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 must be one of the most dependable teams in European cinema. This is another supremely skillful realist thriller, following an Albanian woman caught in an immigration scam.

Choke
It's no Fight Club, but this ramshackle 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.

Año Uña
More than just an intriguing experiment, Jonás Cuarón constructs a heartfelt youth drama with just voiceovers and stills. Admittedly some of the characters get quite irritating, but it's a fi ne debut.