My business is can I create a world that's possible and could happen? I think that's the only thing that I have to do, and I think that I have done that each time.

But for me, it feels like a natural extension of what I've been doing: exploring relationships. Here you have two relationships and we can explore how difficult it is for people to be together.

I think Christine and Chad are on the opposite extremes of the spectrum. Christine is a model victim, and Chad is a model perpetrator, and Howard is closer to the middle.

Relationships in general make people a bit nervous. It's about trust. Do I trust you enough to go there?

There were certain things that I watched, and I screened a series of period films as well, not because I wanted to copy those, because I wanted to be different. “Far from the Madding Crowd” was one I looked to because I thought it looked so good. “Doctor Zhivago.” Unrequited love is always a great thing. “Tess” was something I looked at, I thought Polanski got the period right.

Everybody has the ability to be manipulative, to be hateful and deceitful.

And with Aaron, I'd have to find a reason not to work with him.