Jude Law first attracted attention for his acclaimed performance in Wilde alongside Stephen Fry. But he shot to prominence as fun-loving playboy Dickie Greenleaf in Anthony Minghella's The Talented Mr Ripley. He followed that up with high-profile roles in A.I. and The Aviator. But his latest, Breaking And Entering, finds him reuniting with Minghella once again as an architect who is forced to re-evaluate his life after becoming involved with a young burglar and his immigrant mother. Here he talks about some of the challenges involved...

What attracted you to this film?

Its themes are very interesting, pertinent and relevant to everyone's lives - certainly to people living in and around London.

Funnily enough, the mother of my kids was burgled yesterday evening when they were in the house (as reported on BBC News here).

With that in mind, do you still share your character Will's inclination to forgive such thieves?

Mmmm. I think one of the themes of this film that's most challenging, but also most heartening, is the idea of forgiveness. I would like to think that I'm big enough to forgive and be a part of a positive programme to help somebody who's obviously in a situation where they find they have to steal to provide for something - whether it's an addiction or just money.

However, I also know that I'm a bit of a reactionary. Each situation is different. I was particularly worried about Sadie's break in because the kids were in the house. I think that's a different type of burglar to one who breaks into an empty office at night and takes computers.

This is your third film with Anthony Minghella [after The Talented Mr Ripley and Cold Mountain]. How's your working relationship?

What's evolved is a friendship first and foremost ,and therefore a sense of trust and an understanding of each other.

Does the media interest in your life ever affect your work?

Luckily, just about the only thing it doesn't affect is my professional life. So very often work is a safe haven and a place where there's no effect. To be honest, if it did have an effect... I'd probably go and live on the Isle of Wight.

Breaking & Entering is very much a love letter to London. But is there anything that really pisses you off about living in the capital - and be honest!

There's not an awful lot that really pisses me off. My own criticism is a very personal criticism and not one that a lot of you, fortunately, have to share. It's the fact that strange men are allowed to lurk outside my house with large cameras and aren't moved along by the police, and somehow never get parking tickets. That really pisses me off. Otherwise, I love London.

Breaking and Entering is released in UK cinemas on Friday 10th November 2006.