No links as responding generally to everyone!
I feel the bloom has gone off the rose for me and seemingly for the fandom generally. As I see it there are 2 interpretations of the summer:
1) Genuine romance. Whether TS is dim, or surgically altered, or anything else, wasn't the issue - it's for him to decide who he wants to go out with. But he shamelessly pimped out his relationship in a way that seemed deliberately designed to garner publicity. That's unattractive from any celeb. It's particularly unattractive from a celeb who has spent a lot of time telling us how much he values his privacy. Some stans say, well he doesn't owe us consistency. True. He can do one thing and say another if he wants. But it appears to have gone down badly with a lot of people.
2) Fake romance. Deeply unattractive to any normal person, as it smacks both of dishonesty and weirdness. I am sure that some, though far from all, celeb relationships are faked. Even so, this felt particularly brazen in the way it appeared suddenly and was shoved down our throats for 3 months. E.g., Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart have confessed that their relationship was arranged, at least at the start. But they never did anything approaching the Love Tour. If it was fake I don't think it was because he is gay (though maybe she is). I think it was for profile raising. In a way I would have more sympathy if it was because he was gay, as that still does pigeonhole many actors and make it harder for them to get good roles. But doing it for Bond....no.
Either way, he really hasn't covered himself in glory this summer and a lot people feel that. There is also 3) The projects haven't been that good. I am beginning to wonder if he is not that great an actor, or at least not unless he is very carefully corralled by an experienced director.
>>274 An excellent hypothesis. None of these points are mutually exclusive. It is a given fact that the majority of his glory projects flopped. He's a man driven to success- that would have stung and caused him to consider alternative fast-track methods which he would have otherwise shunned. Herald in the Swift Experience.
I still think it's most likely a combination of all points. It sure as shit wasn't true love since the exit was so "swift" and the method so uncharacteristically flagrant. As you point out, none of the options are appealing. He's either a famewhore or a faker or desperate.
I'm left wondering just how hard it is to be in a loving normal relationship when you're famous. Others seem to manage just fine, and perhaps that is the key- they are not as overtly MANAGED.
I have always felt TH is a little too handled by his minders.
FFS TH, just hook up with a hot chick you really like and be normal. It's not that hard and it's appealing to see someone have genuine feels for someone. Once a month maybe parade that shit if you have to. Be exclusive. How about trying to be an enigma again. That worked.
As for his acting, I am similarly fenced but consider ISTL was most likely his best role in terms of character immersion, the shit director should take no credit. Future roles are the test for me, as to whether he has finally shaken his stage presence on film.