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A trio of troubled suburbanites attempts to come to grips with the personal issues that surface following the tragic death of one of their own in this introspective adolescent drama from L.I.E. screenwriter/director (Michael Cuesta). In the months following the death of Jacob's (Conor Donovan) likeable, athletic twin brother, Rudy (also Donovan), Jacob and friends Malee (Zoe Weizenbaum) and Leonard (Jesse Camacho) struggle to make sense of the unfortunate youth's fiery demise at the hands of local bullies. As Jacob quickly loses himself to revenge fantasies and sets into motion a series of destructive plans designed to destroy the kids responsible for his brother's death, Malee focuses her attention on a dejected patient of her psychotherapist mother, and obese Leonard struggles about weight and health issues with his equally obese mother. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

A fantasy-prone transvestite who is looking to make the leap to transsexual status imagines that he is the star of a lavish universe punctuated by elaborate musical numbers in director Ramon Salazar's stylish sophomore feature. Adolfo (Monica Cervera) is a die-hard romantic who currently shares a cramped apartment with Tomas (Miguel O'Dogherty). Though he was born a man, Adolfo prefers to go by the name Marieta, and is currently stashing away the money needed to shed the male appendage that is holding him back from full womanhood. Sex-change operations don't come cheap, though, and in order to raise said money Marieta must first land a decent-paying job. Though one successful interview does find Marieta hired as a railroad-station cleaner, the exhausted worker immediately falls asleep on the job and is quickly fired for doing so. It is in his sleep that Marieta truly comes alive, though, and after falling asleep during a conversation at a nearby market, the dreamland Ginger Rogers is pulled to safety by handsome stock boy El Reponedor (Pablo Puyol). As an intensely sexual relationship begins to develop between Marieta and El Reponedor, the aspiring transsexual discovers that even if he himself doesn't appreciate his one defining male characteristic, there are others out there who most certainly do. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

A gaggle of mothers, wives, daughters, maids, and mistresses gather for a holiday homecoming at their country mansion -- and end up having to solve a murder-mystery -- in this musical-comic homage to studio-era "women's pictures" from acclaimed French director François Ozon. Partly inspired by George Cukor's 1939 classic The Women, 8 Femmes stars Catherine Deneuve as Gaby, a high-society matron just returned to her country house to celebrate Christmas with her husband; mother Mamy (Danielle Darrieux); sister Augustine (Isabelle Huppert); and daughters Suzon (Virginie Ledoyen) and Catharine (Ludivine Sagnier). Not long after they all arrive, however, do they find the man of the house with a knife in his back, whereupon everyone becomes a suspect -- including maids Chanel (Firmine Richard) and Louise (Emmanuelle Béart). The mysterious arrival of Augustine's sister-in-law Pierrette (Fanny Ardant) only complicates matters, as the titular eight women find themselves snowed in by a fierce blizzard, forced to confront the matter of the lifeless husband -- and their long-standing secrets and resentments -- without the aid of the police. Following its immensely successful release in France in early 2002, 8 Women enjoyed much acclaim at the Berlin and Toronto Film Festivals. ~ Michael Hastings, Rovi

Filmmakers Scott Galloway and Brent Pierson collaborate on this documentary about a factory worker and self-taught topiary artist from South Carolina who transformed his once-average yard into a wondrous garden that now draws tourists from across the country. When Pearl Fryar first attempted to move into his South Carolina home, the people of the neighborhood feared that he wouldn't maintain his yard. But Pearl wasn't willing to let an obstacle born from racial stereotypes determine the outcome of his life, and vowed to win the "Yard of the Month" award from the Iris Garden Club. Years later, tourists from all 50 states flock to the yard of a man who had no prior gardening experience before creating his masterpiece. More than just a yard, Pearl's awe-inspiring landscape creates a feeling in visitors that they didn't have before they set foot on the grounds. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

