A season’s film feast

Ballast

A single mother and her embattled son struggle to subsist in a small Mississippi Delta township. Starring Micheal J. Smith Sr., JimMyron Ross, Tarra Riggs, Johnny McPhail. Written and directed by Lance Hammer. Alluvial Film Co.

The Boy in the Striped Pajamas

Friday

Separated physically by a barbed wire fence, the son of a Nazi commandant and a Jewish boy held captive in a concentration camp form a forbidden friendship. Starring Jack Scanlon, Asa Butterfield, David Thewlis and Vera Farmiga. Directed by and screenplay by Mark Herman. Miramax

Madagascar:

Escape 2 Africa

Ben Stiller, Chris Rock, David Schwimmer and Jada Pinkett Smith reprise their voice roles (Alex the lion, Marty the zebra, Melman the giraffe and Gloria the hippo, respectively) as the animals attempt to get off the island and wind up on the inhospitable plains of continental Africa. Also with Sacha Baron Cohen, Cedric the Entertainer, Andy Richter. Directed by Eric Darnell, Tom McGrath. Also in IMAX. DreamWorks Animation SKG

Repo!

The Genetic Opera

A science fiction rock opera set 50 years in the future in which an epidemic of organ failure creates a frenzy for expensive transplants and a heavy price for nonpayment. With Paul Sorvino, Alexa Vega, Paris Hilton, Anthony Head. Written by Darren Smith & Terrance Zdunich. Directed by Darren Lynn Bousman. Lionsgate Films

Role Models

Paul Rudd and Seann William Scott star as two salesmen who trash a company truck and are ordered to spend 150 service hours with a Big Brother-type mentorship program. With Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Jane Lynch, Bobb’e J. Thompson and Elizabeth Banks. Screenplay by Paul Rudd & David Wain & Ken Marino; story by Timothy Dowling and William Blake Herron. Directed by Wain. Universal

Soul Men

Samuel L. Jackson and Bernie Mac star as former backup singers reunited by the funeral of their famous former bandleader after not speaking to each other for 20 years. Written by Robert Ramsey & Matthew Stone. Directed by Malcolm Lee. MGM

Stranded

The harrowing true story of the 1972 plane crash carrying the Uruguay rugby team and their 72 days of survival in the Andes Mountains. Directed by Gonzalo Arijon. Zeitgeist Films

The World Unseen

Two women find unconventional love during South Africa’s apartheid era. Starring Lisa Ray and Sheetal Sheth. Written and directed by Shamim Sarif. Regent Releasing

Nov. 12

Slumdog Millionaire

Advancing toward winning millions on a game show, an 18-year-old Mumbai orphan is arrested for cheating. Starring Dev Patel, Freida Pinto, Irfan Khan. Written by Simon Beaufoy. Directed by Danny Boyle. Fox Searchlight

Nov. 14

Antarctica

Dreading his 30th birthday, a bookworm turns to a novel about aliens for answers to the woes of dating -- and his life. With Guy Zoaretz and Lucy Dubinchik. Written and directed by Yair Hochner. Regent Releasing/Here! Films

A Christmas Tale

Members of a dysfunctional family come together over the holidays after the mother is diagnosed with leukemia. With Catherine Deneuve, Jean-Paul Roussillon and Mathieu Amalric. Written and directed by Arnaud Desplechin. IFC Films

Dostana

Two hot guys pretend to be gay to rent an apartment from a landlord with a sexy, young niece. With Abhishek Bachchan, John Abraham and Priyanka Chopra. Directed by Tarun Mansukhani. Hindi with English subtitles. Yash Raj Films

First Basket

Writer-director David Vyorst explores the Jewish contribution to basketball and the game’s role in the assimilation of immigrants. With Red Auerbach, Red Holzman, Ossie Schectman (a New Yorker who netted the first basket in NBA history) and Sammy Kaplan. Narrated by Peter Riegert. Laemmle / Zeller Films

JCVD

Reality collides with fantasy when action star Jean-Claude van Damme finds himself in the middle of a holdup in Brussels. Written by Frederic Benudis and Christophe Turpin. Directed by Mabrouk El Mechri. Peace Arch Entertainment

