The most heinous shift in American films is that they reinforce good things like 'couples' and 'relationships.'
They say you can do honest, sincere work for decades, but you're given in general a 10-year period when what you do touches the zeitgeist - when you're relevant. And I'm aware of that, and I don't want my time to go by.
I like voice-over in films, and most of my films have been voice-over films.
Life mixes tones all the time.
I think cynicism lasts. Sentimentality ages, dates quickly.
If you're trying to recreate life, the life that you best know is the one you grew up with.