Let Your Hair Down, Isabelle Huppert

.

if you follow me on any social media platform other than this blog (they're all linked there in the sidebar) then you probably saw me freaking out last night (well you did if you weren't part of the rampaging Sharknado Borg, that is) about my lil' visit to the Film Society of Lincoln Center where they were hosting "A Conversation With Isabelle Huppert" that was being conducted by the one the only John Waters. Okay I mentioned it here at the blog too. I sung it everywhere, I did, because I was fit to spill with enthusiasm. Did it live up to my hype?

Well duh. The first time I saw Huppert in person was a couple of years ago for a Q&A for the Denis film White Material and she was desperately, hilariously uninvolved in the process, sitting with her arms angrily crossed barely answering anything. I said then that this was "EXACTLY what I want from Isabelle Huppert," and I stand by that - it was like The Piano Teacher came to life on that stage, it was awesome. Last night was a whole 'nother ball o' wax though - Waters clearly perked her up and she was a very different Huppert. Enthusiastic, funny, charming. She was super. My favorite part came early when she mentioned the list of Serious Directors that Waters had rattled off that she'd worked with - she said she'd love to add his name to that roster and then looked down, mimed gigantic breasts a la Selma Blair in A Dirty Shame, and said she might have to change herself a little to fit into one of his films, though.

After the interview I wondered if maybe some of the older Upper West Side crowd might've not known what to make of their repartee, which touched on Michael Haneke, abortion, and genitalia mutilation with equal enthusiasm, and so I was happy to read in this other person's recap from the night (thanks Mac) that they had an old lady flabbergasted near them by the ordeal. How perfect! I can only pray that some of these types show up to the retrospective of Waters' films in September, too.We can all terrify the blue-hairs together.