Johnny Got His Gun

Ben McKenzie stars as a quadruple amputee injured in World War I in this latest film adaptation of Dalton Trumbo’s classic antiwar novel. Screenplay by Bradley Rand Smith. Directed by Rowan Joseph. Greenwood Hill Productions

Pray the Devil

Back to Hell

This documentary follows a small coalition of Christian and Muslim women who came together to end Liberia’s bloody civil war in 2003. Balcony Releasing

Quantum of Solace

Daniel Craig dons the 007 tux for a second time. Written by Paul Haggis and Neal Purvis & Robert Wade. Directed by Marc Forster. MGM / Columbia Pictures

Nov. 21

Bolt

A canine TV superhero doesn’t realize his superpowers aren’t real when he embarks on a cross-country trek accompanied by a jaded house cat and a hamster. John Travolta and Susie Essman lend their voices. Written by Dan Fogelman and Chris Williams. Directed by Williams and Byron Howard. Walt Disney Pictures

The Dukes

Chart toppers in the ‘60s, members of the doo-wop group the Dukes find themselves struggling to reclaim their former glory and stumble upon the heist of a lifetime. With Robert Davi, Chazz Palminteri, Peter Bogdanovich, Miriam Margolyes and Frank D’Amico. Written by Davi and James Andronica. Directed by Davi. Cavu Releasing

Eden

An Irish couple confront their fears of the future as they prepare for their 10th anniversary. With Eileen Walsh, Aidan Kelly, Padraic Delaney and Karl Sheils. Written by and based on the play by Eugene O’Brien. Directed by Declan Recks. Liberation Entertainment

I Can’t Think Straight

A bride-to-be faces the consequences with her traditional Jordanian family when she falls for another woman. With Lisa Ray and Sheetal Sheth. Written and directed by Shamim Sarif. Regent Releasing

The Matador

Director Stephen Higgins chronicles a bullfighter’s three-year journey across Spain and Latin America on a quest to become the best. City Lights Pictures

Special

Michael Rapaport stars as an average guy who participates in a clinical drug trial and ends up convinced that he is a superhero. With Paul Blackthorne, Josh Peck, Robert Baker. Written and directed by Hal Haberman and Jeremy Passmore. Magnet Releasing

Twilight

A teenage girl risks everything when she falls in love with a vampire. Featuring Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson, Nikki Reed and Peter Facinelli. Screenplay by Melissa Rosenberg; based on the novel by Stephenie Meyer. Directed by Catherine Hardwicke. Summit Entertainment

Nov. 26

Australia

Down Under titans director Baz Luhrmann, Nicole Kidman and Hugh Jackman team for this romance between an English aristocrat and a cattle-driver at the onset of World War II. Screenplay by Luhrmann & Stuart Beattie & Ronald Harwood & Richard Flanagan; story by Luhrmann. 20th Century Fox

The Beautiful Truth

A documentary about a 15-year-old home schooler who, after being assigned to read a book that proposes a direct link between diet and a cure for cancer, embarks on a cross-country road trip to investigate the Gerson therapy. Directed by Steve Kroschel. Cinema Libre

Four Christmases

Vince Vaughn and Reese Witherspoon star as a couple endeavoring to visit all four of their divorced parents on Christmas Day. Screenplay by Matt R. Allen & Caleb Wilson and Jon Lucas & Scott Moore; story by Allen & Wilson. Directed by Seth Gordon. New Line

Milk

Sean Penn stars as gay rights activist and San Francisco Supervisor Harvey Milk, who was assassinated in 1978. With Emile Hirsch and James Franco. Written by Dustin Lance Black. Directed by Gus Van Zant. Focus Films

Transporter 3

Jason Statham returns as Frank Martin, the ex-Special Forces operative who specializes in high-risk deliveries. Written by Luc Besson & Robert Mark Kamen. Directed by Oliver Megaton. Lionsgate

Nov. 28

Ben X

After being endlessly harassed by school bullies, a boy with Asperger’s syndrome devises a plan to make them pay for their torment. Featuring Greg Timmermans and Laura Verlinden. Written and directed by Nic Balthazar. In Dutch with English subtitles. Film Movement

How About You

A spirited and headstrong young woman left in charge of a residential home over the Christmas holidays battles it out with four grumpy residents. With Hayley Atwell, Imelda Staunton, Vanessa Redgrave, Brenda Fricker and Joss Ackland. Written by Jean Pasley. Directed by Anthony Byrne. Strand Releasing