A bourgeois French girl becomes mixed up with charismatic bank robber in director Benoît Jacquot's award-winning meditation on middle-class malaise. The setting is 1970s-era Paris, and free-spirited art student Lila (Isild Le Besco) lives a life of quiet discontent with her doting father. Upon meeting Moroccan criminal Bada (Ouassini Embarek) at a local nightclub, Lila is convinced that she has found the love of her life. But Bada and his partner have just taken part in a daring bank robbery that has left two people dead, and authorities are fast closing in on the pair. Determined to hang on to her handsome new mate at all costs and excited by the romantic life of a criminal on the run, Lila invites Bada and his accomplice to hide out overnight in her apartment. The following morning Bada, his partner in crime, and the accomplice's girlfriend, and Lila all flee Paris for a frenzied cross-continent journey through Spain, Morocco, and Greece. With the police fast closing in and tensions within the group rising, it soon becomes apparent that it was naiveté, not love, which led Lila to fall in with this dangerous group of criminals. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

A multi-millionaire wants to know how much his money can really buy in this drama from Danish filmmaker Susanne Bier. Though born and raised in Denmark, Jacob Peterson (Mads Mikkelsen) has made a life for himself in India, where he runs an orphanage for homeless children. While Jacob cares little for money, raising funds is part of the responsibilities of his position, and when he learns that Jørgan (Rolf Lassgård), a wealthy Danish businessman, is willing to donate four million dollars under the condition that he meet with him in person, Jacob grudgingly hops a flight back home. Once in Denmark, Jørgan insists that Jacob attend the wedding of his daughter the next day; at the celebration he meets Jørgan's wife, Helene (Sidse Babett Knudsen), whom he recognizes as someone he knew many years ago. As Jacob finds himself revisiting a past he would prefer to forget, he discovers that Jørgan has an ulterior motive for bringing him to Denmark -- the wealthy man is in poor health, and while the donation will help ease some of his guilt over a life of avarice, he's also looking for someone to take over as Helene's husband after he dies. Efter Brylluppet (aka After the Wedding) received its North American premiere at the 2006 Toronto Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

Three stories of how America's obsession with firearms impacts its citizens are explored in this independent drama. Carl Wilk (Donald Sutherland) runs a gun shop in Virginia that has been owned and operated by his family for generations. Carl sees the shop as his family's legacy without paying much mind to what happens with the weapons he sells. When his granddaughter Mary Ann (Linda Cardellini) needs money for college, Carl gives her a job in the store, and while she's hesitant at first, she becomes fascinated with the merchandise as time passes. On the West Side of Chicago, Carl Carter (Forest Whitaker) is the principal of a high school where violence has become a sad fact of life. As Carl and his wife, Sara (Garcelle Beauvais-Nilon), fear for their young son as they worry he could either fall prey to the violence of their community or embrace it himself, Carl receives a severe emotional blow when Jay (Arlen Escarpeta), one of his most promising students, is discovered carrying a pistol. And in Oregon, Janet (Marcia Gay Harden) is a single mother still troubled by the death of her teenaged son three years before, who took his own life after killing a handful of his classmates in a violent incident at a high school. As Janet deals with sharp words from the community, many of whom believe she should be held responsible for her late son's actions, she is unsure how to handle her surviving son, David (Christopher Marquette), who is now of high-school age. American Gun was the first feature film for writer and director Aric Avelino. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

In this biting cinéma vérité, director Nanette Burstein follows a group of five Indiana high-school seniors as they navigate the social mazes of adolescence, prepare for graduation, and generally deal with the often surprising and strange situations that arise simply from being 17. Incorporating intimate footage, interviews, and animation, Burstein reveals all the gritty details about life as a teenager in Midwestern America, from drugs, alcohol, and depression to cliques, first love, and heartbreak. ~ Cammila Collar, Rovi

A woman negotiates the tricky etiquette of celebrating the wedding of her former girlfriend in this independent comedy. April (Maria Cina) and Alex (Trish Doolan) are close friends who have something of a past together -- both are lesbians, and they were lovers for several years. Alex is still attracted to April, but April has moved on -- so much so that April one day announces that she's going to marry Pauly (Randall Batinkoff), a pleasant but dull man who was introduced to April by her mother (Molly Cheek). Understandably, Alex is a bit taken aback when April asks her to be her maid of honor, but for the sake of their friendship she accepts. However, things get a bit frazzled when Alex has to put together a bridal shower for the woman she still loves. April's Shower was the first feature film from writer and director Trish Doolan, who also plays Alex. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

