on Pirates of the Caribbean (mostly Jack Davenport related)
Several thoughts have popped into my head lately that has to do with Pirates of the Caribbean. Presumably because I bought the film about ten days ago. It was entirely accidental - I went into the video store to buy an ice cream, and came out with an ice cream and a movie. That it became PotC in particular I think had to do with the fact that I was obsessing over Once Upon a Time in Mexico at the time. I never let myself get what I'm obsessing over, but I'll gladly treat myself to whatever reminds me of what I'm obsessing over. Such is my mind.
It struck me while walking home the other day that Johnny Depp might actually make a fairly decent Crowley - a part I usually have reserved for Robin Sachs, for obvious reasons. So I thought, if Johnny is Crowley, who'd be Aziraphale? The answer was, naturally, Jack Davenport (although he's really too young for the part). And then it was like a lightbulb went on over my head: so that's why Sparrington is such a popular pairing!
Now, I think Sparrington is a lovely pairing, but I'm used to liking odd pairings and odd characters. And besides, not everyone is a Coupling fan. So it has always sort of puzzled me that so many people agree with me on this one, considering what a relatively small and unflattering part Norrington has in the film.
But if it's a matter of fandom imprinting, it all makes sense. You have Crowley and Aziraphale, Giles and Ethan, and so on, until the point is reached where a stuffy British (or British-like, in Aziraphale's case) good guy who has forgotten how to have fun is automatically connected to the charming bad boy with a glint in his eye who knows all about having fun.
And since it means I'm for once in tune with my surroundings, I'm very pleased.
I must also say, if they wanted to assure me that Orlando Bloom is a Great Shiny Thing, they shouldn't have paired Keira Knightley with Jack Davenport in the audio commentaries, because boy is he funny when he's himself. ("Here's Orlando, rather symbolically whacking away at his anvil.") Since you never really know what hides under, as he put it, "English repression at its finest", there's the nasty little suspicion that it might be a Jack Davenport (or even a Steve from Coupling, which would be weird).
And the deleted scenes - oh, I wish they had included that one with him and Keira, and the one with Johnny following it. (As do the script writers, I found out.) Not just for his sake, but for hers - it makes her so very interesting. Okay, so other people might say "nasty" instead of "interesting", but I take no responsibility for that.
The scenes from the island with Keira and Johnny would have been nice too, especially the "no truth at all", because he looks so bitter there, and bitter is something he doesn't really do for the rest of the film, so it makes him more interesting too. I get goosebumps just from watching that scene (yeah, I've done it well more than once).
But quickly back to Davenport. I've been reading reviews lately too, and he got a very nice mention by Andrew Sarris in the New York Observer: The most original stroke in the Pirates story is provided by Jack Davenport’s Commander Norrington, who, after losing Elizabeth to Will Turner and watching Jack Sparrow elude his grasp, reacts with surprising grace and gallantry. Up to that point, Norrington has been presented as a stiff, pompous figure of authority, completely lacking in imagination. But in the end, he exhibits both generosity and humor in resigning himself to his fate. He turns out to be the one real mensch in the film.
Which, you know, is why I'm so very grateful the script writers didn't make him a villain that was originally planned. It would have been such a very easy way out.
It struck me while walking home the other day that Johnny Depp might actually make a fairly decent Crowley - a part I usually have reserved for Robin Sachs, for obvious reasons. So I thought, if Johnny is Crowley, who'd be Aziraphale? The answer was, naturally, Jack Davenport (although he's really too young for the part). And then it was like a lightbulb went on over my head: so that's why Sparrington is such a popular pairing!
Now, I think Sparrington is a lovely pairing, but I'm used to liking odd pairings and odd characters. And besides, not everyone is a Coupling fan. So it has always sort of puzzled me that so many people agree with me on this one, considering what a relatively small and unflattering part Norrington has in the film.
But if it's a matter of fandom imprinting, it all makes sense. You have Crowley and Aziraphale, Giles and Ethan, and so on, until the point is reached where a stuffy British (or British-like, in Aziraphale's case) good guy who has forgotten how to have fun is automatically connected to the charming bad boy with a glint in his eye who knows all about having fun.
And since it means I'm for once in tune with my surroundings, I'm very pleased.
I must also say, if they wanted to assure me that Orlando Bloom is a Great Shiny Thing, they shouldn't have paired Keira Knightley with Jack Davenport in the audio commentaries, because boy is he funny when he's himself. ("Here's Orlando, rather symbolically whacking away at his anvil.") Since you never really know what hides under, as he put it, "English repression at its finest", there's the nasty little suspicion that it might be a Jack Davenport (or even a Steve from Coupling, which would be weird).
And the deleted scenes - oh, I wish they had included that one with him and Keira, and the one with Johnny following it. (As do the script writers, I found out.) Not just for his sake, but for hers - it makes her so very interesting. Okay, so other people might say "nasty" instead of "interesting", but I take no responsibility for that.
The scenes from the island with Keira and Johnny would have been nice too, especially the "no truth at all", because he looks so bitter there, and bitter is something he doesn't really do for the rest of the film, so it makes him more interesting too. I get goosebumps just from watching that scene (yeah, I've done it well more than once).
But quickly back to Davenport. I've been reading reviews lately too, and he got a very nice mention by Andrew Sarris in the New York Observer: The most original stroke in the Pirates story is provided by Jack Davenport’s Commander Norrington, who, after losing Elizabeth to Will Turner and watching Jack Sparrow elude his grasp, reacts with surprising grace and gallantry. Up to that point, Norrington has been presented as a stiff, pompous figure of authority, completely lacking in imagination. But in the end, he exhibits both generosity and humor in resigning himself to his fate. He turns out to be the one real mensch in the film.
Which, you know, is why I'm so very grateful the script writers didn't make him a villain that was originally planned. It would have been such a very easy way out.