Cherchez le tomboy

François Ozon's comedy from earlier this year taught us the word potiche, meaning "trophy wife". But now the cinema dictionary is working in reverse. Céline Sciamma's new film about childhood, Tomboy, is teaching the French a new word, and it is catching on fast, the director tells me. Her film has been a surprise hit in France, notching up more than 300,000 admissions (they measure their films thus over there, rather than in box office takings), but she has been even more surprised that the title has entered the national lexicon. "We used to call the concept garçon manqué because we never had the word tomboy," she says. "I always hated the phrase, so I was happy to use the English word but I was worried, and so were my producers, that nobody in France would know what the film was about. But it has been the opposite – we seem to have made a new word." Following the success of the film, France's fashion pages have been filled with shoots proclaiming "le look tomboy". Of course, the gamine look has been around for ages. Jean Seberg struck the crop-haired pose in À Bout de Souffle and that was more than 50 years ago. "Of course," says Celine, "but it has taken us that long to come up with the right name for it."

Anyone for doubles?

I suppose it makes sense for a body-swap comedy but is there a higher than usual incidence of alliteration among the cast and crew of The Change-Up? It stars Ryan Reynolds, Alan Arkin and Mircea Monroe, is directed by David Dobkin, shot by Eric Edwards, with costumes by Ashley Aikens and special makeup effects by Matthew Mungle. I'm paid to notice these things.

Watch your step, Clooney

Although the quality of films on display is of the highest order, Trash is worried about the glamour factor of the approaching London film festival. A walk through its customary home in Leicester Square is currently fraught with danger as construction workers gleefully create holes. I can't see room for a red carpet outside the Odeon cinema, let alone crowds of cheering fans. With scheduled visits from stars including Rachel Weisz, George Clooney (yes, he's coming) and Venice winner Michael Fassbender, let's hope London's most famous celebrity runway isn't still an obstacle course by then.

The 55th BFI London film festival runs from 12-27 October; priority booking starts tomorrow: www.bfi.org.uk/lff