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Romantic drama, set in a small southern town, about a young man whose reputation for sexual conquest catches up with him when he falls for his best friend’s virginal little sister. Written and directed by David Gordon Green (“George Washington”). With Paul Schneider (“George Washington”), Zooey Deschanel (“Abandon”), Patricia Clarkson (“Far From Heaven”), Benjamin Mouton (“The Whole Wide World”) and Maurice Compte (“Deuces Wild”). Scope. 108 min. R: Language; some sexuality. Feb. 14 in New York. Sony Picture Classics. Thriller, based on a true story, about the police detective who spent 12 years trying to track down the leader of the “Shining Path,” Peru’s extreme leftist guerrilla group. Actor John Malkovich (“Knockaround Guys”) makes his feature directorial debut from a screenplay by Nicholas Shakespeare, who adapts his own his book. With Javier Bardem (“Before Night Falls”), Juan Diego Botto (“1492”), Oliver Cotton (“Son of the Pink Panther”), Lauren Morante (“The Son’s Room”), Alexandra Lencastre and Elvira Mínguez. Flat. R: Strong violence; language; drug content. Feb. 26 limited. Fox Searchlight. Crime drama, set just before the riot-inciting 1992 Rodney King verdict, about two LAPD officers investigating a high-profile quadruple homicide in gang-riddled South Central Los Angeles. Directed by Ron Shelton (“Play it to the Bone”) from a screenplay by David Ayer (“The Fast and the Furious,” “Training Day”). With Kurt Russell (“Vanilla Sky”), Scott Speedman (“Duets”), Jim Cody Williams (“Trial and Error”), Ving Rhames (“Undisputed”), Michael Michele (“Ali,” “How to Lose a Guy”) and Brendan Gleeson (“Harrison’s Flowers,” “Gangs of New York”). Also known as “4-29-92.” Scope. R: Violence; language; brief sexuality. Feb. 21. MGM. Dramatic thriller, set in Cape Cod, Mass., about a murderer who falls for his estranged brother’s violinist rock-star wife. Mark Wilkinson makes his feature directorial debut from his own screenplay. With Annunziata Gianzero, Thomas Jay Ryan (“The Legend of Bagger Vance”), Michael DeLuise (“The Master of Disguise”), Richard Bakalyan, Alex McArthur (“Kiss the Girl”), Dorothy Brodesser (“The Crucible”), Thomas Crawford (“Baby Geniuses”), Lisa Dinkins (“Gang Related”) and Will Lyman (“Floating”). 102 min. Feb. 21. Artistic License. Drama, set in the American Southwest, about two friends, both named “Gerry,” who find themselves lost, cold, dehydrated and hungry in the desert after leaving their hiking group. Directed by Gus Van Sant (“Psycho,” “Finding Forrester”) from a screenplay by Van Sant (“Even Cowgirls Get the Blues”), Matt Damon (“Good Will Hunting”) and Casey Affleck. With Damon (“The Bourne Identity,” “Confessions of a Dangerous Mind”) and Affleck (“Ocean’s Eleven”). Scope. 103 min. R: Language. Feb. 14 in New York and Los Angeles. Thinkfilm. French-language romantic thriller about a delusional artist who resorts to acts of violence when her affair with a married cardiologist is threatened. Directed by Laetitia Colombani from a screenplay by Colombani and Caroline Thivel. With Audrey Tautou (“God is Great, I'm Not”), Samuel Le Bihan (“Brotherhood of the Wolf”), Isabelle Carré (“The Children of the Century”), Clément Sibony (“Deep in the Woods”), Sophie Guillemin (“Harry is Here to Help”) and Eric Savin (“Happenstance”). Also known as “À la folie... pas du tout.” Flat. 92 min. Feb. 14. IDP. Documentary about South African protest music, which was used in the fight against racial repression and apartheid from 1948 until Nelson Mandela became the nation’s first democratically elected president in 1994. Lee Hirsch makes his feature directorial debut. Flat. 103 min. PG-13: Some images of