Lake City

When a young man gets into trouble with a local drug dealer, he hits the road with a companion and heads to the last place on Earth he wants to go -- his childhood home. With Sissy Spacek, Troy Garity, Rebecca Romijn, David Matthews, Keith Carradine. Written and directed by Hunter Hill and Perry Moore. Screen Media Films

Otto: Or Up With Dead People

A neo-goth zombie with an identity crisis is cast in a film about a gay zombie revolt against consumerist society. Starring Jey Crisfar. Written and directed by Bruce LaBruce. Strand Releasing

Dec. 2

Children of Winter

This winter sports action film criss-crosses the U.S. and nine countries featuring world-class athletes Jonny Moseley, Daron Rahlves, Marco Sullivan, Seth Wescott, Gerry Lopez and Wendy Fisher. Warren Miller Entertainment

Dec. 5

Cadillac Records

A chronicle of the rise of Chess Records in 1950s Chicago and its recording legends, including Muddy Waters, Little Walter, Etta James and Elvis Presley. With Adrien Brody, Jeffrey Wright, Mos Def, Columbus Short and Beyonce Knowles. Written and directed by Darnell Martin. Tristar Pictures

Ciao!

A man is left to tie up loose ends and find closure after his best friend dies in a car accident. With Adam Neal Smith and Alessandro Calza. Written and directed by Yen Tan. Regent Releasing

Frost/Nixon

Frank Langella and Michael Sheen reprise their theatrical roles in playwright Peter Morgan’s dramatization of the events surrounding the historic interview between disgraced former President Richard Nixon and British TV personality David Frost. With Rebecca Hall, Toby Jones, Matthew Macfadyen, Kevin Bacon, Oliver Platt and Sam Rockwell. Written by Morgan. Directed by Ron Howard. Universal

Nobel Son

A struggling doctoral candidate is kidnapped on the eve of the Nobel Prize being awarded to his father, who refuses to hand over the $2 million in prize money as ransom. With Bryan Greenberg, Alan Rickman, Mary Steenburgen, Bill Pullman, Danny DeVito, Ted Danson, Shawn Hatosy, Eliza Dushku and Ernie Hudson. Written by Jody Savin & Randall Miller. Directed by Miller. Freestyle Releasing

Punisher: War Zone

Ray Stevenson takes over the title role, as vigilante Frank Castle squares off against a vengeful mob boss he disfigured. Written by Nick Santora and Art Marcum & Matt Holloway. Directed by Lexi Alexander. Lionsgate

Timecrimes

Traveling back in time one hour, a man meets himself triggering a series of disastrous events. With Karra Elejalde, Candela Fernandez and Barbara Goenaga. Written and directed by Nacho Vigalondo. In Spanish with English subtitles. Magnet Releasing

Dec. 10

The Reader

Writer David Hare adapted Bernard 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. The Weinstein Co.

Dec. 12

$9.99

In this animated comedy, an ad for a booklet promising answers to life’s greatest questions, sold for $9.99, alters the life of Dave Peck. In his struggle to share his find with the world, Dave’s surreal path crosses with those of his unusual neighbors. Their stories are woven together, examining the postmodern meaning of hope. Written by Etgar Keret and Tatia Rosenthal. Directed by Rosenthal. With the voices of Geoffrey Rush, Anthony LaPaglia and Samuel Johnson. Regent Releasing

Che

Benicio Del Toro stars in this biopic of Argentine revolutionary Ernesto “Che” Guevara. With Demian Bichir, Santiago Cabrera, Catalina Sandino Moreno, Julia Ormond, Lou Diamond Phillips. Written by Peter Buchman. Directed by Steven Soderbergh. IFC Films

Dark Streets

The story of a 1930s playboy who owns the hottest nightclub in town, surrounded by blues music and caught in a triangle between two singers at the club. With Gabriel Mann, Elias Koteas, Bijou Phillips and Izabella Miko. Screenplay by Wallace King. Directed by Rachel Samuels. Samuel Goldwyn Films

