The acclaimed French actor answers your questions on provocation, Claude Chabrol and what she thinks of movie critics

François Ozon is a great director and 8 Women was a fantastic film. What brought you to work with him again for The Crime Is Mine? BenderRodriguez
I loved doing 8 Women and I just saw his last film in San Sebastián, When Fall Is Coming, and it’s really great. He’s very versatile. He goes from one style to the other, like a French Stephen Frears. The Crime Is Mine is more in the line of 8 Women. It’s a comedy, an adaptation of an old play that he turned into more contemporary material; something more feminist and more updated. He’s very vivid and he’s very, very, very fast, so when you work with him he gives you a certain kind of energy.

Having performed in such a wide range of films, what draws you in when selecting new projects? Is it the role, the storyline or the opportunity to work with a particular director? VerulamiumParkRanger
Mostly the director, because I always believe it’s the key piece of the ensemble. If you take material like The Piano Teacher or Elle, if it wasn’t for Michael Haneke or Paul Verhoeven, what would it be? Then it’s the ensemble. Film-making is a really collective art.