Guerra. In Arabic with English subtitles. Typecast Releasing, Feb. 22.

Battle in Seattle

Actor Stuart Townsend wrote and directed this dramatization of the five volatile days of protest that rocked the Northwest city during the 1999 World Trade Organization summit. With Charlize Theron, Woody Harrelson, Ray Liotta. and Channing Tatum. ThinkFilm, May.

Beaufort

The final days of 2000 mark the end of a young Israeli army unit’s withdrawal from an ancient fortress in south Lebanon. With Oshri Cohen, Itay Tiran, Eli Eltonyo, Itay Turgeman and Ohad Knoller. Directed and co-written by Joseph Cedar, based on a true story and Ron Leshem’s novel. In Hebrew with English subtitles. Kino International, March 21.

Before I Forget

Jacques Nolot directs and stars as a gay gigolo who fears ending up back on the streets after his benefactor dies. In French with English subtitles. Strand Releasing, summer.

Blindness

A mysterious plague of sightlessness besets a city. Julianne Moore, Gael Garcia Bernal, Mark Ruffalo, Sandra Oh and Danny Glover star. Screenplay by Don McKellar, based on Nobel laureate Jose Saramago’s novel. Directed by Fernando Meirelles. Miramax Films, Aug. 8.

Bonneville

Jessica Lange stars as a newly widowed woman who embarks on a soul-searching road trip with her best friends (Kathy Bates, Joan Allen). With Tom Skerritt. Written by Daniel D. Davis. Directed by Christopher N. Rowley. SenArt Films, March 21.

A Boy

Paroled at 24, years after he killed a child (as a child himself), a young man struggles to make a fresh start. Andrew Garfield, Peter Mullan, Shaun Evans and Katie Lyons star. Directed by John Crowley. Written by Mark O’Rowe based on Jonathan Trigell’s novel. The Weinstein Co., TBA.

Brick Lane

A Bangladeshi woman forced into an arranged marriage in London awakens to the possibilities of life when she begins an affair. With Tannishtha Chatterjee, Satish Kaushik and Christopher Simpson. Directed by Sarah Gavron. Written by Laura Jones and Abi Morgan, based on a novel by Monica Ali. Sony Pictures Classics, April 4.

Brideshead Revisited

Between the World Wars, a young British man becomes infatuated with an aristocratic family and their lifestyle. Emma Thompson, Michael Gambon and Matthew Goode star. Written by Jeremy Brock and Andrew Davies, based on the novel by Evelyn Waugh. Directed by Julian Jarrold. Miramax Films, TBA.

Cassandra’s Dream

Woody Allen writes and directs this story, set in present-day London, about two brothers whose lives become tragically intertwined. Ewan McGregor, Colin Farrell, Tom Wilkinson, Sally Hawkins and Hayley Atwell star. The Weinstein Co., Friday.

Chop Shop

“Man Push Cart” director Ramin Bahrani returns with this tale of a street-hardened youth working in a Queens auto body repair shop to support himself and his sister. With Alejandro Polanco, Isamar Gonzales, Rob Sowulski, Carlos Zapata and Ahmad Razvi. Screenplay by Bahareh Azimi, Bahrani. Koch Lorber, spring.

City of Men

The violent, gang-infested favelas of Brazil are the setting for this follow-up to “City of God” in which two friends discover themselves on opposite sides of a gang war. With Douglas Silva and Darlan Cunha. Screenplay by Elena Soarez. Directed by Paulo Morelli. Miramax Films, Feb. 29.

The Counterfeiters

In a Nazi concentration camp, professional printers, former bank officials and craftsmen are assembled to implement a master plot to produce bogus bank notes to flood the Allies’ economies. With Karl Markovics, August Diehl, Devid Streisow, Martin Brambach and August Zirner. Written and directed by Stefan Ruzowitzky, based on a book by Adolf Burger. In German with English subtitles. Sony Pictures Classics, Feb. 22.

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

Brad Pitt stars in the tale of a man who ages backward from New Orleans at the end of World War I to the 21st century. With Cate Blanchett, Taraji P. Henson and Tilda Swinton. Eric Roth adapted the F. Scott Fitzgerald story. Directed by David Fincher. Paramount Pictures, Nov. 26.

Defiance

Daniel Craig, Liev Schreiber and Jamie Bell play Jewish brothers who escape from Poland into the Belarussian forest and band together with the Russian resistance to fight the Nazis. With Alexa Davalos. Written by Ed Zwick and Clayton Frohman, based on the book by Nechama Tec. Directed by Ed Zwick. Paramount Vantage, TBA.

