More than ninety percent of directing a picture is the right casting

Movies touch our hearts, and awaken our vision, and change the way we see things. They take us to other places. They open doors and minds. Movies are the memories of our lifetime. We need to keep them alive.

There's a way that the force of disappointment can be alchemized into something that will paradoxically renew you.

In truly great films - the ones that people need to make, the ones that start speaking through them, the ones that keep moving into territory that is more and more unfathomable and uncomfortable - nothing's ever simple or neatly resolved. You're left with a mystery.

A lot of what I'm obsessed with is the relationship and the dynamics between people and the family, particularly brothers and their father.

There are times when you have to face your enemies, sit down and deal with it.

People want to classify and say, 'OK, this is a gangster film.' 'This is a Western.' 'This is a... ' You know? It's easy to classify and it makes people feel comfortable, but it doesn't matter, it doesn't really matter.