“Buffalo Soldiers”

(out of four)
See review

“Duplex”
Miramax Films
Rated PG-13
(Not reviewed)

Cold off the critical disaster “Death to Smoochy,” Danny DeVito directs Ben Stiller and Drew Barrymore as a New York City couple with their eyes on a fantastic duplex in a nice neighborhood. The only problem is, once they move in, the rent-controlled cute old lady upstairs turns out to be obnoxious. So they do what any cinematic couple would do—wonder if they should kill her.

“Lost in Translation”

(out of four)
See review

“Luther”
R.S. Entertainment
Rated PG-13
Opening at the Gateway
(Not reviewed)

Joseph Fiennes stars as a German monk who enjoys nailing things to doors. Church doors, that is. Director Eric Till explores the life of Martin Luther, who ignited the Reformation and gave Martin Luther King his name. Find out how to challenge the Catholic authority, but still require people to wait until their ruler converts to join your religion.

“The Rundown”

(out of four)—reviewed by Jordan Scrivner
See review

“Step Into Liquid”
Artisan Entertainment
Not rated

(out of four)

Opens at the Broadway

Due to a fear of death, some might shy away from surfing. But many people find the extreme sport thrilling because it puts them in harmony with nature and offers a feeling that can’t be found anywhere else. The documentary “Step Into Liquid” aims to understand the obsession with stunning footage of people riding waves across the world, from Hawaii to Wisconsin to Ireland.

Director Dana Brown playfully narrates his way through a series of locations in which he talks to surfers. Some are old men, some are kids, some are trailblazers. One is paralyzed after a bad wipeout, but continues to surf on his stomach. While Brown might be stretching it when he talks about how surfing brings people together, it’s actually a bit touching to see Protestant and Catholic kids in Ireland learning to catch waves together.

“X-Files” creator Chris Carter comments that he doesn’t like to talk about surfing because it “ends up sounding silly,” and that thought captures the film’s weak spot. The interview footage becomes a bit repetitive, with talk about the feeling of riding the wave and how they can’t describe it, but once you ride a wave you never go back.

The movie thwarts the hyperbole overflow by showcasing the human obsession with surfing and showing beautiful pictures that demonstrate surfing’s allure—as well as its horror.

“Under the Tuscan Sun”
Touchstone Films
Rated PG-13
(Not Reviewed)

Off her Oscar-nominated performance in last year’s “Unfaithful,” Diane Lane presumably gives it her all again in this adaptation of Frances Mayes’ memoir. Mayes, in her 30s after a bad divorce, visits Italy to renew her life. This marks writer/director Audrey Wells’ first film since “Guinevere.”