Doubt

John Patrick Shanley wrote and directed this adaptation of his award-winning play about a possible molestation at a parochial school in the Bronx in 1964. Meryl Streep, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Amy Adams and Viola Davis star. Miramax Films, TBA.

The Duchess

The 18th century aristocrat Georgiana, duchess of Devonshire, presaged her descendant Princess Diana’s popularity and public scrutiny. With Ralph Fiennes, Keira Knightley and Charlotte Rampling. Written by Jeffery Hatcher, based on a book by Amanda Foreman. Directed by Saul Dibb. Paramount Vantage, TBA.

The Duchess of Langeais (Ne Touchez pas la Hache)

A handsome general and a married coquette play dangerous romantic games in 1820s Paris. With Jeanne Balibar and Guillaume Depardieu. Directed by Jacques Rivette. Screenplay by Pascal Bonitzer, Christine Laurent and Rivette, based on the novel by Honore de Balzac. In French with English subtitles. IFC First Take, February.

The Edge of Heaven

Writer-director Fatih Akin continues to explore the German-Turkish dynamic with this story of a professor who travels to Istanbul to search for the daughter of his father’s girlfriend. In German, Turkish and English with English subtitles. Strand Releasing, spring.

The Express

Running back Ernie Davis (Rob Brown) rises from the coal country of Pennsylvania to become the first African American to win college football’s prestigious Heisman Trophy. With Dennis Quaid, Omar Benson Miller, Clancy Brown and Charles S. Dutton. Directed by Gary Fleder. Written by Charles Leavitt, based on the book “Ernie Davis: The Elmira Express” by Robert Gallagher. Universal Pictures, Oct. 3.

Fireflies in the Garden

A mother’s tragic death on the day of her college graduation leads her grown son to finally stand up to his abusive father. With Julia Roberts, Ryan Reynolds, Willem Dafoe, Emily Watson, Carrie-Anne Moss and Hayden Panettiere. Written and directed by Dennis Lee. Senator Films, May.

Flash of Genius

A Detroit college professor and engineer battles the automobile industry for recognition of his invention of the intermittent windshield wiper system. With Greg Kinnear, Lauren Graham, Dermot Mulroney and Alan Alda. Directed by Marc Abraham. Written by Philip Railsback, Scott Frank and Abraham, based on a magazine article by John Seabrook. Universal Pictures, TBA.

The Flight of the Red Balloon

A Parisian puppeteer engrossed in creating her new show hires a Taiwanese film student to help care for her young son. With Juliette Binoche, Simon Iteanu and Song Fang. Directed by Hou Hsiao-hsien. Written by Hou and Francois Margolin. In French with English subtitles. IFC First Take, April.

4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days

Two women navigate the bureaucratic underground of Ceaucescu’s Romania to obtain an illegal abortion. Anamaria Marinca, Laura Vasiliu, Vlad Ivanov and Luminita Gheorghiu star. Written and directed by Cristian Mungiu. IFC First Take, Feb. 1.

Frost/Nixon

Frank Langella and Michael Sheen reprise their theater roles in playwright Peter Morgan’s dramatization of the events surrounding the historic interview between disgraced U.S. President Richard Nixon and British TV personality David Frost. Directed by Ron Howard. Screenplay by Morgan. Universal Pictures, TBA.

In Bruges

Irish playwright Martin McDonagh makes his feature writing-directing debut with this story of two British hit men sent by their boss to the Belgian city for an increasingly surreal “holiday.” Colin Farrell, Brendan Gleeson and Ralph Fiennes star. Focus Features, Feb. 8.

Irina Palm

Desperate to pay her son’s medical bills, a middle-age woman takes a job as a hostess in a sex club and discovers a whole other side to herself. Marianne Faithfull stars. Directed by Sam Garbarski. Strand Releasing, March 28.

Jellyfish

Modern-day life in Israel is portrayed through the lives of three Tel Aviv women. Directed by Etgar Keret and Shira Geffen. Zeitgeist Films, April 25.

The Killing of John Lennon

A subjective look inside the mind of Mark David Chapman in the months leading up to his murder of the former Beatle. Starring Jonas Ball, Krisha Fairchild, Gunter Stern and Gail Kay Bell. Written and directed by Andrew Piddington. IFC First Take, TBA.

Last Chance Harvey

Dustin Hoffman stars as a middle-aged man at a low point in his life when he meets a bristly woman (Emma Thompson) and is presented an unlikely opportunity for renewal. With Kathy Baker and James Brolin. Written and directed by Joel Hopkins. Overture Films, fall.

