I was speaking to Ridley Scott the other day and he makes a film every 18 months. He's amazing really.

Every time I do one I feel like I've never really quite learned anything. I always find that when I'm making a film, I find it a little bit like I'm doing it for the first time.

The challenge, really, on any new film is to try to avoid that and achieve a few moments that aren't cliche.

Foxes was a movie that didn't do a lot of business but it didn't do too badly critically and eventually they offered me other things. The interesting thing was that next I tried a film called Star Man, which Michael Douglas was producing.

Well, I think just the fact that you are making your first film is a huge step.

Their every instinct - and I have to say this is without exception - is to iron out the bumps, and It's always the bumps that are the most interesting stuff.