“They help people want to see the movie. Basically it’s a business thing. Otherwise, it doesn’t matter because obviously it’s kind of a lottery, isn’t it? Kind of a popularity contest that to some degree can be forced by promotion, or to a great degree, and again, if people see the movie then they can judge.

“If they don’t have an impetus or aren’t encouraged to see the movie, or it isn’t made available to them, well, how are they going to vote for it? It’s a question of perception. I would like to have seen our movie recognised.

“I would certainly like David Cronenberg to be recognised. I don’t know if he’s ever been nominated for a directing [BAFTA award], I know he never has been for an Oscar or a Golden Globe which is startling to me still.

“But I don’t care about it in any sense other than - well to some degree it would be a vindication of his work and our work on the movie - but it helps put people on seats, it helps people see the movie in theatres.

“If you can put in your newspaper ad ‘Nominated: Best Director’ Bafta, Oscar, Whatever, or Actor or Best Movie, obviously when you’re deciding what movie you’re going to see Friday or Saturday night, that does influence people.”

A Dangerous Method opens on 10 February 2012.

Read Total Film’s A Dangerous Method review.