Last Year at Marienbad

A new 35mm print of director Alain Resnais’ enigmatic 1961 film in which a man entreats a woman to remember the affair they may or may not have had the year before. Starring Delphine Seyrig, Giorgio Albertazzi and Sacha Pitoeff. Screenplay by Alain Robbe-Grillet. Rialto Pictures, Feb. 1.

The Life Before Her Eyes

Uma Thurman stars as a suburban Connecticut mother reflecting on tragic events from 15 years earlier. With Evan Rachel Wood and Eva Amurri. Written by Emil Stern, based on Laura Kasischke’s novel. Directed by Vadim Perelman. Magnolia Pictures, April 18.

The Limits of Control

Isaach De Bankole stars as a loner working outside the law who trusts no one in this typically enigmatic work set in Spain by writer-director Jim Jarmusch. Focus Features, TBA.

Love Sick

Two female college students in Bucharest, Romania, become lovers while one maintains an unusually close relationship with her older brother. With Maria Popistasu, Ioana Barbu, Tudor Chirila. Written by Cecilia Stefanescu in collaboration with Razvan Radulescu. Directed by Tudor Giurgiu. In Romanian with English subtitles. Here! Films/Regent Releasing, TBA.

The Lucky Ones

Rachel McAdams, Tim Robbins and Michael Pena portray U.S. military personnel facing issues of returning home, who are thrown together by chance for a road trip while on leave. Directed by Neil Burger. Screenplay by Burger and Dirk Wittenborn. Lionsgate, summer.

Make It Happen

Mary Elizabeth Winstead stars as a young woman from a small town whose dreams of attending the Chicago School of Music and Dance are derailed and finds herself working in a burlesque house. With Tessa Thompson, Julissa Bermudez and Riley Smith. Written by Duane Adler. Directed by Darren Grant. MGM/the Weinstein Co., fall.

Married Life

In love with a much younger woman, a man decides he must kill his wife so she doesn’t suffer when he leaves her. Chris Cooper, Patricia Clarkson, Rachel McAdams and Pierce Brosnan star. Directed by Ira Sachs. Written by Sachs and Oren Moverman, based on John Bingham’s book “Five Roundabouts to Heaven.” Sony Pictures Classics, March 7.

Milk

Sean Penn stars as the assassinated gay rights activist and San Francisco Supervisor Harvey Milk. Written by Dustin Lance Black. Directed by Gus Van Sant. Focus Features, TBA.

Miracle at St. Anna

Four men, members of the U.S. Army’s all-black 92nd “Buffalo Soldier” Division, are trapped behind enemy lines in Tuscany, Italy, during World War II. With Derek Luke, Michael Ealy, Laz Alonso, Omar Benson Miller, Matteo Sciabordi, John Leguizamo, Joseph Gordon-Levitt. Screenplay by James McBride, based on his novel. Directed by Spike Lee. Touchstone Pictures, fall.

Mister Foe

The rooftops of Edinburgh, Scotland, become the hunting grounds for a young voyeur dealing with his mother’s death. Jamie Bell, Ciaran Hinds and Sophia Myles star. Written and directed by David Mackenzie. Magnolia Pictures/Red Envelope Entertainment, May.

Mongol

Tadanobu Asano stars as Genghis Khan in this historical epic that depicts the early life of the future leader of the hordes. Directed by Sergei Bodrov. Written by Bodrov and Arif Aliyev. In Mongolian with English subtitles. PictureHouse, June 6.

My Blueberry Nights

Director Wong Kar Wai makes his English-language debut with the story of a young woman (Norah Jones in her screen debut) who suffers a bad breakup and then waitresses her way across the U.S., where she discovers that the lives of the people she meets inform her own personal explorations. With Jude Law, Natalie Portman, Rachel Weisz and David Strathairn. Written by Wong and Lawrence Block. The Weinstein Co., Feb. 13.

My Brother Is an Only Child

Two brothers from a small Italian town develop passionate, polarizing ideas about politics with a woman caught in the middle. Riccardo Scamarcio, Elio Germano and Diane Fleri star. Directed by Daniele Luchetti. Screenplay by Sandro Petraglia, Stefano Rulli and Luchetti, based on the novel “Il Fasciocomunista” by Antonio Pennacchi. In Italian with English subtitles. ThinkFilm, April.

Nights in Rodanthe

A troubled woman and a doctor in crisis share a romantic weekend at an inn in North Carolina’s Outer Banks. Richard Gere, Diane Lane, Scott Glenn, Christopher Meloni and Viola Davis star. Written by Ann Peacock and John Romano, based on the novel by Nicholas Sparks. Directed by George C. Wolfe. Warner Bros., Sept. 12.

