Marion Cotillard had to memorize 20 pages of Polish dialogue and she had only two months to learn it.
James Gray considers this the best film of his career, and Marion Cotillard the best actor he's ever worked with.
This film marks the first time that James Gray wrote a leading role for a woman. He wrote the character Ewa Cybulska especially for Marion Cotillard. He also wrote the role of Bruno especially for Joaquin Phoenix.
In a May 2014 Salon interview, James Gray said that Joaquin Phoenix's role made him miserable on set. Often after Phoenix and Marion Cotillard shot a scene, he would walk up to and say "I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry. This is not me, it's not me." He felt so horrible after one scene that he hid in his dressing room for hours.