Jane Campion's In The Cut opened to much critical acclaim, both for the excellence of the film itself and for Meg Ryan's standout performance. We caught up with the director, Meg Ryan and male lead Mark Ruffalo to find out what makes them tick.

Jane, how did the novel come to your attention and what attracted you to the material?
Jane Campion (JC): I first read the novel in 1996 because somebody told me it was an amazing book. I read it in one sitting: I was really taken by the story and I loved the prose style. The protagonist also felt really fresh: this teacher of creative writing felt like someone I knew well, and it was very interesting to have her enter this world of detectives who were very authentically drawn.

Meg, did you feel as though you had the courage to go to the edge and beyond, as quoted by Jane?
Meg Ryan (MR) :I felt like I was in such sure hands with Jane; I really didn't feel it required an extreme amount of bravery on my part to trust her. I loved the script, I loved her sensibility. I do think the character is extremely brave. She's a very unlikely person to risk her heart for a guy, and I thought that was something you need a lot of bravery to do.