No Regret

Class conflicts affect the romance between two Korean men. With Lee Han, Lee Young-hoon, Cho Hyun-chul, Kim Dong-wook and Jung Seung-gil. Directed and written by Leesong Hee-il. In Korean with English subtitles. Here! Films/Regent Releasing, July.

Nothing but the Truth

Kate Beckinsale plays a Washington, D.C., reporter willing to go to jail rather than reveal her source after she outs a CIA agent. With Matt Dillon, Vera Farmiga, Alan Alda and Angela Bassett. Written and directed by Rod Lurie. Yari Film Group Releasing, TBA.

Now & Later

Sexually explicit story of a bail jumper convicted of bank fraud who finds temporary sanctuary with an illegal immigrant. With Keller Wortham, Shari Solanis. Written and directed by Philippe Diaz. Cinema Libre Studio, April.

Paranoid Park

Filmmaker Gus Van Sant returns to Portland, Ore., for the story of a skate punk who accidentally kills a security guard and says nothing. With Gabe Nevins, Taylor Momsen, Dan Liu, Jake Miller and Lauren McKinney. Based on Blake Nelson’s novel. IFC First Take, March 7.

The Reader

Writer David Hare adapted Bernhard Schlink’s novel set in postwar Germany about a man whose life has been influenced by an affair with an older woman. Kate Winslet and Ralph Fiennes star. Directed by Stephen Daldry. MGM/the Weinstein Co., fourth quarter.

Real Men Cry

Mark Ruffalo and Ethan Hawke star as friends from South Boston whose lives of crime put a strain on their relationships and friendship. With Amanda Peet. Written by Brian Goodman, Paul T. Murray. Directed by Goodman. Yari Film Group Releasing, TBA

Romulus, My Father

Australian actor Richard Roxburgh directed this adaptation of Raimond Gaita’s autobiographical novel about a young boy’s relationship with his stern immigrant father and frequently absent mother. With Eric Bana. Screenplay by Nick Drake. Magnolia Pictures, Feb. 29.

Santouri the Music Man

A talented young singer and musician attempts to pick up the pieces of his life after years of drug addiction. Directed by Dariush Mehrjui. In Farsi with English subtitles.Nima Pictures, Jan. 18.

Seven Pounds

“The Pursuit of Happyness” director Gabriele Muccino reteams with star Will Smith for a story about a man who changes the lives of seven strangers. With Rosario Dawson and Woody Harrelson. Written by Grant Nieporte. Columbia Pictures, Dec. 12.

Shanghai

An American returns to the Japanese-occupied city during World War II to investigate the death of his father. John Cusack and Gong Li star. Written by Hossein Amini. Directed by Mikael Hafstrom. MGM/the Weinstein Co., fall.

Shelter

An aspiring artist makes sacrifices for his sister and her son, but a clandestine romance with a surfer makes him reexamine his life. With Trevor Wright, Brad Rowe and Tina Holmes. Written and directed by Jonah Markowitz. Here! Films/Regent Releasing, March 14.

The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2

The four friends -- once again played by Amber Tamblyn, America Ferrera, Blake Lively and Alexis Bledel -- go their separate ways to college but continue to share their experiences. Written by Elizabeth Chandler, based on Ann Brashares’ bestselling series of novels. Directed by Sanaa Hamri. Warner Bros., Aug. 8.

Sleepwalking

An ill-equipped road crew worker is handed the responsibility of caring for his 11-year-old niece when her mother skips town. Nick Stahl and AnnaSophia Robb star, with Charlize Theron. Written by Zac Stanford. Directed by William Maher. Overture Films, March 14.

Snow Angels

Tragedy shapes two dovetailing stories: In one, an adolescent boy feels the pain of his parents’ separation, while in the other, a single mom fends off her born-again ex-husband. With Sam Rockwell and Kate Beckinsale. Written and directed by David Gordon Green, based on the novel by Stewart O’Nan. Warner Independent Pictures, March 14.

Stop-Loss

Director Kimberly Peirce’s story of a decorated Iraq war veteran (Ryan Phillippe) whose adjustment to life back in Texas is interrupted when the Army recalls him to active duty. With Abbie Cornish, Channing Tatum, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Ciaran Hinds and Timothy Olyphant. Written by Mark Richard and Peirce. Paramount Pictures, March 28.

The 2007 Academy Award Nominated Short Films

This year’s nominated live-action and animated shorts figure to represent a host of countries and genres. Magnolia Pictures, Feb. 15.

