I guess maybe I try to make movies that are closer to real life than are many Hollywood movies. But I still try to stay within a commercial narrative a contemporary American vernacular.

I think as an American society when we're paying too many taxes or dealing with war we don't want to see sad things at the movies.

Movies as evidenced by a chorus of protesting and celebrating Americans influence broader trends.

If military movies were automatically successful we'd make nothing but military movies. But seriously patriotism is one thing that all Americans have in common.

Reality TV looks more like America than movies do.

Class is often invisible in America in the movies and usually not the subject of the film.

When we talk about Oscars it's almost as a symbol of excellence and the American public and the worldwide public accept that symbol. So a movie like 'The Artist' that costs $14 million has to go out and compete with movies that cost $140 million. How does David deal with Goliath?

We can now have action movies with two stars where one might be African American and one might be Asian American. One of them doesn't have to be white and the other one doesn't have to be the ethnic sidekick. We're way over that. And I think it's happening in society too.

Now if you are like me - if you are like practically anybody in America - then you probably hold some negative opinions about the French based upon movies rumors recent headlines unfortunate run-ins with Parisian waiters or... you know... all that unpleasantness surrounding the Vichy regime.

I was sick and tired of being an English actor who did a lot of American movies because I was cheap and good.