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 Children
What should be a laughable schlock horror — parents, watch out! Your kids are out to murder you! — turns out to be something genuinely unsettling: a snowy Christmas horror with more than just gore to it.

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.

Inkheart
Those in search of a festive family fantasy fix could do worse than this expensive designed-to-the-hilt epic, with its retinue of panto-style star turns and a joyous but literary story to keep the action moving.

Lemon Tree
A long way from Waltz With Bashir, but another very
accessible, human-scaled take on hot Middle East issues from an Israeli
director, as a defiant Palestinian widow stands up for her citrus rights.