Warning: there are mild spoilers about the film plot ahead.

Woody Allen may have had a difficult time understanding the questions from international reporters at Friday’s Cannes press conference for Irrational Man, but there was one query he jumped to answer.

In the spirit of Allen’s latest picture, which involves a murder plot, a foreign journalist wondered why the filmmaker killed off so many of his comedy characters (or had characters considering the act) over the years. And, while on that subject, had Allen himself ever “considered murdering someone?”

“Even as you speak,” Allen quipped, to laughter from adoring press. Flanked by his Irrational Man actresses Emma Stone and Parker Posey—star Joaquin Phoenix was M.I.A. from the Mediterranean—Allen was making a rare public appearance begrudgingly, or at least so says Page Six. Last decade, the famously press-shy actor made a point of flying out for the Cannes Film Festival whenever he had a project because, as he told The Guardian, “The French people have been so supportive of my films for so many years. . . . I thought I ought to make a gesture of reciprocity.” Of course, Allen never said that he would be demonstratively happy about promoting his films in the South of France.

In an interview immediately before the press conference began that was streamed live throughout the Palais des Festivals, Allen answered questions as succinctly as possible. When asked why he cast Stone again, after their first collaboration in Magic in the Moonlight, Allen said, “She was at the door. . . . And she looked hungry, so we gave her a part.” Asked about the making of this film, he offered the unfortunate reporter these words, “It’s just the idea of a story and you tell the story as the narrative unfolds.”

Several minutes later, after being tossed into a room full of journalists, Allen was able to crank up the charm a few notches.

Asked about working with Stone—essentially the same question he had been asked moments before—the filmmaker delivered a monologue about the joys of the Internet sweetheart.

“I saw her in a movie by accident. I was walking on the treadmill and looking for something to distract me and then I saw Emma. And she looked beautiful. And then she was very funny in the movie and I thought to myself, This is someone who would be very interesting to work with. And I worked with her in the first movie. She was great, absolutely great. Lived up to all of the hype. . . . So I had no problem thinking of her for Irrational Man. . . she amazed me.”

(Seeming to notice that it would be rude to leave Posey out of the praise-fest, as she was the only other person on the panel, Allen also volunteered his reasoning for why he wanted to work with the fabulous, if under-appreciated, indie actress. “I had always wanted to work with Parker Posey because I liked the name Parker Posey. I had seen her in all of these offbeat movies. She was always great, and I always thought, Will I ever get to be on set and say, ‘Where is Parker Posey?’”)

Stone was asked whether, as the latest Woody Allen muse, there were plans to collaborate again. The actress revealed, “There are no plans as it stands to do a third [film].” Looking in Allen’s direction, Stone added, “But wouldn’t that be nice?”

A reporter wondered whether Allen had been in touch with another of his brightest stars, Cate Blanchett, since her Oscar win for his 2013 drama, Blue Jasmine. The filmmaker surprised reporters by saying that he had actually not been in touch with Blanchett since way before the Academy Award.