I never write with an actor in mind - never.

I grew up with a lot of Hollywood films. Cozy farm houses, cowboys, nice flats in New York. Especially as a kid, those things have a huge impression on you.

Films are all about decisions, and that's what I love.

I wonder whether my bleak-o-meter is set differently from other people's. I have such passion for what I do that I can't see it as bleak. When people use that word, or “grim” or “gritty,” I just think, “Oh, come on, look a bit deeper.” My films don't give you an easy ride. I can see that. The sense I get is that people have quite a physical experience with them. They feel afterwards that they've really been through something.

I work best when there is adversity: I seem to get calmer the more the fur is flying.

Sleep your way to the top.

I don't think you can question your instinct; you should always trust it.