As a filmmaker, it's important to sit there and feel embarrassed. If you feel embarrassed by something, you cut it.

Americans are not renowned for having a sense of irony.

It's very difficult to lie to yourself about certain things. I'm not necessarily convinced about how information is gathered and I don't think the credence that's given to it is valid.

I'm not a very efficient filmmaker. There's a lot of guys, filmmakers like the Coen Brothers who shoot a whole movie and maybe don't use 12 setups. I'm in awe of people like that; I'm just not that guy.

I like violence to be upsetting. The only reason to do it subtley is if doing it subtley makes it more effective somehow.

You obviously can't cast Brad [Pitt] as an everyman guy because he just brings way too much baggage.

It's obviously a lot more of a political undertaking making a movie in Hollywood and it's a business there. In Australia, they don't expect films to make money; whereas in America they're counting on it.