A Christopher Nolan collaborator has revealed they disliked their performance in the director’s film, stating they “screwed up” a pivotal scene
One week after Guy Pearce said he “hated” his acting in Memento, Marion Cotillard has shared a candid view of her work in 2012 Batman sequel The Dark Knight Rises.
Cotillard reunited with the Inception filmmaker for the film, playing Miranda Tate – the CEO of Wayne Enterprises and a support for the now-reclusive Bruce Wayne (Christian Bale).
However, by the end of the blockbuster, Tate is revealed to be the villainous Talia al Ghul, an accomplice of Bane (Tom Hardy) – and the daughter of Ra’s al Ghul, who was played by Liam Neeson in Batman Begins.
After trying to kill Batman and destroy Gotham, Talia dies after crashing her truck – but not before declaring that “her father’s work is done”.
Cotillard delivers her character’s dying monologue from the truck that’s just crashed, and fans of the film have long highlighted that the scene’s impact is somewhat drained due to the odd manner in which she is positioned
The Oscar-winning star herself agrees with this, and reflected on the scene while speaking to French media (as highlighted on Reddit).
She said: “I couldn't find the right position. I was stressed. Sometimes it happens – we screw something up. And this, I screwed up”
This isn’t the first time Cotillard has shared her true thoughts about the scene. In 2023, she told French publication Allociné: “Sometimes there are failures, and when you see this on screen, you’re thinking: ‘Why? Why did they keep that take?’ But either you blame everyone or nobody.
“But I thought people overreacted, because it was tough to be identified just with this scene. When I’m doing the best I can to find the authenticity in every character that I’m playing, it’s tough to be known just for this scene”.
The La Vie en Rose star said “it’s important to know how to laugh about this, and also, there are worse things in life”.
Cotillard’s latest comments on the subject arrive one week after Pearce expressed disappointment with his performance in Nolan’s second feature, Memento.
He told The Times: “I’m having an existential crisis. I watched Memento the other day and I’m still depressed. I’m s*** in that movie.
“I’d never thought that before, but I did this Q&A of Memento earlier this month and decided to actually watch the film again.”
Pearce continued: “But while it was playing I realised I hate what I did. And so all this stuff about an exec at Warners being why I’ve not worked with Chris again? It came crashing down. I know why I didn’t work with Chris again – it’s because I’m no good in Memento.”
The Australian actor was referring to his rejection from starring in Batman Begins and The Prestige.
Speaking to Vanity Fair, Pearce said he was considered for roles in those films but ultimately turned down.
“He spoke to me about roles a few times over the years. The first Batman and The Prestige. But there was an executive at Warner Bros who quite openly said to my agent, ‘I don’t get Guy Pearce. I’m never going to get Guy Pearce. I’m never going to employ Guy Pearce.’
“So, in a way, that’s good to know. I mean, fair enough; there are some actors I don’t get. But it meant I could never work with Chris.”
Asked to clarify whether the Warner Bros. executive had a “no Guy Pearce” policy, Pearce added: “I think he just didn’t believe in me as an actor.”