The Day the Earth Stood Still

Keanu Reeves and Jennifer Connolly star in a reinvention of the 1951 classic about the global impact of an enigmatic alien’s arrival. With Kathy Bates, Jon Hamm and Jaden Smith. Written by David Scarpa. Directed by Scott Derrickson. Also in IMAX. 20th Century Fox

Delgo

An adventurous but naive teenager must rally his friends to protect their world from conflict between the Lockni and Nohrin people. With the voices of Freddie Prinze Jr., Anne Bancroft, Jennifer Love Hewitt, Val Kilmer, Eric Idle, Lou Gossett Jr. and Malcolm McDowell. Written and directed by Marc F. Adler. Fathom Studios/ Freestyle Entertainment

Doubt

John Patrick Shanley wrote and directed this adaptation of his award-winning play about doubt and suspicion surrounding alleged inappropriate behavior at a parochial school in the Bronx in 1964. Meryl Streep, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Amy Adams and Viola Davis star. Miramax

Gardens of the Night

Two teenagers, abducted together as children, now live as street kids and struggle to cope with the past. With John Malkovich and Tom Arnold. Written and directed by Damian Harris. City Lights Media Group

Nothing Like

the Holidays

Far-flung members of the Rodriguez family converge at their parents’ home in Chicago to celebrate the season and rejoice in their youngest brother’s safe return from combat overseas. With John Leguizamo, Freddy Rodriguez, Alfred Molina and Debra Messing. Screenplay by Alison Swan and Rick Najera. Directed by Alfredo de Villa. Overture Films

Wendy and Lucy

As a woman travels to Alaska with her dog for a lucrative summer job, her car breaks down, forcing her to confront her dire financial situation. Starring Michelle Williams. Written by Jon Raymond and Kelly Reichardt, from the story by Raymond. Directed by Reichardt. Oscilloscope Pictures

Were the

World Mine

In this musical take on “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” a dismal teen casts a spell on his school, friends and family when he stumbles upon a magical love-pansy. Featuring Tanner Cohen, Wendy Robie, Judy McLane and Zelda Williams. Written by Cory James Krueckeberg and Tom Gustafson. Directed by Gustafson. SPEAKproductions

What Doesn’t

Kill You

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

Dec. 17

Gran Torino

Clint Eastwood directs and stars as an iron-willed veteran forced by his immigrant neighbors to confront his own long-held prejudices. Written by Nick Schenk. Story by Dave Johannson & Schenk. Warner Bros.

The Wrestler

Randy “The Ram” Robinson was once a headlining professional wrestler. Now he ekes out a living performing at small community events. Estranged from his daughter, Randy lives for the thrill of the show and the adoration of his fans until a heart attack forces him to evaluate the state of his life. Starring Mickey Rourke, Marisa Tomei, Evan Rachel Wood. Written by Rob Siegel. Directed by Darren Aronofsky. Fox Searchlight

Dec. 19

The Brothers Bloom

High-class con men siblings take on one last job to show an eccentric heiress the time of her life. Starring Rachel Weisz, Adrien Brody and Mark Ruffalo. Written and directed by Rian Johnson. Summit Entertainment

My Name Is Bruce

Actor Bruce Campbell is mistaken for his character Ash from the “Evil Dead” trilogy and forced to fight a real monster in a small town in Oregon. Written by Mark Verheiden. Directed by Campbell. Image Entertainment

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

Seven Pounds

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

The Tale of Despereaux

The adventures of an iconoclastic mouse and an outcast rat seeking to prove to a gloomy kingdom that they are much more than they appear. Voices include those of Matthew Broderick, Dustin Hoffman, Kevin Kline, Christopher Lloyd, William H. Macy, Tracey Ullman, Emma Watson and Sigourney Weaver. Written by Gary Ross, Will McRobb & Chris Viscardi. Directed by Sam Fell. Universal

Yes Man

Jim Carrey stars as a man who enlists in a self-help program based on the concept of answering everything in the affirmative and finds that positivity has its drawbacks. With Zooey Deschanel, Bradley Cooper, Danny Masterson and Terence Stamp. Screenplay by Nicholas Stoller and Jarrad Paul & Andrew Mogel. Directed by Peyton Reed. Village/Roadshow

