Sandra Bullock has decided to be more picky when it comes to film roles.

The Oscar-winning actress has limited screen time in Stephen Daldry's Extremely Loud And Incredibly Close, but she says size isn't everything.

"I don't care how big the role is. I don't want any more experiences that aren't amazing," she said.

"As I've gotten older, I say 'No' a lot more. I've become a better fighter for my work. I didn't have the guts to do that before."

This explains why this is her first role since The Blind Side, having had a two-year break away from the cameras.

During that time, she divorced biker husband Jesse James following allegations of infidelity, and became a mother to adopted son Louis Bardo.

She insists that motherhood didn't cloud her judgment, saying: "I've played mothers often. A lot, actually.

"But this mother's very complex. She's in the process of grieving too, so she doesn't have much energy to fight for that connection she so desperately wants with him. She doesn't seem nurturing - or any of the things you would want a mother to be at the moment a child really needs her."

"That was hard, but also what I liked so much about it. It seemed more real. We've seen mums depicted in films - usually it's very squeaky and she takes care of everything, when in fact, life is messy and hard. That's what makes their relationship so powerful - it's not perfect," she added.

:: Extremely Loud And Incredibly Close opens in cinemas on Friday, February 17.