"The horizon is always within sight. You long to reach it, but you never can."
In front of a luxurious hotel near California Disneyland, Matthew stood surrounded by journalists, offering an enigmatic statent. "She is so... unattainable, yet impossible to resist."
He flashed a charming smile. "So, I aspire to be like Will Turner and Jack Sparrow, and set sail toward that horizon."
Of course, such poetic language wasn't sothing a man like Matthew could co up with on his own; it had been prepared by his team.
Nearby, Depp’s deep voice carried over the din.
"What boy didn't dream as a child? In his dreams, he was an all-powerful pirate captain with a scimitar at his hip, leading a sailing ship with a skull-and-bones flag, racing recklessly across the sea in search of adventure and excitent. He might have been blind in one eye from years of fighting, if only so he wouldn't have to struggle to close the other when using his spyglass."
Depp's charisma, combined with those words, captivated the reporters, who continued to snap photos.
Across from Matthew, a tall male reporter asked loudly, "Matthew Horner, do you think 'Pirates of the Caribbean' will be a success?"
"Of course, it's a foregone conclusion!" Matthew declared, then added, "Don't you find the film fascinating, full of incredible imagination and creativity? The intoxicating landscapes of the Caribbean, the endless charm of St. Vincent's harbor, the swagger of the Black Pearl cutting through the waves, the lodies of the ocean."
He stated with conviction, "This film has all the ingredients of a comrcial success."
The first part of his answer had been prepared by the crew, but the last was Matthew’s own addition; he believed the chances of the film failing were slim, and therefore, there was little risk of his remark becoming a joke.
Compared to Matthew and Depp, Keira was surrounded by far fewer journalists. Everyone who had co to cover the premiere had just seen the film in Disneyland's theater.
They were all keenly aware that while the posters and advertisents featured one woman and two n as the three leads, the film was, in reality, driven by its two male protagonists.
Once the interview ti was up, a Disney employee imdiately stepped in, separated the reporters, and escorted Matthew, Depp, and Keira into the hotel's banquet hall.
Unlike the press conferences that typically followed premieres, Disney Pictures had decided to forgo the usual Hollywood procedure. Instead, they gathered the cast and crew to host a reception to thank the guests, journalists, and critics who had attended.
Upon entering the ballroom, Matthew stayed by Keira's side, who, for the most part, was adhering to their agreent.
"To the success of the film!"
Led by Jerry Bruckheir, Matthew raised his glass along with the rest of the cast and crew and drained the celebratory drink.
Matthew took the empty glass from Keira's hand, passed it along with his own to a waiter, and, noticing that she seed to be in low spirits, asked, "What's wrong? Are you hungry?"
It was already ten o'clock at night, and neither of them had eaten since noon.
Keira shook her head. "I'm fine."
Was she unhappy with her role in the film? Depressed that her part hadn't made an impression?
Knowing Keira as he did, Matthew mulled it over and ca to a likely conclusion, but he wasn't sure what to say. Just then, Helen approached.
"Miss," Helen asked politely, "may I borrow your boyfriend for a mont?"
Keira, of course, didn't refuse. "You can have him forever for all I care."
"Is sothing wrong?" Matthew asked as he walked away with Helen.
Helen nodded. "I want to introduce you to a few people."
Matthew followed Helen and soon found himself standing before two n—one short and stout with glasses, the other tall and thin.
Helen introduced the short, stout man first. "Matthew, this is Mr. Roger Ebert, the critic."
Then she introduced the tall, thin man. "And this is Mr. Ebert's partner, Mr. Richard Roeper."
Shaking their hands and exchanging greetings, Matthew said with admiration, "You're the two top critics in North Arica. It's an honor to et you."
He didn't know Richard, but Roger's na was legendary.
The two n responded politely, and then, perhaps in keeping with his role as a critic or because he considered himself an expert, Roger directly comnted on Matthew's performance in the film.
"Will Turner is a highlight of the film, second only to Jack Sparrow. That's undeniable."