Dec. 25

Bedtime Stories

Adam Sandler stars as a man who tells his nephews outlandish versions of the titular tales -- which begin coming true. With Keri Russell. Screenplay by Matt Lopez and Tim Herlihy; story by Matt Lopez. Directed by Adam Shankman. Walt Disney Pictures

The Class

Cultures and attitudes clash in the classroom as teachers prepare for a new year at a high school in a tough neighborhood. With Francois Begaudeau. Directed and written by Laurent Cantet. Sony Pictures Classics

The Curious Case

of Benjamin Button

Brad Pitt stars in the unusual tale of a man who is born in his 80s and ages backward. Set in New Orleans at the end of World War I to the 21st century. With Cate Blanchett. Screenplay by Eric Roth. Directed by David Fincher. Paramount

Marley & Me

Owen Wilson and Jennifer Aniston star in this adaptation of John Grogan’s bestseller about the family of a neurotic dog. Screenplay by Scott Frank and Donald Roos. Directed by David Frankel. 20th Century Fox

The Spirit

A former rookie cop returns mysteriously from the dead to fight crime from the shadows of Central City and battles it out with his archenemy, the Octopus. Starring Gabriel Macht, Samuel L. Jackson, Sarah Paulson, Scarlett Johansson and Eva Mendes. Screenplay by Frank Miller. Directed by Miller. Lionsgate

Waltz With Bashir

Prompted by his friend’s recurring nightmare and its connection to their Israeli army mission in the first Lebanon War of the early ‘80s, writer-director Ari Folman conducts interviews with old friends and comrades around the world to discover the truth about himself. Sony Pictures Classics

Dec. 26

Last Chance Harvey

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

Revolutionary Road

“Titanic” stars Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet reunite as a married couple struggling with conformity and expectations in 1950s Connecticut. Screenplay by Justin Haythe. Directed by Sam Mendes. Paramount Vantage

Valkyrie

Tom Cruise stars as Col. Claus von Stauffenberg, a World War II German officer wounded in North Africa, who joins the German resistance’s plot to kill Adolf Hitler. With Bill Nighy, Kenneth Branagh, Carice van Houten, Eddie Izzard, Tom Wilkinson and Terence Stamp. Written by Christopher McQuarrie & Nathan Alexander. Directed by Bryan Singer. United Artists

Dec. 31

Defiance

Based on a true story of Jewish brothers who escape Nazi-occupied Poland during WWII and take refuge in the Belarussian woods with other refugees. With Daniel Craig, Liev Schreiber, Jamie Bell. Screenplay by Clayton Frohman & Edward Zwick. Directed by Zwick. Paramount Vantage

Good

A 1930s German literature professor explores his personal circumstances in a novel advocating compassionate euthanasia, causing his life to be tangled in government propaganda. Starring Viggo Mortensen and Jason Isaacs. Written by John Wrathal. Directed by Vicente Amorim. THINKFilm

Dec. tba

While She Was Out

Kim Basinger stars as a suburban housewife forced to fend for herself when she becomes stranded in a desolate forest with four murderous thugs. Written and directed by Susan Montford. Anchor Bay Entertainment

Jan. 9

Bride Wars

Childhood best friends plan their weddings, each to take place at New York’s ultimate bridal destination, the Plaza Hotel. But a clerical error and subsequent clash in wedding dates pit the two brides against each other in a competition that quickly escalates into all-out war. Starring Kate Hudson, Anne Hathaway and Candice Bergen. Written by Greg DePaul and Casey Wilson & June Diane Raphael; story by DePaul. Directed by Gary Winick. 20th Century Fox

Not Easily Broken

A car accident and shifting affections test the bond between a married couple. With Morris Chestnut, Taraji P. Henson, Maeve Quinlan and Cannon Jay. Written by Brian Bird. Directed by Bill Duke. Screen Gems

Serbis

This drama follows the travails of the Pineda family, who run a dilapidated movie theater that doubles as the family’s home. Screenplay by Armando Lao from a story by Lao and Boots Agbayani Pastor. Directed by Brillante Ma Mendoza. In Tagalog with English subtitles. Regent Releasing

The Unborn

A demonic spirit haunts a young woman, pulling her into a world of nightmares and threatening everyone she loves. With Gary Oldman and Odette Yustman. Written and directed by David S. Goyer. Rogue Pictures

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Compiled by Liesl Bradner