Waltz With Bashir
Astounding and original Israeli "animated documentary" combining a moving meditation on war, history and memory with some unforgettable visuals. One of the highlights of the year.

The Silence Of Lorna
Belgium's Dardenne brothers are one of the most dependable teams in European cinema. This is another skilful realist thriller, following an Albanian woman caught in an immigration scam.

Summer
Director Kenneth Glenaan's TV roots may be apparent, but he's managed to get a wonderfully mature performance from Robert Carlyle in this drama about two friends coming to terms their own mortality.

Choke
It's no Fight Club, but this Chuck Palahniuk adaptation still delivers its share of bohemian sleaze and improper comedy, as sex addict Sam Rockwell drifts through the margins in search of an identity.

Hunger
Brit artist Steve McQueen makes his feature debut with a brutal, disturbing but affecting drama set during the 1981 IRA hunger strike. Rising star Michael Fassbender is outstanding as the controversial Bobby Sands.