Chapter 238: A Wise Decision

"Because the horizon is always there, you want to reach it, but you never can."

In front of a luxurious hotel near Disneyland California, Matthew stood among some journalists, uttering nonsensical words, "Just like that, unattainable yet hard to give up."

He flashed a charming smile, "So, I look forward to setting off towards that horizon like Will Turner and Jack Sparrow!"

Such a literary flair in his words, of course, wasn't something Matthew, with his cultural cultivation, could come up with but was carefully prepared by the film crew.

Matthew was learning and selling on the spot.

Elsewhere, Johnny Depp's voice, with its ups and downs, came through.

"We're the evildoers, the big bad guys. Come, let's drink merrily and enjoy the life of a pirate to the fullest! The big bad guys, oh!"

Facing the numerous media journalists, such craziness and dissonance, apart from Johnny Depp, no one else in the film crew could pull it off, "Which boy hasn't had a dream in his childhood? In this dream, he is an all-powerful pirate captain, with a cutlass at his waist, commanding a sailboat flying the skull and crossbones flag, freely seeking adventure and thrill on the sea. At that time, maybe because of many years of battling, he might have lost an eye, conveniently not having to close the other eye when using a monocular."

Johnny Depp's temperament, along with these words, attracted non-stop photography from the journalists.

Opposite Matthew, a tall male journalist loudly asked, "Matthew Horner, do you think 'Pirates of the Caribbean' will be successful?"

"Of course, it will be successful!" Matthew first said this, thought for a moment, and then added, "Don't you think the film is whimsically imaginative, filled with incredible creativity and invention? The intoxicating scenery of the Caribbean Sea, the endless charm of Port St. Vincent, the boldness of the Black Pearl cutting through the waves, the vastness of the sea-like melody..."

He asserted confidently, "I believe this film has all the elements of a commercial success, it's impossible not to be a hit."

The previous response was prepared by the film crew, the last sentence was Matthew's own addition, he reckoned the possibility of the film flopping was small, so naturally, the chance of his words becoming a laughing stock was also minimal.

If he didn't show confidence, that would be the real joke.

Compared to Matthew and Johnny Depp, Keira Knightley had far fewer journalists around her, those who came over for interviews were all from the theater inside Disneyland and had seen the film.

They were all well aware that although the film's posters and promotions featured one female and two male leads, in reality, it was a two-male-one-female support structure.

When the interview time was up, Disney staff immediately came over, separated the journalists, and led Matthew, Johnny Depp, and Keira Knightley into the hotel's banquet hall.

Unlike the usual post-premiere press conference, Disney did not follow Hollywood's customary procedure. Instead, after the premiere, they gathered the film crew to host a thank-you reception for the guests, journalists, and critics who attended the premiere.

Entering the banquet hall, Matthew stayed with Keira Knightley. In most cases, he still abided by the contract.

"Cheers!"

Under Jerry Bruckheimer's lead, Matthew, along with the film crew members, raised their glasses and downed the thank-you drink.

Matthew took Keira Knightley's glass, along with his own, handed them to the waiter, and seeing that Keira Knightley seemed in a bad mood, asked, "What's wrong, Keira? Are you hungry?"

It was already ten o'clock at night, and the two had only had a bit of food since noon, barely anything substantial.

Keira Knightley shook her head, "I'm fine."

How could she voice such matters? Dissatisfied with her screen time in the film? Depressed because her role was far less brilliant than Matthew's and Johnny Depp's?

Matthew had a general understanding of Keira Knightley and, after a bit of thought, guessed some of it but didn't know what to say. Just then, Helen Helman came over.

"Miss Knightley." Helen Helman spoke very politely, "May I borrow your boyfriend for a moment?"

Knowing the context, Keira Knightley wouldn't refuse and said, "Please, go ahead."

"Something up?" Matthew asked.

Helen Helman nodded, "I'll introduce you to a few people."

Matthew followed Helen Helman and soon came to two men, one short and fat with glasses, and the other a tall and thin man.

Helen Helman first introduced the short and fat one, "Matthew, this is critic Mr. Roger Ebert." Then, she introduced the tall and thin one, "This is Mr. Roger Ebert's partner, Mr. Richard Roeper."

After introductions, she presented Matthew to them.

After shaking hands and greeting, Matthew politely said, "It's a great honor to meet you both, North America's top critics."

He wasn't familiar with Richard Roeper, but Roger Ebert's reputation was too loud to ignore.

