Paris, Je t'aime

This final festival flick was the perfect ending to a great fest. Paris, Je t'aime is a compilation of short films by 21 international directors made for a delicious 2 hours of gorgeous scenes of Paris and unique situations and storylines.

Alexander Payne (co-writer and director of Sideways) showed up as Oscar Wilde in Pere Lachaise cemetery to coach a commitment-phobic Brit to go after his fiancee - this by Wes Craven. Payne also wrote and directed a charming French "essay" overdubbed in good French with a bad American accent by a middle-aged postal carrier. Another funny one was Joel and Ethan Coen's scene at Tuileries Metro station where Steve Buscemi gets into trouble waiting for the train. Tom Tykwer did a mini Run Lola Run with Natalie Portman and her blind boyfriend and Isabel Coixet help show a philanderer the error of his ways in a Bastille restaurant.

Some films touched upon racial tensions and the gap between the social classes, while others were just dull. The Gus Van Sant one was just like him: somewhat annoying and pointless. The one about vampires by Canadian director Vincenzo Natali was particularly lame (his movie Cube which came out of the Film Centre and was mediocre at best but apparently it has a massive following in Europe.)

Ultimately, the film compilation was like a wine tasting: you open up each bottle, nose it then swish it around in your glass for a few seconds, and in the first taste you pretty well know how good it's going to be. Some wines you savour every last drop, others you spit half out into the bin. How fun to be an armchair traveller basking in the glorious views and stories of such a great city. MMMMm