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Guy Pearce on his work in one of Nolan’s most iconic films: ‘I’m shit in that movie’
Although Memento was one of the most important and influential films of the turn of the century, its protagonist believes that his performance was terrible
In Hollywood, there are plenty of stories about actors and actresses who consider some of the most iconic roles of their careers to be “embarrassing.” This is the case with Guy Pearce, who recently spoke negatively about his performance in Memento (2000), the film that established him as a prestigious international actor and also put its director and writer, Christopher Nolan, on the map. Pearce recently rewatched the movie but was not at all convinced by his own acting, even going so far as to call it depressing and saying he is “shit in that movie.” Is this an honest critique, or is he being too hard on himself?
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Guy Pearce hates his own performance in Memento, directed by Christopher Nolan
In an interview with The Times, Guy Pearce reflected on his film career, including his recent role in The Brutalist (2024). However, the most intriguing part of the conversation was his opinion on his work in Memento, the 2000 film that propelled Christopher Nolan to worldwide fame. Despite the critical acclaim and box office success it received, the actor is now unimpressed with his own performance at the time.
“I’m having an existential crisis. I watched Memento the other day, and I’m still depressed. I’m s--- in that movie. I never thought that before, but I did a roundtable about Memento earlier this month, and I decided to watch it again. As the minutes went by, I realized that I hate what I did. And I think that’s the reason I didn’t work with Chris again: I’m not good in Memento," Pearce revealed.
“My performance tried to be flippant, but I didn’t do it well. John Gielgud once said, ‘You can be good in a good movie, good in a bad movie, bad in a bad movie, but never be bad in a good movie.’ And rewatching Memento again, I understood that I was bad in a good movie. F---!" he concluded.
The actor is convinced that his performance in this film was so bad that, afterward, several Warner Bros. executives opposed his candidacy as Christopher Nolan’s new Batman. Broadly speaking, Pearce believes he wasn’t fully immersed in the role. In any case, he may be being overly harsh on himself, as Memento was a box office success despite its moderate budget, and critics consider it one of the best films of the 2000s.
What was Memento about? Was it a good movie?
Memento was a 2000 film that blended mystery and thriller genres. It was directed and written by Christopher Nolan and was based on the short story Memento Mori by his brother, Jonathan Nolan. The movie starred Guy Pearce, Carrie-Anne Moss, and Joe Pantoliano.
The plot follows Leonard Shelby (Pearce), a man suffering from short-term amnesia who is seeking revenge for his wife’s murder. To avoid forgetting his mission, he relies on notes, Polaroid photos, and tattoos to piece together his life and the crime he is trying to solve. The film’s narrative is presented in a non-linear format, intertwining two timelines: one in black and white that progresses chronologically, and another in color that moves backward in time.
This feature film was very well received by both critics and audiences. With a modest estimated budget of between $5 million and $9 million, it went on to gross $40 million at the box office. Critically, it was a huge success; on aggregator sites like Rotten Tomatoes, it holds a 94% rating from both critics and audiences, on IMDb it has a score of 8.4/10. This critical reception made it one of the most important and influential films of the turn of the millennium, and it is considered a cult classic within Nolan’s extensive filmography.
Some of the film’s most praised aspects by specialized film critics include its engaging and innovative narrative structure, the unsettling atmosphere, the protagonist’s distress as he repeatedly has to “rebuild” his life to stay focused on his mission, and the performances of Guy Pearce, Carrie-Anne Moss, and Joe Pantoliano. Memento received Academy Award nominations for Best Editing and Best Original Screenplay, although it did not win in either category.
This film was also crucial for the careers of its lead actor and its director and writer. For Guy Pearce, it was a major turning point that allowed him to establish himself as a prestigious international actor. Although he was already known for films like L.A. Confidential (1997), it was Memento that truly launched his career.
On the other hand, while Nolan had already made his first steps in the film industry—having directed the independent film Following in 1998—it was also Memento that truly put him on the map, granting him international recognition. This paved the way for him to later direct major projects such as the Batman trilogy (2005-2012), Inception (2010), and Interstellar (2014).
Where to watch Memento online
At the time of publishing this article, Memento is available on Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV and Peacock.
*This article was written in Spanish and translated with the help of AI.
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