Christopher Nolan was convinced that he was taking a risk with this film: he believed that his scenario would displease the entire public, but his main actor made it cult

Culture news Christopher Nolan was convinced that he was taking a risk with this film: he believed that his scenario would displease the entire public, but his main actor made it cult

A scenario that is too ambitious?

Important, profitable and applauded by his peers, Christopher Nolan is without context one of the most illustrious directors of our time. Through the years, it is a hell of a filmography which he developed, with no less than twelve feature films. And despite more recent successes such as The Dark Knight, Oppenheimer or even Dunkirkmany moviegoers keep his first hit in their hearts: Memento. Proof of this is the score of 94% what did the film get on Rotten Tomatoesranking it first in the Nolan collection.

However, everything was not won in advance for the title released in the year 2000. Indeed, for his first production with a budget, Nolan had written a particular script. We follow the journey of Leonard Shelby, a man who investigates the murder of his wife, a most banal story on paper. However, the British-American director adds a twist: our protagonist suffers from memory problems. This gives rise to a non-linear frame which is fragmented throughout the footage. A daring bias, which might not have pleased everyone, as Nolan himself mentions for The Guardian :

On paper, Memento was a very cold script. I ran the risk that this puzzle would only appeal to a hardcore audience fascinated by this type of tale.

An unforgettable performance

Memento was therefore an ambitious concept, which could have been shunned by the general public, because it was too messy and not too catchy. Fortunately, Guy Pearce’s performance, who lends his features to the protagonist, made it possible to transform the essay into a success. At the same time, the emotion with which he imbued the feature film attached us to Leonard’s destiny, making the story captivating, despite the non-linear narration. Here is what Nolan said on this subject, again for The Guardian:

Guy Pearce brought a lot of emotion to the character, so that people less interested in the plot could relate to his fate. (…) Guy’s performance in Memento is often not appreciated for its true value. He didn’t get the recognition that I got for my script, for his performance. Which is unfortunate, because he brought so much to it.

For those who wish to give it a try, the film is available on Canal + until July 8.

Subscribe to Canal+