He looked at Matthew and continued, "You handled your scenes brilliantly, especially the action sequences, and you brought depth and life to the character. It seems now that Disney and Jerry Bruckheir made a wise decision in choosing you for the role of Will Turner."
"Really?" Matthew's face showed a deliberate yet subtle delight, as if Roger's praise was a montous occasion. Even his voice trembled with excitent. "Mr. Ebert, do you really think so?"
Roger smiled faintly, skillfully hiding a hint of self-satisfaction. "Of course! Your character has a certain charm."
Matthew laughed, a smile that seed to co from the heart.
But before the smile could fully bloom on his face, Roger added, "But there is one thing you should be aware of. Your shortcomings in the film are also apparent."
Matthew imdiately wiped the smile from his face and asked earnestly, "You are the standard-bearer for film criticism. Could you perhaps offer so advice on how I might correct them?"
Seeing Matthew's humble and courteous deanor, Roger cleared his throat and said, "Compared to most young actors, your portrayal of Will Turner is truly remarkable, but much of that brilliance cos from the fight scenes, not from your own acting."
Hearing this, Matthew was tempted to ask: aren't fight scenes a form of acting?
But considering Roger's stellar reputation, it wasn't wise to offend him to his face. He was just starting his career and needed to cultivate good relationships with critics like him to get them to say as many positive things as possible.
Roger continued, "You need to continue honing your acting skills."
This statent actually reflected Matthew's biggest problem right now. He himself was aware that, compared to Depp's Captain Jack Sparrow, his Will Turner would have been completely overshadowed if not for the bonus of the action scenes.
But acting, being sothing intangible and without a clear tric, wasn't easy to improve. Matthew's self-practice never stopped, but the improvents weren't very noticeable.
Roger was the top critic in the country and likely knew a great deal.
With this in mind, Matthew couldn't help but ask, "Mr. Ebert, I've been trying to improve my acting skills, but I can't seem to find a good way to do it."
Perhaps Matthew's sincere attitude and words had given Roger the impression of a good actor trying to break through, because he said quite seriously, "Go to the independent film scene. Take on small productions and insightful roles to hone your craft, and for now, turn down the flashy comrcial films."
After hearing the first sentence, Matthew ntally tuned out everything Roger said after that. It wasn't that Roger's approach was unreliable, but it completely contradicted the path he and Helen had mapped out.
If he had wanted to hone his skills in independent cinema, he would have done so long ago and wouldn't have waited until now.
However, Matthew didn't let his thoughts show. His face still held an expression of rapt attention; he didn't need to get into a pointless argunt with Roger over such a trivial matter.
It was more beneficial for him to leave a good impression on the critic.
Matthew waited for Roger to finish, his tone unchanged as he said, "Thank you! I think I know what to do now."
Roger seed to appreciate Matthew's attitude. "There are very few sensible young n like you these days."
"You're too kind," Matthew replied politely.
After exchanging a few more words about the film, Matthew and Helen said their goodbyes and departed.
"Are you really going to try the independent film scene?" Helen asked.
Matthew shrugged. "What do you think?"
Helen dropped the subject. How could soone as hungry for fa and fortune as Matthew Horner possibly escape to the gray and dreary world of independent cinema when there were globally popular comrcial films to be made?
They headed back toward Keira, and Helen changed the subject as they walked. "The female lead, Elizabeth Swann, doesn't have a strong presence in the film. Is she upset?"
"I don't know," Matthew said with a slight shake of his head. "Probably a little."
He imagined he'd be just as dejected to discover that his character, after so much anticipation, was little more than a beautifully fild ornant.
Helen said, "The film is unbalanced, completely dominated by you and Depp. Keira's role is too insignificant. I think the plan we made earlier needs to be adjusted based on the audience's reaction to her character. If Keira is poorly received, she'll beco a liability, and we'd be better off cutting her loose."
Matthew thought for a mont, then said, "Let's wait and see how the film does in theaters."
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