James Gray
James Gray
disservice emotion mean means misused terrible word
The word 'operatic' is often misused to mean over the top, where someone is over-emoting. And that does a terrible disservice because 'operatic' to me means a commitment and a belief to the emotion of the moment that is sincere.
crack creep door fear meant remember terror
I remember as a little kid, I would always feel comfortable if the light in the crack of my parents' door was on at night. When it went off, that meant they were asleep. Then that terror and the fear of being by myself started to creep in.
attempt course extent hope material means until willing
To the extent that independent means you're willing to attempt to put your own ideas, personality, and commitment to the material on screen, then of course I hope I'm independent until the day I die.
mean good-things life-affirming
Life affirming doesn't mean good things happen.
button everybody loves means toward
If everybody loves you, you must be doing something wrong. It means there's no button being pushed... The only way that everybody loves you is toward the end of your career.
directly emotional honestly project sounds work
I know this sounds phony, but I don't start out on a project going, 'I'm going to make an emotional work,' you know what I mean? You try to tell the story directly and honestly and with passion.
came details family somewhere virtually
There's virtually nothing made up in 'The Immigrant.' So much of the film came from somewhere in my family's past. All the details are from my own family.
bad business corporate dictates fault gets hollywood keeps movies rather structure system
The corporate system dictates what gets made, and the movies are so bad because of the economic structure of Hollywood. The big business takeover of Hollywood is at fault rather than American storytellers - it's what keeps textured movies from getting made.
although looked
I'm not a website guy, although I'm not a Luddite, either. I have looked at a computer, but I don't go to PopSugar and Goop and all that.
willing
I'm just not willing to give up on myself. If I'm going to fail, then I want to fail to the limits of my talent.
acting becoming critical interest jobs love pursuing whatsoever
I have no interest whatsoever in pursuing acting or becoming a mogul. I love writing and directing; I see those two jobs as the most critical in the making of a film.
I have no athletic skills whatsoever. I'm just literally incompetent.
I'm telling you, every film I've ever made has been hated by the U.K. critics.
backward barbara bette davis films joan taken
It's weird, because American films in the 1930s and '40s, particularly melodramas, were made for woman, from Bette Davis to Joan Crawford to Barbara Stanwyck to Katherine Hepburn, and for some reason we've taken a step backward in this sense.