Interview with Isabelle Huppert

‘Elle’ premiered at Cannes to feverish acclaim and its leading star, the French actress, Isabelle Huppert, has been nominated for an Oscar for her role in the noir-thriller. But the film is a challenging proposition: described controversially by some critics as “rape comedy”, it mixes sexual violence and adultery with moments of laughter. It is certainly provocative, and most likely shocking.