After some pleasantries, perhaps due to the critics' demeanor or maybe because they considered themselves experts in film, Roger Ebert directly critiqued Matthew's performance in the film.

"Will Turner is the highlight of the film, second only to Jack Sparrow, there's no denying that." He looked at Matthew and continued, "Your part was well done, especially the action scenes. Overall, you portrayed the character in a very three-dimensional and vivid way. Now it seems, Disney and Jerry Bruckheimer's decision to cast you as Will Turner was indeed a very wise decision."

"Really?" Matthew deliberately showed a subdued ecstasy on his face, as if being praised by Roger Ebert was a very significant achievement, his voice even carried excitement, "Mr. Ebert, do you really think so?"

Roger Ebert gave a slight smile, skillfully hiding a trace of self-satisfaction, and said, "Of course! Your character has a certain charm!"

Matthew smiled, his smile seeming genuinely heartfelt.

But as his smile just bloomed on his face, Roger Ebert added, "One thing you need to pay attention to! Your flaws in the film are also quite apparent."

Matthew immediately put away his smile and earnestly sought advice, "Mr. Ebert, you're a benchmark in the critic community, could you please point out my flaws?"

Seeing Matthew's genuine and polite attitude, Roger Ebert cleared his throat, which had been increasingly uncomfortable recently, and said, "Compared to most young actors, your portrayal of Will Turner is indeed splendid, but this splendor mostly comes from action scenes, not your acting itself..."

Hearing this, Matthew really wanted to ask, aren't action scenes part of film acting?

But considering Roger Ebert's towering reputation, there was no need to offend him on the spot. Besides, Matthew was just starting out and needed to maintain a good relationship with such critics to have them speak well of him as much as possible.

Roger Ebert continued without pausing, "You need to further refine your acting skills!"

This statement indeed pointed out Matthew's biggest issue, something he was also aware of. Compared to Johnny Depp's Captain Jack Sparrow, his Will Turner would indeed be completely overshadowed if not for the action scenes adding to his character's appeal.

But acting, a nebulous concept without clear standards for improvement, isn't easy to enhance. Matthew's self-practice never truly stopped, yet noticeable progress was elusive.

Roger Ebert, being one of the top critics in America, might have more insights...

At this thought, Matthew couldn't help but ask, "Mr. Ebert, I've also been struggling to improve my acting but haven't found a good method."

Perhaps Matthew's mixture of genuine and feigned demeanor gave Roger Ebert the impression of a hard-working actor. He advised earnestly, "Go to the independent film circle. Take on some small productions and deep roles to refine your acting skills, temporarily set aside the flashy commercial movies..."

After hearing the first part, Matthew dismissed the rest of Roger Ebert's advice, not because it wasn't solid but because it completely contradicted the path he and Helen Helman had planned.

Had he wished to refine his acting in the independent film circle, he would have done so already, not waiting until now.

However, Matthew did not reveal his thoughts, maintaining a sincerely attentive appearance. There was no need to stir unnecessary conflict with Roger Ebert over such a minor matter. Leaving a good impression on Roger Ebert was more beneficial for him.

After Roger Ebert finished speaking, Matthew's tone didn't change, expressing gratitude, "Thank you! I think I know what to do now."

"Good!" Roger Ebert seemed to appreciate Matthew's attitude. "Young people who understand things like you are quite rare these days."

"That's too much praise." Matthew replied politely.

After discussing a few more things about the movie, Matthew and Helen Helman excused themselves and left.

"Do you really want to go to the independent film circle?" Helen Helman asked.

Matthew shrugged, "What do you think?"

Helen Helman didn't pursue the matter further. In the presence of commercial leading roles, why would Matthew Horner, someone keen on fame and fortune, choose to venture into the chaotic and oppressive independent film circle?

They walked towards Keira Knightley, with Helen Helman switching the topic, "The female lead, Elizabeth Swann, doesn't seem to have a strong presence. Is she upset?"

"I don't know," Matthew shook his head slightly, "Maybe a little."

Being full of expectations only to find out after the film's release that one's role was merely a glamorous cameo must be frustrating. Matthew presumed he would feel somewhat the same.

Helen Helman suggested, "The film's character balance is off, focusing entirely on you and Johnny Depp, with Keira Knightley's role being too light. I think we need to adjust our earlier plans based on the audience's reaction to the characters. If Keira Knightley's reception is poor, her continued association with you would be a burden. It might be best to let her go sooner rather than later."

Matthew thought for a moment and then said, "Let's wait for the film's reception first."

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