violence; momentary language. Feb. 14 in New York and Los Angeles. Artisan. Action thriller about a crook, long suspected of having engineered a diamond heist, who teams up with an old cop adversary to find the dangerous man who is holding the crook's daughter for a diamond ransom. Directed by Andrzej Bartkowiak ("Romeo Must Die," "Exit Wounds") from a screenplay by Channing Gibson ("Lethal Weapon 4") and John O'Brien. With Jet Li ("The One"), DMX ("Exit Wounds"), Mark Dacascos ("The Brotherhood of the Wolf"), Anthony Anderson ("Barbershop," "Kangaroo Jack"), Kelly Hu ("The Scorpion King"), Gabrielle Union ("Abandon," "Deliver Us From Eva") and Tom Arnold ("Hansel & Gretel"). Scope. Feb. 28. Warner Bros. Action adventure about attorney Matt Murdock, whose childhood encounter with a radioactive truck left him blind but also with the super-acute hearing, touch and smell that he secretly uses to pursue a career as a crime fighter. Based on the Marvel comic book character created by Stan Lee (“X-Men,” “Spider-Man”). Written and directed by Mark Steven Johnson (“Simon Birch”). With Ben Affleck (“The Sum of All Fears”) as Murdock, Jennifer Garner (“Pearl Harbor,” “Catch Me If You Can”) as Elektra Natchios, Michael Clarke Duncan (“The Scorpion King”) as Wilson “The Kingpin” Fisk, Colin Farrell (“Minority Report,” “The Recruit”) as Bullseye, Jon Favreau (“Made”) as Foggy Nelson, David Keith (“World Traveler”), Scott Terra (“Eight Legged Freaks”), Joe Pantoliano (“The Adventures of Pluto Nash”) as Ben Urich, Ellen Pompeo (“Moonlight Mile,” “Catch Me if You Can,” “Old School”) as Karen Page, David Keith (“Behind Enemy Lines”) as Jack Murdock, and Coolio (“Batman and Robin”) as Daunte Jackson. Feb. 14. Fox. Dark comedy, set in New York, about an aged legal professional and his efforts to reconcile with an estranged son and grandson. Directed by Fred Schepisi (“Fierce Creatures,” “Last Orders”) from a screenplay by Jesse Wigutow. With Michael Douglas (“Don’t Say a Word”), Kirk Douglas (“Diamonds”), Cameron Douglas (“Mr. Nice Guy”), Rory Culkin (“Igby Goes Down”), Diana Douglas (“Planes, Trains & Automobiles”), Michelle Monaghan (“Unfaithful”) and Bernadette Peters (“Snow Days”). Also known as “Smack in the Kisser.” Feb. 14 in New York and Los Angeles. MGM. Historical drama, set before and during the early days of the Civil War, centering around the events leading up to Confederate general “Stonewall” Jackson’s 1863 fall at Chancellorsville. Based on the novel by Jeff Shaara. Written and directed by Ronald F. Maxwell (“The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia,” “Gettysburg”). With Stephen Lang (“Trixie”), Robert Duvall (“John Q”), Chris Conner (“Playing By Heart”), Jeff Daniels (“Blood Work”), Jeremy London (“Mallrats”), William Sanderson (“Last Man Standing”), Mira Sorvino (“The Grey Zone”), C. Thomas Howell (“Gettysburg”), Kevin Conway (“Black Knight”), Patrick Gorman (“Wild Bill”), Brian Mallon (“The Informant”), Bo Brinkman (“Gettysburg”) and Royce D. Applegate (“The Rookie”). Scope. 240 min. Feb. 21. Warner Bros. Comedy about a womanizer who bets his friends that he can date a girl for more than 10 days – but runs into trouble when the girl decides to dump him almost immediately. Loosely based on the book by Michele Alexander and Jeannie Long. Directed by Donald Petrie (“Miss Congeniality”) from a screenplay by Burr Steers (“Igby Goes Down”), Ellen Simon (“One Fine Day”) and Kristen Buckley & Brian Regan (“102 Dalmations”). With Matthew McConaughey (“Reign of Fire”), Kate Hudson (“The Four Feathers”), Michael Michele (“Ali,” “Dark Blue”), Kathryn Hahn (TV’s “Crossing Jordan”), Thomas Lennon (“Out Cold,” “A Guy Thing”) and Adam Goldberg (“The Salton Sea”). Feb. 7. Paramount.