I didn’t know too much about her until I saw The Piano Teacher. Her performance in that alone was enough to make me a huge fan.
Not sure how much good writing Criterion a letter would do, but it can’t hurt. What other films of hers do you recommend?
Hottie. Seriously, what a fox.
Coup De Torchon is one of my favorites.
Her films to recommend?
La Vie Promise, La Ceromine, La Seperation, and Merci pour la chocolate. None of those are on Criterion, but all ae worth seeing. La Vie Rpomise was the first film that made me want to write and make films. You can see parts of it on youtube.
I Heart Huckabees kind of spoofs on her rep
I disagree. She has always chosen her films based on the director. She has done American films before, and she has done comedies before. She has mentioned philosophy in interviews before. When asked if she could be one other person, she said that she wanted to be Simone de Beauvoir. That tells you a great deal about her!
Doing the film furthers the fact that she is extremely intellectual with her own views and perceptions on things. The philosophy of art and film go hand in hand with various philosophies on life.
I don’t think it dampens her reputation at all. I think it proves that she (as always) is willing at take a risk on a complicated script that she likes.
I adore her! I highly recommend Ma Mere, Story of Women, 8 Women, and then finish off with I Heart Huckabees (viewed in this order may be best to avoid slipping into deep dark depression, Ms. Huppert certainly does not shy away from the most difficult of subject matter).
Time of the Wolf is an amazing, though slow-moving, film about Huppert and her kids trying to survive after some kind of apocalypse. It’s one of my top twenty, at least.
She is definitely one of my favorites, if not my favorite actress. I love her, she’s amazing. I’d recommend: La Pianiste (arguably her best performance), La Ceremonie, La Vie Promise, 8 Femmes, Madame Bovary, Une Affaire de Femmes, Entre Nous.
Has anyone seen any of her newer films like Private Property, Home, or The Sea Wall?
Echo Nessa.
Her performance in La Pianiste is exceptional. Her perfectly measured tightrope walk of emotional restraint produces a subtle, convincing and highly compelling portrayal of repression, in a what amounts to a masterclass in acting.
‘Private Property’ is wonderful. In John Waters’ Best Films of 2008 list, he joked that Julianne Moore was in “the best Isabelle Huppert role of the year” in ‘Savage Grace.’ I loved that comment, but I sometimes question her choice of roles. I applaud that she takes on challenging films, but ‘Ma mere’ and ‘La Vie promise’ are pretty awful (though for no fault of Huppert’s).
That aside, I think she’s easily the most gifted actress working today.
why has no one mentioned Amateur? “How can you be a nymphomaniac and never had sex?” “I’m choosy.” She’s fantastic in that one, even if her choices are uneven.
Agree with Joe about “Ma Mere”- just plain awful and I don’t think she could have done much to save it. But “The Piano Teacher” blew me away when I first saw it at a press screening. I didn’t expect much, but was mesmerised by her performance and the film overall. So much so, that I remember making “Piano Teacher” my favourite film of the year, that year. She is a great actress and I’m sure fans of her work, me included, will be seeing her in the future in even better roles.
We for got to rejoice about her appointment as the President of the Cannes Jury this year! Finally some sanity!
Samuel D
I love her. She is the best! I own so many of her films, but I wish Criterion should release some of her rare films. I’m sure they would sell well, and Huppert is amazing.
What do you fellow film lovers think? And what films with her would you like to see Criterion finally bring to DVD?
- Samuel
I’ve often toyed with the idea of writing them a letter desperately requesting them to release some of her films. What do you think?