Gomorrah
Call it a responsible crime thriller for portraying the mafia as they really are — sleazy, badly dressed, not nice — but this fine Italian thriller surveys Neapolitan society with documentary-like rigour and cinematic flair.

Import Export
A strong Austrian antidote to sunny dreams of European unity, this confrontational drama brutally depicts the grim iniquities of the world, from webcam exploitation to violent gangs to heartless healthcare.

I've Loved You So Long
Kristin Scott Thomas shines (in two languages) in a powerful French drama with a chilling undercurrent. When she comes to stay with her sister after a long absence, the skeletons come tumbling out.

The Fall
You can fault the storytelling, but Tarsem's ambitious fantasy serves up an endless stream of stunning surrealistic images (with no cheating in the effects room), and dares to offer something genuinely different.

City Of Ember
Positioning himself as the new Spielberg/Tim Burton, ambitious director Gil Kenan conjures a curious, steampunk/fairytale family adventure set in an underground city. Not perfect, but definitely different.