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Love it or hate it, Paul Haggis’ best picture Oscar winner Crash is a complex puzzle that’s slowly pieced together for a hard-hitting, big picture finale. In his latest writer-directorial effort, Third Person, Haggis left a few puzzle pieces in the box. “I think we are asked to underline things and put it in boldface and explain every moment in a film,” said Haggis, “I think we really need to trust the audience and that they don’t need all of the answers.”

Last week I talked to Haggis about Third Person, a complex drama centering on three seemingly separate couples falling in and out of love, with a trio of the film’s leading women by his side: Mila Kunis (Black Swan, Ted) , Maria Bello (Prisoners, A History of Violence, Coyote Ugly), and Moran Atias (star of the upcoming FX drama Tyrant).

Haggis (writer of Million Dollar Baby and Casino Royale) and the trio of actresses talk about playing sympathetic, building relationships, leaving a character behind, and living with gypsies.

Paul, writing the script, was it important to make these characters sympathetic or likable to balance out the emotional turmoil?

Paul Haggis: I guess it was important to me that they were human. Then I just cast it really well. All of these actors took very challenging roles of people who were not sympathetic on the page. None of them tried to be liked. I think that’s the bravery of these actors in this film that really makes it.

Mila Kunis: I totally agree. I think sometimes being unlikable makes you likable. It makes you human. I don’t think that anybody every goes in thinking, “I can’t play this character because they aren’t likable.” I think my character is incredibly sympathetic and likable for her faults. I think all of the characters are. But I don’t recall going into any project going, “Oh, I’m a little tentative playing this character, because she isn’t as likable as I want her to be.”

Paul, you mentioned that you “cast the film really well.” It is an impressive ensemble. How was it directing such a large group of respected actors?

PH: The wonderful thing about working with really skilled actors is that you turn the camera on and you watch. You want really brave actors and actresses and that’s what I have here. If we aren’t brave, we aren’t artists and these are artists. The scenes you’d think would be most difficult are the easiest, because they are in the moment and they go.

Can you all talk about how it was working with Paul to prepare your character for this film, because you all have some mystery behind each of you in the movie?

PH: Every actor finds their character in their own way. Some are very intuitive. We didn’t have rehearsal processes. You nudge it here and nudge it there. They found their characters in their own ways. Moran lived with gypsies for three months on the street.

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