It's a varied pick of films in the UK cinemas this week; we have Sir Ridley Scott's latest collaboration with Russell Crowe, the CIA thriller, Body Of Lies. Julianne Moore and Mark Ruffalo star in dystopian sci-fi flick, Blindness. An animated documentary dealing with the Lebanon war of 1982 - Waltz With Bashir -- twirls onto our screens following critical acclaim in Cannes. And the US remake of Spanish horror [Rec], Quarantine, completes the motley lineup. But what did the British critics have to say?

Sir Ridley Scott's continuing partnership with his Russell Crowe bears its latest offering with the Middle Eastern thriller Body Of Lies. Such a talented director and leading man, plus the likes of Leonardo DiCaprio and British Mark Strong also on screen, this was surely a recipe for success? At a Rotten 50% on the Tomatometer however, it looks like this recipe may have been overcooked, with many critics deriding Scott for his over-direction, tedious scripting and over reliance on bombastic pyrotechnics. There were, however, plaudits for the actors, with Mark Strong being praised for his portrayal of Hani Salaam - head of the Jordanian secret service - and for Crowe and DiCaprio who put in ever dependable performances in a film which was nonetheless never anything more than a soulless and generic thriller.

Fernando Meirelles, the director of science-fiction thriller Blindness, has a decent track record so far, with directorial debut, City Of God at 93% and The Constant Gardener at 84% on the Tomatometer respectively, but does his latest effort make it a hat-trick of successes? At a dismal 41% on the Tomatometer, it would seem that Blindness has missed the target, with the film being described by critics as "a bit of a mess" (Derek Malcolm, Evening Standard) and "Rhubarbed Melodrama" (Nigel Andrews, The Financial Times). Its pretentiousness, didactic pomposity, awful score and gloopily unnecessary voiceover all aroused critics ire. As with many book adaptations, it seems the film doesn't match up to the standard of the source material.

Waltz With Bashir meanwhile is an entry into that very rarest of genres; The animated documentary. Piecing together director Ari Folman's and various eyewitness accounts of the Sabra and Shatila massacre during the 1982 Lebanon war using hallucinatory and mesmerising animation, Waltz With Bashir is like no other film, and was a strong contender for this years Palme D'Or at the Cannes Film Festival. That critical buzz has continued, and at a very healthy 94% on the Tomatometer, nearly all the critics agreed that Waltz With Bashir is a distinctive, pioneering and utterly memorable movie with Sukhdev Sandhu of the Daily Telegraph calling it "A blistering, powerful work".

Spanish horror [Rec] was a Blair Witch-esque hand-held camera zombie flick, released in the UK back in February earlier this year, which stands at 94%. Quarantine is the US remake - which much surely be a record for turnaround time for a Hollywood adaptation - but does the yank counterpart stand up to it's Spanish cousin? At a healthy 63% on the Tomatometer, most critics enjoyed the competent remake, but felt that it was kind of little unnecessary, with very little to warrant the reboot. Simon Crook of Empire Magazine summed it up by saying "As a visceral, camera-shuddery ride into foamy-mouthed zombie hell, it's efficient enough - but if you've already seen [Rec], steer clear..."



Quote of the Week

"Visually the film is so undistinguished it may be time for the maker of Blade Runner to be subjected to that film's Voigt-Kampff test, to determine whether the current owner of the name "Ridley Scott" is real or a replicant."

Body Of Lies. Nigel Andrews, The Financial Times.