Q: I found the story of the Victorian lovers, played by Jennifer Ehle and Jeremy Northam, one of the most compelling things in the film. That's probably not entirely fair to Paltrow and Eckhart, I know, because Ehle and Northam don't have to propel the story forward.
A: That's right. All Jennifer and Jeremy have to do is fall in love and have tragic things happen to them. Even though there's a certain amount of tragedy, I like the idea of how messy these Victorians allowed their lives to be. Jennifer, with that amazing face, her cape and hood is, quite unavoidably a don't-fight-it homage to The French Lieutenant's Woman. She is a force to reckon with - as good an actress as I know. Her only fault is that she doesn't work enough, by personal choice. Jeremy is so warm and just carries the weight with such dignity, there's no moral judgment made when his character, who's married, falls in love with Jennifer's character. He conveys so beautifully his character's sense of knowing he's doing something wrong by society's standards, yet he can't do anything to help himself.
Q: If Aaron Eckhart is apparently your ideal one-man "stock company" in movie after movie you make, who might be your ideal one-woman "stock company"?
A: Oh, that's hard. Lists are so arbitrary. Certainly, though, working this last time with Jennifer Ehle, I'm pretty knocked out by what she does. But I can honestly say I've never worked with anyone I wouldn't want to work with again.