NAOMI WATTS struggled to work under "difficult" director MICHAEL HANEKE because he forced her to go against her acting instincts.

The Australian actress teamed up with Haneke on new movie Funny Games U.S. and she soon discovered his reputation as a controlling taskmaster was wholly justified.

She says, "He's very connected to everything, Michael. He's very specific about every detail: when to pick up the glass, when to move it, when to say the line. It's a very difficult way for an actor to work.

"It feels like it goes against my instincts in a way, because you want to intuit your performance, discover it as you go. But I trust Michael. He's one of the directors everyone will remember.

"I wanted to learn from him, I wanted this new experience, as different and as awkward as it was."