In Europe, you're a huge sex symbol. Here, many people are similarly fixated on Britney Spears. Any thoughts on what that says about our respective cultures?
She's a very pretty young girl. She's very talented. She's very young. [laughs] Here so many people talk about her -- sometimes in a strange way, which I don't understand. But I think when you're very beautiful and you're rich, people talk about you.
In its own fashion, ''Brotherhood of the Wolf'' is definitely an action movie, which is unusual for French cinema...
''Brotherhood'' is big-budget for a French film, but by American standards it's a small-budget film -- nothing compared to ''The Matrix,'' which is a HUGE budget. What's different [with a large budget] is that maybe you have a bigger trailer or maybe the food can be better -- but when you are in front of the camera, nothing changes. Whether it's an Italian movie or a French movie or an American movie, acting is acting... Even though ''Brotherhood'' resembles some American or Asian films, and it's like a comic strip in some ways, the story is very European because the line between good and evil is blurred. For example, the hero consorts with prostitutes, and the entire film deals with a deep sensuality. In America you don't find that sensuality in a film for general audiences.
In Europe you're tremendously famous, but less so in America right now. How is it different walking in the streets here?
Here, I feel free, and I like that very much. In Paris and Italy it's much harder, but actually I live a very normal life in Paris. I'm not very much of a party girl -- I get bored with that.
When the ''Matrix'' movies come out, won't that change your profile here?
It depends on how you live, actually, because I don't think I'm going to live in America. I think I'm going to stay in Europe and keep doing my European things. I don't think I can come here and make competition with American actors. I'm ready to come here and make American movies if the part is right for me. My next movie will be with Bruce Willis. It's about the civil war in Africa -- ''Men of War'' is the working title. Bruce Willis will play an American soldier, and I'll play a member of Doctors Without Borders.
Do you have a favorite Bruce Willis movie?
Hmm... ''Unbreakable.'' Once again, it's like a comic strip. I like that.
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