Despite Memento‘s incredible build-up, the paced plot, and a topsy-turvy narrative filled with hushed subtext in the background, and some meaning hidden underneath all the layers of storytelling and plot development, Christopher Nolan manages to invent an entirely new form of cinema – a new genre that falls neither into the avant-garde category nor into the postmodern disillusionment so many of us suffer right now as millennials and the Gen-Z crowd.
Despite it all, Christopher Nolan’s storytelling exceeds boundaries and defies typecasting since it’s neither action, drama, nor psychological horror (or perhaps all 3 combined in one). The 1999 film then becomes just as luscious in the story it presents on the screen as the off-screen facts that tell us what went into the making of the first-of-its-kind film.
Also read: Christopher Nolan’s All-Time Classic That Earned $40 Million Was Shot in Just 25 Days
Christopher Nolan Was Against Casting The Matrix Actor
The film that became just as influential as Christopher Nolan‘s 1999 feature and perhaps not as small-budgeted or limited in its popularity and marketing was the Wachowski sisters’ The Matrix. The historical film became a significant evolutionary marker in the cinematic field for its concept, the combination of Hong Kong martial arts, kung fu action, and wirework (also known as Wire fu), and its special effects insomuch that The Matrix became an entirely new socio-cultural phenomenon of our times. Its stars: Keanu Reeves, Carrie-Anne Moss, and Lawrence Fishburne even more so.
Given the popularity of a film of such grandeur and extravagance as The Matrix which was a decided cult hit and an immediate classic would only work to overshadow any other project that followed or preceded in its wake. Nolan, however, was a different class altogether. Memento stood out by its own merit, introducing its very own style of storytelling, no less extraordinary than its 1999 contemporary. However, the year of the premiere was not the only thing that plagued the film’s production and haunted its director.
It was revealed later that Christopher Nolan was bothered more by the involvement of Carrie-Anne Moss’ co-star from The Matrix than the execution of his already overtly complex film’s chronology.
Christopher Nolan’s Doubts Regarding Joe Pantoliano
In any given situation, when presented with the face of any typical A-lister like Brad Pitt, Will Smith, Tom Cruise, or The Rock, a fan perks up at the thought of yet another heroic action blockbuster in the wings. On the contrary, Willem Dafoe, Gary Oldman, Hugo Weaving, and Jack Nicholson strike up memories of evil, villainous roles without having to specifically mention any certain movies at all.
Christopher Nolan’s predicament rested somewhat along those lines as the director found his leading lady, Carrie-Anne Moss, suggesting the name of Joe Pantoliano, an actor more commonly recognized for his heinous and often diabolical roles as a perfect casting for the part of Teddy. However, given how Nolan’s entire film is scripted backward, presenting the puzzle, moving onto the clues to piece the puzzle pieces together, and finally arriving at the solution, it was imperative for the director to not give away any hints about his chessboard pieces in the first and second act of the film.
Here is where the casting of an actor becomes an essential problem. While choosing Guy Pearce as his lead was an easy task, choosing Joe Pantoliano as his friend/partner/guide to the real world could posit a problem by making the audience immediately inclined to distrust him and his every intention and in doing so, give away the big reveal. However, a conversation with the actor and a trial run in Teddy’s shoes was all it took to convince Christopher Nolan that Pantoliano was the perfect fit indeed.
Much later, the director himself claimed that Joe Pantoliano brought the right amount of subtlety to his role insomuch that it made it difficult for the audience to not sympathize with him in the end. The anti-heroic role that he teases throughout the plot makes him a reluctant villain in the audience’s mind rather than a clear enemy of our ailing, troubled, tragic hero. And Joe Pantoliano’s performance in making that possible through his acting alone stands as proof of his talent.
Source: IMDb
