As a director, I like trying to unlock the subtext of the scene and try to put the camera in a place that helps that.

Courage is the most important virtue because it is the hardest.

Much of life is about failure, whether we acknowledge it or not, and your destiny is profoundly shaped by how effectively you learn from and adapt to failure.

The prevailing view is that geniuses are largely built, not born.

Putin's an egomaniac, so there are two ways he can process his ego mania. He can say, "Oh, I stood up to the U.S.," or, "Hey, I'm essential to the world order."

No matter where you are on politics, I think it is wonderful to see candidates funding campaigns not by talking to a very small number of very rich people, but by reaching out to a very large number of citizens.

I want to try to make big films that hopefully connect with people.