It's very eclectic, the way one chooses subjects in the movie business, especially in the commercial movie business. You need to develop material yourself or material is presented to you as an assignment to direct.

So I've had really great assistant directors for my last seven movies.

I think I've made some pretty decent films in the '80s and '90s.

I have gotten to a point in my life where I don't want to have dinner with someone I don't like.

Casting is 65 percent of directing.

I think all great actors - and I don't classify myself as one of them, incidentally - but I think all great actors listen well and I've learned that from a lot of the very good actors with whom I've worked - to really listen to what people say.

You have to be a great storyteller. And you have to master the tools that you have to tell the story which are, inorder of importance, the script, the actors and then thetechnical means.