What’s useful isn’t necessarily the houses so much as the set dressing, because that’s where Stephen gets involved and then you can see another layer of his concept of the character the way he’s dressed her bedroom, the family areas, the colours he’s chosen. It’s less to do with the houses themselves than it is to do with his imprint.
-Did you enjoy wearing the clothes from that era?
Oh yeah. It’s a beautiful era. And I really love costume it’s my absolute favourite, dressing-up box moment. Annie was brilliant: she made these very strong colour choices for my character. The yellow dress and the red dress, really using primary colours, which you don’t see very often.
I think people tend to be afraid of them. When she came out saying, 'This is the yellow dress I want you to wear', I was stood there going, 'Very brave choice'. But they were brilliant choices and she’s a very clever woman.
- Did Stephen push you in terms of performance?
In my experience, most people who write their screenplays have a lot of notes; they control the entire process in every single detail. Stephen was very like François Ozon, who I made Angel with, in terms of costume, set design, cinematography, your intonation on the third word, whether the candlestick in the background was in the right position... They really control every single element of the process because they’ve also written it.
- Did you know much about that period in history, particularly how many British sympathisers there were for the Nazi cause?
What was interesting for me was my family, like Stephen’s family, were Jewish emigres. His family were Russian Jewish, my family were Hungarian Jewish. For that generation, Britain was the great single white knight of Europe; the lone voice in the wilderness and that was definitely the mythology that I have been brought up with.
So no, I didn’t know much about the number of people that didn’t think the war was worth fighting. In a way, that’s worse because it wasn’t even motivated by political idealism; it was just selfishness and a feeling that it was nothing to do with them. I did find that very shocking. It’s not convenient; it doesn’t fit with our national identity.
- How was it working with the actors playing your father, brother and sister; Bill Nighy, Eddie Redmayne and Juno Temple?
Juno is one of the best actresses I’ve ever worked with. She’s truly gifted and she’s one of those people that doesn’t feel the need to talk about it. It just comes completely naturally to her. Her performance is so brilliant in the film; she’s truly creepy at the end. I absolutely loved working with her.
Eddie I knew a bit already, mainly from watching him on the stage; I think he’s the best actor of his generation, I really do. He’s so gifted. I’d seen Savage Grace, which was a film he’d made with Julianne Moore, so it was scary for me working with him because that was a very high bar to meet. He’s the real thing. And it’s superfluous to talk about how intimidating it is working with Bill.
- Even though he’d already played your father in I Capture The Castle?
Yes! Bill has this wall of modesty that means he’s incapable of talking about acting and his process. He just thinks it’s boring. So he doesn’t walk around with an aura of brilliance but when I was much younger, I don’t think I really understood what it was.
I didn’t know the work that people did already and I’d never really seen myself on screen before, so I didn’t have any feeling of what was being created in I Capture The Castle, whereas now I do.
I know and it matters more and I tend to want to talk about things. I try and control it, so it’s always amazing for me watching people who don’t feel like they need to.
- Do you tend to feel relaxed or tense on set?
Well, I really like my job. I think that helps. I know actresses who fundamentally hate what they do and every day is a struggle for them.
- Really? Don’t actors usually think they have the best job in the world?
No way. I think if they could conceivably think of something else to do, then most would probably do something else. I really like my job. I tend to read between takes. I always bring books with me. I keep myself busy. I make sure I don’t just sit around and contemplate my own navel, because that’s really bad for your mental state.
- Has starring in a successful film like Atonement raised your profile in the industry?
Maybe. I don’t know. I’m always amazed by people who are very strategic about their careers because I just do not have a strategy. I just get the jobs I get, and that’s as much as I think about. You have a certain amount of control in terms of, 'I don’t even want to audition for this because I don’t like it.' I try to be selective at that stage but that’s no control really.
- What kind of roles would you refuse to audition for?
I don’t want to be walking around in a bikini in the back of somebody’s shot.
- Do you get asked to do that sometimes? Bikini roles?
No. I’m saying I wouldn’t do it but nobody’s asked me yet [laughs].
Glorious 39 is out on DVD now.