'The English Patient' was a huge turning point in my career and my life; it became this huge thing. But the whole Oscar build-up got completely out of control; I spent more time talking about that film than I spent making it!

I do consider myself as being French, I suppose.

I'm very good at forgetting people.

I'm not one of those famous people flying round the world emoting over every catastrophe. I'm too feeble.

Boarding school is a wicked thing.

It's very hard having a career in different continents and two different languages.

I know I can be bolshy and really unpleasant, and it always happens if I lose confidence in the people I'm working with. If I've got no confidence in what I'm doing and they don't provide me with some assurance that we're doing the right thing then I bully people. I'm a horrible bully.