Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1513564
47 W I N T E R Q 4 I S S U E F E A T U R E Though Fanny is married to Jean (Melvil Poupaud), a wealthy and controlling finance titan, Alain pursues her and eventually draws her into an aair. Jean's suspicions lead to a murder, leaving Fanny and her mother in danger. "In making a film, it is key to have a first-rate cinematographer and a first-rate editor," Allen said. "I've always worked with only first-rate cinematographers and for many years with Alisa because she is a first-rate editor." Lepselter's skills and ability to collaborate with the exacting Allen are on display in the film, which moves quickly as a drama while balancing aspects — but not fully following the form — of a suspense thriller as closely as did their work on "Match Point." Finding the voice of "Coup de Chance" took give and take and experimentation, and the trust borne of years of collaboration. CineMontage: Looking at the directors you have worked with—Woody Allen, Ni- cole Holofcener, and Nora Ephron while you were an assistant editor—there is a bit of a family tree there; not unrelated voices, but dierent personalities with whom to interact. Allen was one of the more pleasant interviews of my life, Eph- ron perhaps the most challenging. Can you tell me about your collaborations? Alisa Lepselter: I felt lucky enough to share a sensibility with a lot of the people I worked with. We clicked. We laughed at the same things. That's a big part of it. I adored Nora and was so grateful to her for so many things. People would say to me, "I hope you get to be her editor someday." But I would say, "Actually, I am much happier being her friend." She was tough to work for because she was so demanding, so particular. I was glad that I got to see that but not be the one who had to answer to it as her editor. But she did really encourage me a lot in my career. CineMontage: Your first job as an editor was also Nicole Holofcener's breakout feature, "Walking and Talking." You were finally able to work with her again on "You Hurt My Feelings." Did you find your collaborative process change over the years? Lepselter: Nicole is one of my closest friends. I cut her first feature but unfortu- nately, we got out of sync after that. I wasn't available when she made her second feature because I was working for Woody. So, it took us this long to be able to work together again. We speak the same language and I feel like I understand her scripts on a deep level. We're contemporaries and we have a lot in common. I love the way she writes. When I first interviewed with her for "Walk- ing and Talking," I hadn't cut a feature yet and the producers were too nervous to hire me. They said, "Nicole really loved you but she's a first-time director and we feel that she needs someone with more experience." But then they allowed her to hire me. She said, "I could tell that you get me," because of the way that I spoke to her about her characters. I get her on a level very dierent from the way I get Woody, but I understand where he's coming from, too. I'd only cut "Walking and Talking" when I met him, but I think he trusted that I knew what I was doing, and he wanted someone who he felt comfortable sitting next to all day because he spends so much time in the editing room. CineMontage: Tell me about your process with him. He's not the personality you would imagine from seeing him in his movies. Lepselter: No, he's very reserved. I think part of that comes from being so famous for so long that people think they know you. Our relationship is very professional. It's all about the work. It's not as though he doesn't make me laugh because he does. He can't help it. He's one of the funniest people who ever lived, but when we're working, it's pretty intense. He likes to be there while we're cutting the first pass. We always start with scene one and go through the film sequentially, assembling it together, looking at all the dailies and selecting takes. I'll make notes as we screen the dailies Alisa Lepselter. P H OT O : S A R A H S H AT Z 'When we're working, it's pretty intense.'