Paris Je T'Aime

A welcome exception to the usual mediocre quality of portmanteau films, Paris Je T'Aime channel-hops through the French capital's arrondissements with an international filmmaking community providing shorts for each. Wes Craven tries romance, Edinburgh-based animator Sylvain Chomet translates his surrealism to live action, Gerard Depardieu works both sides of the camera, and cinematographer Christopher Doyle directs a piece about a hairstyle salesman... or something. The cast more than matches the crew in terms of number and profile, so forgive me for not attempting to list them. Like The Fast Show it succeeds because of the variety and sheer turnover of stories so if you don't like one, be content that it will be over soon. The format inevitably leads to comparison, and of all the shorts, the most interesting is probably Alexander Payne's film: an American tourist narrating her story in beginner's French, which is instantly funny then steadily more wistful. [Alec McLeod]