Bennett Miller Quotes

I'm not prejudiced about what type of movies I'm in, what form they take or whether they're studio or independent. I just want to make films that are going to be good. The main reason is not to make money, although at some points it's really difficult when you're broke.

I definitely managed to do different kinds of things. My focus is usually who the director is, because at the end of the day the director is the storyteller, what the movie is all about. I don't want to participate in something that I don't think is constructive storytelling.

I don't want to make a film to make a film.

Since childhood, I'd dreamed of making a film, but producers in France and Germany wanted to make commercial films with chinoiserie. I refused.

If I'm going to make a genre film, it has to be personal and it has to be good.

We try our best every time to make engaging films that we're interested in, and we just hope the rest of the world likes them.

I'm not someone who has to make a film at any cost. I have to find the right way to make it or not at all.

I like to work with people who want to make films because they are passionate about films and not because they want to sell films and make money. I am not for people who get the most saleable actor and then the most saleable director and sell the film.

You have to be honest about what kind of films you want to make.

I've never believed in cheapening music by going according to what some people think is public taste.

Critics think we try to make bad films. They think we want to spend five months of our lives making something bad. We always go out with the best of intentions, whether it's fluffy comedy or a drama.

No matter how hard I tried to popularize, I never cheapened a great work of art.

I'm not making films just to be bold.

I'd rather not make films than make bad ones.

With a film, you try to keep your vision in it. I think with 'The American' and 'Control' I managed to do that.

Because I've made a film with such an amazing director as Tarantino, I'm much more conscious of working with good directors from now on, so that's what's important to me. I don't really care about making a big movie - I just want to make good ones.

I always think of my films within the context of where aesthetics meet economics. That's the nature of making art - not being naive about what is possible and getting what you need to tell the story you want to tell.

I don't want to make a movie till I have an idea I have to make. I don't want to make a movie just to make a movie.

I am not going to do a film based on a bad scenario just to make a big Hollywood film or work with Hollywood stars.

Hats off to Julian and Johnny, the producers, for sticking to their guns with the five-season story arc of 'Merlin'. It would have been too easy to give in to demand and stretch the show on beyond their original plan because of its incredible success.

I never choose a genre over quality. I never think, 'I want to do that,' and sacrifice the fact it might not be very good.

I like to do films that I would want to go see, basically. I'm not out to make a fast buck.

If you don't like my work in 'The Affair,' that's fine, but I'll stand by the work because I felt that everything that went on camera was what I intended to go on camera.

I try to steer away from doing something that's just commercial instead of sticking to a good script.

I would like to be part of sensible cinema, irrespective of whether it is a commercial or niche film, but it doesn't always pan out like that.