Continuing to watch the movie, the scene on the refugee ship with R2, Padme and Anakin always bothered me, but I didn't have an idea of how to fix it-- until now.
With the realization that R2 is charming, but under utilized I see his staging is one of the major differences between the OT and the PT. Beats such as this one where the cook-droid tells R2 that no droids are allowed would be a fun little bit in the OT, but in the PT it's tossed off so poorly that it feels cliche.
What it's missing are the shots that would make it work-- the close ups that would turn it into a little embarrassing episode for R2.
Second problem with the scene is the Padme/Anakin dynamic is all off balance because Hayden is into full Mack-Daddy mode in his line readings and the script pushes him to go there-- every line is another come on to Padme. That's bad for the romance -- we should feel the love blooming before he hits us over the head with it. Why does he feel so entitled to her love? He should feel, as he says later, much too intimidated to put all these moves on a Senator.
So with a few changes, I see a much better, more OT scene available to us:
There's a wipe to the EXT. Spaceship shot -- then CUT inside to a C.U. (find this somewhere) of R2 reaching out with his arm to grab something... "Hey!" CUT TO the wide shot: he's been caught grabbing stuff off the counter. "No droids allowed!" Back to R2's C.U. for a moment as he responds with an insulted chirp, then back to the wide shot as he takes his stolen goods and wheels off to Anakin. R2 delivers the food and Padme thanks him -- let R2 give a more spirited "You're welcome, but what a jerk that guy was" kind of response and then he exits.
Padme tells Anakin she thinks it must be hard for him to be a Jedi. "Yes, I can't be with the people I love." In the original cut, this is a come-on to Padme. In our cut we should do our best to make it a line purely and solely about his mother. How? Cut all the mack-daddy stuff from the rest of this scene.
Padme: Are you allowed to love? I thought it was forbidden for a Jedi to love.
[Here, the original cut goes to Hayden's reaction which is a kind of smirk that says "well, maybe, but I still really want to love you" before he says his next line. I think it's vital to cut this smirk and let his next line start from the more humble facial expression that he exhibits as he looks down before actually speaking. This shortens the pause and humbles the character -- changing the subtext from a sexual come-on to a more halting, personal reveal]
Anakin: Attachments are forbidden. Posession is forbidden. But compassion, which I would define as unconditional love is central to a Jedi's life. YOu might say that a Jedi is encouraged to love.
[Cut Padme's response and Anakin's next lines -- go straight to the look Padme gives at the end of their exchange which says "Wow, I'm really starting to see this guy differently." Then she looks down and we cut away realizing they're really getting to know each other.]
The unconditional love attitude is sexy and charming. The slimy smirking mack-daddy shit is repulsive. When he gives her less, she wants more and we want her to want him more. Every time he tries to push stuff on her "You're growing more beautiful" "Why can't I look at you this way?" "I dream about you all the time" he comes off like an ass. But when he is simply mature and admiring her from a distance, giving only subconscious hints of his love for her, then he's attractive.
I think these changes will really smooth out the romance and increase the OT feel by raising the charm quotient. Less is more for Anakin and more is more for R2.
Thanks for reading.