For most directors, the scriptwriter is about as welcome on set as a member of the Taliban.

The English country house is certainly an icon of British culture.

I have fits of melancholia when I watch the news, but we all do, don't we?

When people are feeling insecure about their jobs and there are cuts to be made, it's hard to put up an argument that the film industry needs funding.

I always loved movies and the cinema; we always used to go to see films as a family.

Maggie Smith has a unique sense of comedy, based on a somewhat ironic view of real life, making it both funnier and more sad. But perhaps her greatest ability, or at least the one that most intrigues me, is how she can convey deep and powerful emotion without a trace of sentimentality.

Harsh reality is always better than false hope.