Elle‘s Isabelle Huppert charmed the pants off Santa Barbara last night during an Arlington theatre tribute. Indiewire‘s Anne Thompson handled the interview with polish and aplomb, and the great William Hurt, who had just driven himself up from Los Angeles, presented Huppert’s trophy. During the after-party I asked Huppert about Happy End, the Michael Haneke film costarring herself and Jean-Louis Trintignant that will almost certainly debut in Cannes three months hence. I’ve read that the film, shot in northern France, deals with the European immigrant crisis, but Huppert said not really — the crisis is more of a backdrop element than anything else. Huppert’s green-and-coral gown was the subject of muted conversation during the after-event; the general opinion was that the Best Actress nominee should probably wear a darker, more conservative gown on Oscar night.