"Austere, quiet, and sad. On the surface, a simple story—mundane, even—but Ozu’s understanding of the subtleties of real human behavior imbue the characters with an emotional depth that takes the film into the sublime. When I first watched Tokyo Story a couple of years ago, it immediately made me rethink my entire approach to writing characters."

"“I was obsessed with him when I was a kid. I think it’s a very defining moment for a reader when you first encounter tragedy in fiction. I think it was the first time I ever heard or read a sad story. But at the same time, it was also such a beautiful story, and so well told.”"

"The Book of Ecclesiastes probably inspired the opening line of Beckett’s first published novel (“The sun shone, having no alternative, on the nothing new.”) Not Beckett’s most important work (whatever that means) or his most influential, but the one I love the most, maybe because he hadn’t yet perfected his art, maybe because it’s funny and sad and brilliant."

"It’s basically my perfect movie. Character driven with phenomenal performances, so idiosyncratic, and funny as hell, as well as achingly sad. The ideal combination of comedy and tragedy. I adore Shirley [MacLaine] and Jack [Nicholson] together. I love them, full stop. It’s the most satisfying tearjerker ever made because the lows are so beautifully balanced with gorgeous, swelling highs."