“I was born under unusual circumstances.” And so begins ‘The Curious Case of Benjamin Button,’ adapted from the 1920s story by F. Scott Fitzgerald about a man who is born in his eighties and ages backwards: a man, like any of us, who is unable to stop time. We follow his story, set in New Orleans from the end of World War I in 1918 to the 21st century, following his journey that is as unusual as any man’s life can be. Directed by David Fincher and starring Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett with Taraji P. Henson, Tilda Swinton, Jason Flemyng, Elias Koteas and Julia Ormond, Benjamin Button is a grand tale of a not-so-ordinary man and the people and places he discovers along the way, the loves he finds, the joys of life and the sadness of death, and what lasts beyond time.

A curious choice for Fincher, who’s never been one to go the fantasy-romance route. Seems more like a Case for Tim Burton. But, reteaming with Pitt (thrice already) is always a pleasure. Plus, sharing screen time with Blanchette and Swinton? We’re swooning. Word of mouth has it that Button’s visual effects are stunning, even if that train in the trailer looks a little too much like the Polar Express.

Rated PG-13 for brief war violence, sexual content, language and smoking.

Director: David Fincher
Stars: Brad Pitt, Cate Blanchett, Tilda Swinton (Full Cast)
Studio: Paramount Pictures

One night at a bar, an old friend tells director Ari about a recurring nightmare in which he is chased by 26 vicious dogs. Every night, the same number of beasts. The two men conclude that there’s a connection to their Israeli Army mission in the first Lebanon War of the early eighties. Ari is surprised that he can’t remember a thing anymore about that period of his life. Intrigued by this riddle, he decides to meet and interview old friends and comrades around the world. He needs to discover the truth about that time and about himself. As Ari delves deeper and deeper into the mystery, his memory begins to creep up in surreal images.

Uh-oh, the Academy has another Persepolis situation on their hands… Turns out Ari Folman’s surrealist animated war drama never had its mandatory one-week run in New York City this year (something that had to be in place by the end of last August), so it’s no kudos for Bashir, easily one of the best-received documentaries on the international film-festival circuit. Personally, while I think the rule is so old fashioned, I find it odd that the doc’s NYC-based distributor, Sony Pictures Classics, missed the bus here. The Joe Sacco set is up in arms!!

Rated R for some disturbing images of atrocities, strong violence, brief nudity and a scene of graphic sexual content.

Director: Ari Folman
Stars: Ari Folman, Ron Ben-Yishai, Ronny Dayag, Dror Harazi, Yehezkel Lazarov
Studio: Sony Pictures Classics

An impossibly cute, but impossible-to-live-with yellow Labrador retriever named Marley teaches his newlywed owners a thing or two about patience and parenthood.

There must be some kind of rule in Hollywood about when a big-time star decides to make a dog movie. We’re guessing for Aniston and Wilson, it’s when they’re done working with Ben Stiller.

Rated PG for thematic material, some suggestive content and language.

Director: David Frankel
Stars: Owen Wilson, Jennifer Aniston, Nathan Gamble, Finley Jacobsen, Bryce Robinson, Benjamin Hyland
Studio: Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation

During a weekend in which Harvey Shine (Hoffman) travels to London for his daughter’s wedding, her first learns that he’s lost his job back in New York, then he discovers he won’t be the man giving away the bride at the ceremony. The one good thing that happens — his meeting Kate (Thompson), a prickly but nevertheless enchanting Londoner — might be the beginning of some much-needed change in Harvey’s life.

Writer-director Joel Hopkins explored romantic complications in his debut, Jump Tomorrow, which was embraced by indie circles on both sides of the Atlantic. Now he steps up to the majors with a potential awards contender (now that The Road and The Soloist have been pushed to 2009, Oscar buzz has trickled down to smaller films such as Harvey). I wouldn’t be surprised if Hoffman and Thompson are positioned for nominations, and considering the story’s Before Sunrise tones (albeit for the generation ahead of Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy), a Best Original Screenplay nomination is not out of the question.

Rated PG-13 for brief strong language.

Director: Joel Hopkins
Stars: Dustin Hoffman, Emma Thompson, Kathy Baker,
Studio: Overture Films

At the height of WW2, a group of high-ranking German officers hatched a plot to assassinate Adolf Hitler, and seize power of the military command in order to end the war. The operation was codenamed “Valkyrie”, for the emergency plan that was meant to be used in case of a revolt against the Nazi government. This plan had been modified by the conspirators to ensure their success, but for various reasons the plot failed when finally carried out on 20 July 1944. The conspirators of the inner circle were shot after a kangaroo trial or sentenced to death soon after.

With each release-date change, our interest in Valkyrie only increases. Will it become known as the title that topples the reportedly dissolving United Artists partnership between Tom Cruise and longtime producing partner Paula Wagner, or will it mark the successful reunion of director Bryan Singer and Usual Suspects writer Christopher McQuarrie, who haven’t worked together since they made one another famous? If the players involved here ratchet up the Valkyrie’s action/thriller angle, we expect they will successfully combat everything working against this film: myriad production woes (including a late-stage shooting delay that caused the release date to be pushed back from the July 4th holiday), the public’s disinterest in T.C., said public’s recent indifference to war movies, holiday competition, etc. Still, the look is right and if this creative team reaches its zenith, this is exactly the sort of fare that will get adults into the multiplex during this season.

Rated PG-13 for violence and brief strong language.

Director: Bryan Singer
Stars: Tom Cruise, Bill Nighy, Carice van Houten, Kenneth Branagh, Tom Wilkinson, Thomas Kretschmann, Terence Stamp, Eddie Izzard, David Bamber, David Schofield
Studio: United Artists