There's so many modern films where the fans take one side or the other. I'm hoping this isn't going to be like that; I'm hoping it isn't that kind of film at all. What I would love for the audience to take from it is to understand why she was so stuck in the middle and confused.

Lindsay Lohan was the 'It' girl from, like, 14. That's a lot of pressure.

I like my characters to be ones I think about long after I've finished reading the script.

I remember being on Atonement and it felt very right to be there. There was so much excitement every day. I remember very vividly how it felt to be a child on a film set, and that is actually really important to hold on to for as long as you continue to make films.

When I was younger and in primary school, I'd do maybe a film a year, and I had to adapt to being away from everyone for a couple of months.

I was 12 and I remember every­thing. I mean, I had done two films before that. The first was actually with Amy Heckerling. It was so brilliant to work with her on my first film. Atonement was the third one I'd done, and I remember how it felt to arrive on set every day. I remember how it felt to get my wig off at the end of the day. I remember how hot it was.

The written word can be powerful and beautiful - but films transport us to another place in a way that even the most evocative words never can.