In addition to modern classics such Blade Runner and Gladiator, Ridley Scott is also the man behind the famous Hovis Boy and Bicycle advert, demonstrating the breadth of his creative vision. Viewlondon reviewer Matthew Turner caught up with the celebrated director to talk about the release of Matchstick Men, starring Nicolas Cage.

Do you have a similar set of compulsions as Nic Cage in Matchstick Men?
Absolutely true, I'm anal-compulsive. I didn't go through the same education my two sons went through - the best possible schools, but they came out as the two biggest slobs I've ever come across! I used to watch in horror, I'm not like that, I'm an army brat. There's almost a degree of laziness in being that anal-compulsive, because at some point you don't actually have to tidy up!

The eclectic soundtrack from Bobby Darin to George Formby - was that all down to your choice?
Oh yes, music evolves in all kinds of weird and wonderful ways and I've discovered after working with Hans Zimmer seven times he's the best guy for me. He's sufficiently talented in order to be able to encompass anything, so when I read the script I thought Jacques Tati, of Traffic and Mon Oncle.

Jacques Tati's body language and awkwardness I was reading as Roy (Nic Cage). And I couldn't think of any French music that would underscore peculiar suburbia, and George Formby is from my dad's generation.

Did any of the Americans know who George Formby was?
No, when we showed the producers and studio together at the end of the screening somebody said what the hell is that music? To Americans it must be like us hearing Tiny Tim! And I kept asking Hans what he thought of George Formby and he said I lurve him! So we just kept it in.

Did any of the physical ticks stay with Nic Cage after filming?
He'd go mad! I'd say what the hell's that? But you’ve got to let it sit because at the end of the film you either have it on rushes or you don't! The studio sits and watches rushes every day, you have to be locked and loaded by the time you say it's a wrap on a movie. You better have everything in the can, so then you can play with it... So I let Nic run with it!

Alison underscores her actual natural ability. From a director's point of view she’s one of those rare occurrences of an intuition which you can't really verbalise. It's just intuitive and visceral and can adjust during a take - she'll suddenly do something different that I hadn't seen and it works. She's got extremely good taste, which is rare.

Had you seen Alison (Lohman, 24) in something prompting your casting of her in Matchstick Men?
No I hadn't seen her before, I'd not seen White Oleander because I think it was just about coming out. When she walked in, I thought I was seeing this 14 year-old. I think we talked for about an hour and a quarter. It was about 6.45pm and getting a bit dark and I asked who was coming to pick her up, as you tend to ask fourteen year-olds. And she said I'm driving my Explorer home and by the way can I have a drink before I go and a cigarette?

Matchstick Men isn't a typical Ridley film, would you agree?
No, you learn to not worry about being stereotyped because that's part of the business. It’s also part of the evolution as an actor, producer or director. I try and evolve, therefore I'm quite consciously looking for different material.

Does this film sit in the LA Valley specifically?
The Valley? Oh yeah! I was talking about this earlier today. I was thinking that 25 years ago you'd say an Englishman in America directing a film which is essentially very American? I don't know about that! Then John Schlezinger comes and does Midnight Cowboy. I've always found the Valley to be extremely visual. People say it's depressing, but I say it’s very specific.

Is it more difficult as a director with a tight ensemble cast than with Gladiator?
No, actually it's refreshing. Easier is not the word though, if you're invested in the material, which I always am. Somebody said that it was interesting that I’m doing such a small movie, and I'm saying What's the definition of a small movie?. I've seen more movies this year with budgets in excess of $160 million which are rubbish, right?

Where you've got massive amounts of money spent on SFX the means become the end in itself - I've probably got that the wrong way round. As opposed to having a great three act play which will inevitably mean some great characters, which therefore metaphorically is bigger than the large movies. So it's all about the fundamental characters of the story.

Is Nic Cage so inventive sometimes that you have reign him in?
Not really, that's part of the job and it's also the expectation of the actor - that's what I'm doing there - that's why I'm there. They very often come up and ask if a take was ok or if it was too far, and what I do as a director is encourage that free-for-all with anyone I'm a working with. With Alison I would always ask if she was happy and she would say Yeah or Can I have one for me? And I would oblige.

It's taken me a while to understand how vulnerable acting can be... it's very much a vulnerable occupation and it's my job, I realise, to create an atmosphere, or a platform of safety, so cast don't feel awkward. On a set you've got maybe fifty people standing there when you say Action. That's a pretty vulnerable situation.