What a director really does is set the emotional temperature and the mood and the level, amount, or lack of, distance between the action and the character, and the character and the audience. James Gray More Quotes by James Gray More Quotes From James Gray Really, what I'm doing is an attempt to continue the best work of the people I adore: Francis Coppola and Scorsese and Robert Altman and Stanley Kubrick and those amazing directors whose work I grew up with and loved. James Gray loved best work people 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. James Gray end doing you way 'Apocalypse Now' poses questions without any attempt to provide definitive answers, and the film's profound ambiguities are integral to its enduring magic. James Gray without questions now magic As ugly an admission as this is, I met my wife at a party, and if I had been to the same party and she were dressed in different clothes, I might never have talked to her. She might have projected something that I found distasteful, even if she otherwise looked exactly the same - a beautiful woman to me. James Gray beautiful-woman me wife beautiful 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. James Gray myself talent limits want I think I'm a very American director, but I probably should have been making movies somewhere around 1976. I never left the mainstream of American movies; the American mainstream left me. James Gray movies never think me Unfortunately for critics and audiences alike, I have made several films, and some films with really terrific actors. And I say this at my own peril, but Marion Cotillard is the best actor I've ever worked with. James Gray say own best my-own I continually marvel at people who can make films that reach five hundred million people. How do you do that? Everybody's different - I don't know how that works. James Gray reach know you people 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. James Gray start you passion work I went to see 'Star Trek Into Darkness,' and J.J. Abrams, who's a friend of mine, made this film, and I went to see it at the premiere. Believe it or not, I was really blown away by the comic timing of it. James Gray friend see darkness believe The idea that the family is this locus of support but can also hold you back and keep you down makes for good drama. James Gray good you support family There's never really been a tradition of making films about Jewish themes or using Judaism as a constant. James Gray jewish about never tradition I suppose I'm always trying to break down the wall between my characters and myself. I'm trying to make the film as expressive and personal as I can, even if I can't explain, for example, how important it is for me to be Jewish. James Gray down myself me important The closer you can get to being personal, the better the work is, or the more interesting the work is. James Gray personal better you work My grandparents, they came through Ellis Island in 1923, and you know, I'd heard all the stories. James Gray grandparents island know you The conventional wisdom is that people come to the United States, and immigration is so great, and they say, 'America, what a great country.' And a lot of that is true. James Gray great wisdom country people It's hard to run away from who you are, and when your taste is formed is a very important thing. James Gray your you hard important I'm telling you, every film I've ever made has been hated by the U.K. critics. James Gray you critics film made The first movie, I was 23; I thought I knew everything, but my ego soon took an irrevocable blow. James Gray first everything thought ego