Adapted from a novel by John Fante, Robert Towne's Ask the Dust stars Colin Farrell as Arturo Bandini, a young writer who comes to Los Angeles during the Great Depression in order to write a novel. As the film opens, he is down to his last nickel and decides to spend it on coffee in a diner. He is served by Camilla (Salma Hayek), a Mexican beauty he is instantly attracted to even though he treats her horribly during their first interaction. Soon the pair is involved in a relationship that finds them sparring with each other at first, but slowly learning to trust each other. Bandini meets the acquaintance of a desperate woman who sees him as the most desirable man in the world. Eventually Arturo and Camilla get away from the city and their love deepens as he attempts to finish his novel. Donald Sutherland co-stars as a seedy but helpful and loyal neighbor. ~ Perry Seibert, Rovi

The bonds of family are weathered by the winds of change in this independent drama from writer and director Chris Eska. Jamie (Pedro Castaneda) is an illegal immigrant living in Texas, where he earns a living doing odd jobs and farm work; in his early sixties, Jamie is no longer a young man, but he works hard and takes his responsibilities seriously. Jamie shares his home with his daughter-in-law, Lupe (Veronica Loren), who has been on her own since the untimely death of her husband. Jamie feels a paternal love for Lupe, and tries to look out for her however he can, while she looks up to the strong but gentle old man. Life is slowly changing for both of them, though; Jamie isn't getting the same kind of work he once did, and his health is beginning to fail him, while Lupe is gradually finding new love, which deeply concerns her protective father-in-law. August Evening received a special "sneak preview" screening as a work in progress at the 2007 South by Southwest Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

A fresh-faced orphan from the provinces labors away at the last old-fashioned café on Avenue Montaigne as the Paris theater elite prepare for the biggest night of the year in Jet Lag director Danièle Thompson's whirlwind comedy of intersecting lives. Jessica (Cécile De France) may have been orphaned at the tender age of four, but her doting grandmother (Suzanne Flon) did her best to bring the motherless girl up right. A one-time ladies' room attendant at The Ritz, Jessica's grandmother was a woman well known for her extraordinary taste. Upon arriving in Paris to work as a waitress at a modest café nestled between a renowned concert hall, a venerable theater, and a high-profile auction house, Jessica soon finds herself interacting with a curious cross section of the thriving entertainment industry. As rehearsals for the upcoming shows get under way and Jessica is assigned the task of delivering food to the hardworking actors and low-earning stagehands, she soon discovers that even the most famous of people are often forced to make difficult decisions in life.

Jean-François Lefort (Albert Dupontel) is a classical pianist whose devoted wife has him booked at venues across Europe for the next six years. As the free-spirited musician struggles to eschew the formality of his upcoming concert appearance, self-made businessman Jacques Grumberg (Claude Brasseur) takes time out from his May-December romance and his stressful medical treatment in order to auction off a collection that he has been building his entire life and reach out to his estranged intellectual son, Frédéric (Christopher Thompson). Meanwhile, back on the theater front, popular television actress Catherine Versen (Valérie Lemercier) prepares to star in a farcical play, a famous American film director (Sydney Pollack) begins auditioning actors for an upcoming film about Jean-Paul Sartre and Simone de Beauvoir, and a cheerful concierge on the verge of retirement (Dani) enjoys her final stint rubbing elbows with the biggest and brightest stars in Paris. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Bart got a room -- a hotel room -- and he's booked it for senior prom night. Though the title character of Bart Got a Room only appears in one brief scene towards the end of the film, it's his uber-geek specter that hangs over writer-director Brian Hecker's comedy, a semi-autobiographical ode to teenage angst. The plot is centered on the hopelessly dateless Danny (Steven Kaplan), a gawky band nerd who must decide between taking his best friend, Camille (Alia Shawkat), to the prom, and attempting to woo the date of his dreams, a pretty blonde cheerleader. Along the way he endures derision and peer pressure from friends, as well as uncomfortably frank advice from his divorced parents, played by Cheryl Hines and William H. Macy. Set in the geriatric environs of terminally sunny south Florida, Danny's world offers constant reminders of the road he's headed down should he not solidify this one life-defining event: Macy's Ernie grapples with loneliness by seeking women in chat rooms, while Hines's Beth sees relationships as a shortcut to financial security. ~ David Shim, Rovi