I hoped that grief was similar to the other emotions. That it would end, the way happiness did. Or laughter.

I mean I grew up in Ireland, so one would have to be consciously blinkered not to have reflected on the issue of political violence because that was the story since I was 19 years old or 20.

I'm less comfortable making American movies because I don't know them so well.

It's nice to work with Hollywood because there is never any question of resources put at your disposal to make a film as long as it is the right thing to do.

Hollywood always chooses young and beautiful men and throws them into enormous, highly expensive toy-like movies, and I think sometimes it's hard for the maturity of the craft to emerge in that kind of glare.

I can't do a film if I don't start with the writing.

I took two years away from making films to write a novel.