I'm not that comfortable with actors receiving honours, partly because I think they ought to go to those who really help others.

To do a blockbuster that isn't stressful is a delight.

In today's politics, it would be good to have politicians who are more upfront about what they felt and actually not trying to bend with every breeze. They're infuriating, all of them.

The films I enjoy seeing are those that reveal lives I was unaware of... in different cultures or whatever.

I love French films, and European films. They're not any bigger, but there's just a sort of definition, and a confidence, and strength to them. I'd always, given the option, go and see a French drama. Obviously, we probably get the better ones. But they're just sophisticated on many levels, and grown up, and quite profound - and we don't make films like that.

I never was a great Thatcher fan, and it wasn't a sad day in my life when she resigned.

It's funny how a film about a murderous old English toff can help you.