Beart is reknowned for her meticulous preparation for her films. For 1992's Un coeur en hiver, she practiced the violin for three hours a day for 18 months.  In 1996's Mission: Impossible, only her second English-language role, she lamented that she missed this deep commitment to character.  "The filming was so much lighter and more playful," she said.  "I'm used to doing cinema with people who ask themselves deep, metaphysical questions. I asked a question about my character on  Mission: Impossible, and the answer was, 'Can you hold a gun?'  I never asked another question."  

In fact, learning English proved to be the most difficult part of her preparation.  "I basically went crazy for six months with an English coach," she explains.  "The challenge was not so much to be able to