It did remind me of something out of Greek mythology - the richest king who gets everything he wants, but ultimately his family has a curse on it from the Gods.

The fact that food plays such an important part in my films has everything to do with my family.

A lot of what I'm obsessed with is the relationship and the dynamics between people and the family, particularly brothers and their father.

Food tells you everything about the way people live and who they are.

The fact that food plays such an important part in my films has everything to do with my family.

If your mother cooks Italian food, why should you go to a restaurant?

Working with HBO was an opportunity to experience creative freedom and 'long-form development' that filmmakers didn't have a chance to do before the emergence of shows like 'The Sopranos.'

I love studying Ancient History and seeing how empires rise and fall, sowing the seeds of their own destruction.

There are two kinds of power you have to fight. The first is the money, and that's just our system. The other is the people close around you, knowing when to accept their criticism, knowing when to say no.

I think there's only one or two films where I've had all the financial support I needed. All the rest, I wish I'd had the money to shoot another ten days.