When we met, the bearded Pearce was casually clothed in a tan V-neck jumper and faded jeans that were patched and written on with some kind of silver marker. I love this festival because it's so casual. Since I've known him, it has always been about the work. His private life, he maintains, is a closed book. He has come to Sundance to discuss Memento , and he does so with an insistent and genuine passion.
Memento is a film that presents unique challenges for an actor.
This is no conventional film, but played in reverse. It was a complete case of inspiration, as far as I was concerned, which is the best way to work. You don't have to think, then. Pearce is Leonard, a man struggling to put his life back together after the brutal rape and murder of his wife. Somehow, through his mental haze, Leonard has begun to retain awareness that his wife was brutally murdered, and he's become convinced that the culprit still walks the streets.