Nothing ever seems straightforward in Venice, least of all its romances.

One difference between film noir and more straightforward crime pictures is that noir is more open to human flaws and likes to embed them in twisty plot lines.

There's nothing like impending death to rouse you from existential boredom.

No movie has ever been able to provide a catharsis for the Holocaust, and I suspect none will ever be able to provide one for 9/11. Such subjects overwhelm art.

If you read a lot, nothing is as great as you've imagined. Venice is -- Venice is better.

I'll tell you, I think that the Internet has provided an enormous boost to film criticism by giving people an opportunity to self publish or to find sites that are friendly.