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 Thriller
about a man who impersonates a drug dealer/police informant
as means of seeking revenge for his wife’s death. D.J.
Caruso (TV’s “Martial Law”) makes his feature
directorial debut from a screenplay by Tony Gayton (“Murder
by Numbers”). With Val Kilmer (“Red Planet”),
Adam Goldberg (“A Beautiful Mind”), Peter Sarsgaard
(“The Center of the World”), Deborah Kara Unger
(“Sunshine”), Vincent D’Onofrio (“Impostor,”
“Chelsea Walls”), Luis Guzman (“The Count
of Monte Cristo”), Doug Hutchinson (“Bait”),
Shirley Knight (“Angel Eyes”), Anthony LaPaglia
(“Lantana”), Michael Lee “Meat Loaf”
Aday (“Focus”), Azura Skye (“Bandits”),
Josh Todd, Danny Trejo (“Bubble Boy”), Chandra
West (TV’s “Catwalk”), and B.D. Wong (“Slappy
and the Stinkers”). Flat. R: Strong violence; drug
use; language; some sexuality. April 19. Warner Bros.
 French-language
drama about a recently fired executive who becomes entangled
in his own ever-growing web of deception when he hides his
dismissal from his family, then has to create a fictional
job for himself. Directed by Laurent Cantet (“Human
Resources”) from a screenplay by Cantet (“Human
Resources”) and Robin Campillo. With Karen Viard, Marie
Cantet (“Human Resources”), Felix Cantet (“Human
Resources”), Serge Livrozet, Jean Pierre-Mangeot, Monique
Mangeot and Aurelien Recoing. Also known as “L’Emploi
du Temps.” 134 min. April. Th!nkFilm.
 Drama
about a man who abandons his wife and children, only to
learn on the road how important they are to his happiness.
Written and directed by Bart Freundlich (“The Myth
of Fingerprints”). With Billy Crudup (“Charlotte
Gray”), Julianne Moore (“The Shipping News”),
Karen Allen (“In the Bedroom”), David Rivitz (“Shallow
Hal”), Lucas Rakofsky (“Black Knight”), David
Keith (“Behind Enemy Lines”), Ben Rakofsky (“Road
Trip”) and James LeGros (“Psycho,” “Scotland,
PA”). April. Th!nkFilm.
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 Prequel
to “The Mummy Returns,” set in ancient Egypt,
about a peasant who, in the process of taking revenge on
the marauding army that pillaged his village, becomes the
first Pharoah of Egypt. Directed by Charles Russell (“Bless
the Child”) from a screenplay by Jonathan Hales (“Star
Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones”), Will
Osborne (“Ghost in the Machine,” “Dr. Jekyll
& Ms. Hyde”), and Stephen Sommers (“The Mummy
Returns”). Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson reprises
his role from “The Mummy Returns.” Also with Kelly
Hu (“No Way Back”), Michael Clarke Duncan (“Planet
of the Apes”), Grant Heslov (“Enemy of the State”),
Peter Facinelli (“Riding in Cars With Boys”),
Summer Altice, Scott Schwartz (“Ocean’s Eleven”),
Andrei Sterling (“Vanilla Sky”) and Ralph Moeller
(“Gladiator”). April 19. Universal.
 Romantic
comedy about a Spartan princess who must employ a variety
of alter-egos to infiltrate a noted philospher’s estate
and restore her beloved to his rightful throne. Based on
the 1732 play by Pierre Marivaux. Directed by Clare Peploe
(“High Season,” “Rough Magic”) from
a screenplay by Peploe, Bernardo Bertolucci (“The Last
Emperor,” “Besieged”), and Marilyn Goldin
(“Camille Claudel”). With Mira Sorvino (“Summer
of Sam”), Ben Kingsley (“Sexy Beast”), Rachael
Stirling (“Tomcats”), Fiona Shaw (“Harry
Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone”), Luis Molteni
(“Dangerous Beauty”), Jay Rodan (“The Caveman’s
Valentine”) and Ignazio Olivia. Also known as “Il
Triofno dell’amore.” 112 min. PG-13: Some nudity
and sensuality. April 12 limited. Paramount Classics.
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English-
and Farsi-language documentary about a United Nations-sponsored
trip to Uganda, and the local government’s methods
of dealing with the AIDS crisis there. Directed by Abbas
Kiarostami (“The Taste of Cherry,” “The Wind
Will Carry Us”). Featuring Kiarostami and Seyfolah
Samadian. 83 min. March 22 in New York. New Yorker.
Romantic
comedy, set against the Cannes Film Festival, about three
would-be romances. Written and directed by Henry Jaglom
(“Déjà Vu”). With Anouk Aimee (“Ready
to Wear”), Rachel Bailit, Maximilian Schell (“Deep
Impact”), Greta Scacchi (“Cotton Mary”),
Ron Silver (“Ali”) and Alex Craig Mann (“Bowfinger”).
99 min. March 8. Paramount Classics.
Experimental
film about a disabled burn victim who loses her grip on
reality when she thinks her prized baby doll has been taken
by a fellow party-goer. Directed by Eric Fournier from a
screenplay by Shaye St. John, who also stars. 82 min. March
2 in New York and Austin. Indican. 
Hebrew-language
anthology about: a Bedouin boy who is hit by two Israeli
truckers; a German woman who must choose between staying
in an unhappy marriage with her Bedouin husband or leaving
her children behind; and a married Bedouin woman whose affair
with an Israeli settler results in disaster. Written and
directed by Danny Verete. With Tatjana Blancher (TV’s
“Anne Frank”), Moshe Ivgi (“Day After Day”),
Sami Samir (“The Body”), Raidna Adno and Motti
Katz. Also known as “Asphalt Zahov.” March 13
in New York. New Yorker. 
Farsi-
and Dari-language drama about a young Iranian man who falls
for an illegal Afghani immigrant who must disguise herself
as a male in order to provide for her family. Written and
directed by Majid Majidi (“The Children of Heaven,”
“The Color of Paradise”). With Reza Naji (“The
Children of Heaven”), Behzad Rafii (“The Color
of Paradise”), Hossein Mahjoub (“The Color of
Paradise”), Hossein Abedini, Zahra Bahrami, Hossein
Rahimi and Gholam-Ali Bakhshi. 94 min. PG: Language; brief
violence. March 1 limited. Miramax.
Hebrew-,
Yiddish- and English-language documentary detailing Pesach’ke
Burstein’s life and success in the New York Yiddish
theatre and abroad, despite the hardships of raising children
on the road, emigrating to Israel where Yiddish culture
was stigmatized, and clashing with his children when they
wanted to leave the family act. Arnon Goldfinger directs.
Featuring an interview with Lillian Lux, Burnstein’s
wife and troupe member. March 8 in New York. New Yorker.
French-language
thriller about a group of men and women who attempt to expose
strange government experiments that might be turning ordinary
people into cannibals. Directed by Claire Denis (“I
Can’t Sleep,” “Beau Travail,” “Nenette
and Boni”) from a screenplay by Denis and Jean-Pol
Fargeau (“Beau Travail,” “Pola X”).
With Vincent Gallo (“Goodbye Lover”), Tricia Vessey
(“Town & Country”), Béatrice Dalle
(“I Can’t Sleep”), Alex Descas (“Lumumba”),
Florence Loiret (“Portraits Chinois”), Jose Garcia
(“Beaumarchais the Scoundrel”) and Nicolas Duvauchelle
(“The Little Thief”). 102 min. March 1 limited.
Lot 47.