The Children of Huang Shi

Jonathan Rhys Meyers plays a young English writer who arrives in Shanghai just before the Japanese invade, is wounded and sent to rest at an orphanage where he forms a bond with the boys. With Radha Mitchell, Chow Yun-Fat and Michelle Yeoh. Written by Jane Hawksley and James MacManus. Directed by Roger Spottiswoode. Sony Pictures Classics, May 23.

Towelhead

Set against a backdrop of the first Gulf War, a 13-year-old Arab American girl goes to live with her strict father in Houston where she faces bigotry, hypocrisy and her burgeoning sexuality. With Summer Bishil, Aaron Eckhart, Toni Collette and Maria Bello. Written and directed by Alan Ball, based on the novel by Alicia Erian. Warner Independent Pictures, August.

Tre

Director and co-writer Eric Byler examines the lives of a group of thirtysomething friends. With Daniel Cariaga, Alix Koromzay, co-writer Kimberly-Rose Wolter and Erik McDowell. Cinema Libre Studio, Feb. 1.

21

A team of cunning MIT students uses counting cards and an intricate system of hand signals to break the bank at Las Vegas casinos. With Jim Sturgess, Kate Bosworth, Laurence Fishburne and Kevin Spacey. Screenplay by Peter Steinfeld and Allan Loeb, based on a book by Ben Mezrich. Directed by Robert Luketic. Columbia Pictures, March 28.

Tyler Perry’s Meet the Browns

The writer-director-star adapts his stage play about a single mother from Chicago who goes to Georgia for the funeral of the father she never knew and encounters the family she may not be ready for. With Angela Bassett, Sofia Vergara, Lance Gross and Irma P. Hall. Lionsgate, March 21.

Under the Same Moon (La Misma Luna)

The parallel stories and enduring bond between a mother and son living on opposite sides of the U.S.-Mexico border offer a humanistic perspective on immigration. With Adrian Alonso, Kate del Castillo, Eugenio Derbez and America Ferrera. Written by Ligiah Villalobos. Directed by Patricia Riggen. In English and Spanish with English subtitles. Fox Searchlight, March 21.

The Unknown Woman (La Sconosciuta)

A Russian woman earns the trust of an Italian family, working as their maid and nanny, to solve a mystery. Directed by Giuseppe Tornatore(“Cinema Paradiso”). Screenplay by Tornatore, Massimo De Rita. With Xenia Rappoport, Michele Placido, Claudia Gerini, Alessandro Haber and Margherita Buy. In Italian with English subtitles. Outsider Pictures, April.

The Untouchable

Isild Le Besco stars as a young French actress who travels to India after learning from her mother that her absent father was a Hindu. Written and directed by Benoit Jacquot. Strand Releasing, TBA.

Vivere

A cab driver, on her way to Rotterdam, the Netherlands, to collect her younger sister, picks up a stranded older woman. With Hannelore Elsner, Esther Zimmering, Kim Schnitzer and Egbert-Jan Weeber. Written and directed by Angelina Maccarone. In German with English subtitles. Here! Films/Regent Releasing, Feb. 1.

Water Lilies (Naissance des Pieuvres)

Churning hormones fuel a summer spent at a public pool in suburban Paris for three adolescent girls. With Pauline Acquart, Louise Blachere, Adele Haenel and Warren Jacquin. Written and directed by Celine Sciamma. In French with English subtitles. Koch Lorber, spring.

When Did You Last See Your Father?

His father’s terminal illness and imminent death causes a man to examine their complex relationship. With Jim Broadbent, Colin Firth, Juliet Stevenson, Gina MckKee, Sarah Lancashire and Matthew Beard. Directed by Anand Tucker. Screenplay by David Nicholls, based on Blake Morrison’s book. Sony Pictures Classics, May 9.

The Witnesses

Four friends in 1984 Paris experience the onset of the AIDS epidemic. Johan Libereau, Michel Blanc, Emmanuelle Beart and Sami Bouajila star. Directed by Andre Techine. In French with English subtitles. Strand Releasing, Feb. 15.

The Women

Writer-director Diane English updates the Clare Boothe Luce play with an eclectic, multigenerational group of women sharing their joys and betrayals. Starring Meg Ryan, Annette Bening, Eva Mendes, Jada Pinkett Smith, Debra Messing, Bette Midler, Candice Bergen and Cloris Leachman. PictureHouse, fall.

The Year My Parents Went on Vacation

When his militant parents go underground in 1970 Sao Paolo, Brazil, a 12-year-old boy creates a de facto family from his religious and ethnically diverse neighborhood. With Daniela Piepszyk and Liliana Castro. Written and directed by Cao Hamburger. City Lights, Feb, 15.