Daniel Craig talks about his new film and comparisons to 007 work

Daniel Craig spoke to RT about his new film "Flashbacks of a Fool" and his work as James Bond on "Quantum of Solace".

You've got what I imagine is a rare day off from Quantum of Solace and you've chosen to spend it talking to us about Flashbacks of a Fool. What does the film mean to you?

Daniel Craig: It's been very personal, really. The fact is that Baillie Walsh, the director, is my best mate and he wrote the script six years ago with me in mind. There are a lot of reasons for it - it's a lot to do with who he is and how we both look at life in the sense that if you don't deal with certain things when you're a kid they'll come back and get you. I believe in Baillie as a moviemaker. He's done two feature-length documentaries plus any number of music videos and commercials and it's kind-of about time he got to do a feature.

Are you approaching Quantum of Solace with a sense of relief after the success of your first? Is there less pressure on you?

DC: I don't think so, I don't think you can say there's less pressure when you make a $200m movie - the pressure is plain to see. We've got to make it as good as if not better than the last one, that's the only thing that matters. I'm no less nervous than I was but I'm very happy with what we've put together for this one. Marc Forster's come on board and he's taking care of a lot of things that I just don't need to think about and I'm just getting on with it. I don't know if I'll ever feel comfortable with it. It's James Bond, I don't know if I'll ever get to that place and get Zen about it - it's not that kind of role. But I'm enjoying what we've shot of this and I'm planning to enjoy as much as I can of this filming process, because otherwise why do it?

Is there much difference between making a British indie movie like this and making a big $200m Bond movie?

DC: I honestly think that on set there's very little difference. On set there's two cameras, maybe, the crew and if you're shooting dialogue and scenes with actors it's the same. The difference comes in when suddenly there are explosions and napalm going off everywhere. But actually the atmosphere is very similar.

How are you finding working with Mathieu Amalric?

DC: I'm over the moon about it. We worked together very briefly on Munich, but I didn't actually have any scenes with him on that. Now I've got to know him, and that Schnabel movie he's just done is brilliant.

Is he Vesper's Algerian boyfriend? Is that the connection?

DC: There is a connection, yes! [laughs] The film carries on from where the last one stopped, so we set up in the last one that there's this organisation that's destabilising the world's economy in a bid to take it over, and Bond's job is to go and get them.

Now that you're making your second Bond movie, is it more or less important to do other work, do you think?

DC: It's no more or less important, I don't think. Someone asked whether it was important to make a smaller movie after making a Bond movie, but I've never, ever done films because I should do them, and if I have ever done that it's usually been an unpleasant experience. I've only ever really enjoyed and liked films I've done because I've wanted to do them. And that's absolutely on an individual basis. Doing a film and saying, I've done a really dark film and now I have to do a comedy... That's not me. If a script comes along and it's dark I'll absolutely do it and take the consequences. I'm not fussed about the image that goes along with it.

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