April 26, 2010 03:15PM EDT

Tribeca Talks: Memento

Sunshine couldn't keep fans of Christopher Nolan's memorable thriller Memento away on a crisp spring Saturday. The Arthur P. Sloan Foundation sponsored the screening and talk. A packed audience filled the Chelsea Clearview Theater, expecting to watch the same riveting, mysterious and backwards, albeit chronologically, story of a man disoriented by short-term memory loss they first saw 10 years ago. Instead, they were privy to new scenes. During the post-screening panel discussion, the film's screenwriter Jonathan Nolan revealed, "Just to mess with people, my brother [Christopher Nolan] swapped out to different shots, so the movie itself isn't the same as the DVD."

In addition to the affable Nolan, whose own short story inspired the now cult-classic, the panel included the film's stars Guy Pearce and Joe Pantoliano, as well as professor of psychology Dr. William Hirst, and professor of behavioral neuroscience Dr. Suzanne Corkin. Moderator Robert Krulwich, the NPR news host, deftly led a discussion that examined the science of memory, short and long term, and Memento's deft depiction of amnesia.

Having premiere psychology researchers who knew the film and were truly experts on memory and amnesia provided invaluable insight into the inner workings of Leonard. Dr. Corkin, who teaches at MIT, described the distinctions between conscious and unconscious memories, as well as short and long term, and that memory is a creative, ever changing process.

When an audience member asked if Memento truly does a sound a job in revealing the memory retrieval process, the doctors explained that they point to the film when teaching. It was doctor approved, with Dr. Corkin saying that, "Memento does an excellent job of showing how memory works." Quick to agree, Dr. Hirst, who teaches at the New School, described Pearce's character Leonard as if he was a human. "My reading was that he [Leonard] wanted the world to forget her [his wife] because he couldn't," and then Hirst added, "Leonard is at the mercy of his narrative." A mischievous Nolan's wry response was, "That's one valid interpretation of the film."

Interwoven into an in-depth discussion about memory, the actors and auteur shared their recollections of what it was like to work on the film. Pantoliano and Pearce both said they enjoyed re-watching the film and had forgotten elements. Pantoliano, who has appeared in countless films and television shows, joked, "I can remember the make-up truck, but I can't recall doing some of those scenes." He certainly remembered his affection for the film, and said, "It is such a thrill to be part of a film that people still care about and are arguing about ten years later—it’s so cool."

It certainly has a fervent following. Michael Avis, who works in finance, said that he came to the screening because he loves Memento and actors in it. Another attendee, Adrian Martinez, a New York-based film actor, asked if Pearce was able to leave behind such an intense character as Leonard. Pearce confessed that he could let go, although it wasn't easy.

The audience weren't the only ones happy to be reunited with the film and the actors—the panel members remarked on their happiness at seeing one another again. Pantoliano praised Pearce on his dexterity as an actor and Nolan's writing, citing how much he has enjoyed watching their careers take off since the making of Memento. Pearce was also quick to emphasize the high quality of the writing of the film, saying, "There might have been affectations I added to the portrayal, but the script was so well written, so compelling."

Tying together a multifaceted, thought-provoking discussion that covered the science of memory and acting, Krulwich asked the panelists what they thought the characters were up to now. The ever clever Pantoliano said he thought, "Teddy is in heaven and looking for his hair piece."

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Find out where and when you can catch more Tribeca Talks panels in the next week.