I remember being taught in school that you would underline things that you liked. I remember just underlining everything as a kid, thinking, 'This has all gotta be important!' I would just underline the whole thing!

I've never been a fan of whimsical or confusing storytelling.

I don't think it's a director's job to peek behind the curtain too much.

The films that I love are very straightforward stories, like really old-fashioned stuff.

I really subscribe to that old adage that you should never let the audience get ahead of you for a second. So if the film's abrasive and wrongfoots people then, y'know, that's great. But I hope it involves an audience.

Acting is the hardest job in the entire world. By far. Harder than ditch digging.

No matter how many times you do it, you don't get used to the sadness - for me at least - of coming to the end of a film.