Original subtitles

Good morning, Vincenzo. -Hello, Julie.

ARTIST ENTRANCE

You never buy anything from me. -You're too expensive.

Too expensive? -Yes.

Good morning darling.

Slept well? Here's your cappuccino.

What a night.

I haven't slept a wink. The neighbors were making such a noise.

Jérôme heard nothing, but i am a light sleeper.

The artichokes for your father. That's an obsession for him.

I have bought you a beautiful nail polish You’ll love that one.

Aren't you laughing?

Maybe later.

Good morning, professor.

Tolerance...

Good morning, Vincenzo. -Hello, Gerard.

Everything okay? -Fine and you?

Have you boxed yet? -No.

I prefer to knock them out at the end of the day.

That's tradition. -Yes?

Her husband said that she should go to therapy...

...because she was obsessed by her father, a womanizer.

She did and she got rid of that obsession.

But she was still unhappy, so she went back to therapy.

This time it was about her son, who was on drugs.

But she remained unhappy.

So she came to me and I said to her:

Virginia, your husband is right.

Go to therapy for you to free from the last bastard:

Your husband.

She's madly in love with me like all my patients.

Except for you.

Do you know why, Albertine? Because you have no taste.

Still no period?

You're not pregnant, are you?

Albertine, right.

If you ever decide to get off your pedestal...

then come to us.

In this sea of misery where we blissfully immerse us in it.

The roof tile is still there.

That has been the case for months now.

I don't think it's falling yet.

The one fragile balance keeps it longer than the other.

I know you can talk.

Little golden frog.

Boubou...

Boubou...

Boubou...

I lost my dog Boubou.

His snout stuck out of my bag, and suddenly he was gone.

My umbrella and my dog.

I had to flee a horrible man in the subway.

Then he sat by himself, disgusting.

And this morning my moped won't start.

Whether it's the gasoline, bad luck or the spark plugs... Boubou...

I'm late for rehearsal and the director can't stand dogs.

Who is bothered by of such a beast?

I have to go.

Off.

Boubou...

Hey Vincenzo.

I was at the pharmacy today.

A beautiful girl entered, with those beautiful curves.

She wanted to weigh herself. She put a coin in the scale.

But she wasn't happy with the result.

She steps off the scale, takes off her coat...

...insert another coin and that's it still not happy with the result.

Then she takes off her sweater, but she has no more coins.

So I said: When you take off your dress...

...I'll toss in a coin.

Have a little laugh, Vincenzo.

Shall we be go for a walk in the park tomorrow?

No one sees us.

See if there are squirrels.

Goodnight, Albertine.

You are my star.

SORRY, I HAVE NO WORDS FOR IT

and yet, when I look to the sky

I feel that everything will get better

and that this cruelty too will end

Good day. -Good day.

Are you looking for something special? -I'm looking for Boubou.

I've looked under every car.

I was on my knees all night.

Then you're not alone. Goodbye, Vincenzo.

I feel so guilty. I've had that all my life.

I had that before I could talk. -You're not alone.

Without guilt there would be no writers.

What is your name? -Vincenzo.

Italian, bookseller...

Wait a minute... Can you tell me something quickly?

Not on top of the books.

A thing. -What are you doing?

Tell me something.

Something that happens to you.

Forward.

Cut the onions and fry them in a little oil.

Turn off the fire and add the chopped parsley.

Cut the sardines into small pieces.

Put some flour on the fish...

What is that? -The cod stockfish recipe...

...like they make it in Vicenza.

You are a weirdo.

You just need to prove it.

That reminds me of a character that says: I'm a weirdo.

Hemingway replied: You just need to prove it.

That is enough.

You are surrounded by books. -Yes.

But... What are those books for?

We live in the digital age. Paper is old-fashioned.

That's all superfluous. Totally unnecessary.

What? -Honestly...

Don't you feel a little a dead man walking ?

The dialogue with all those books keeps me alive.

Literature is eternal, the present kills us.

The present kills us. -Yes.

Brilliant. How cool.

Material for the other madman. That is...

What does that mean: 'The present is killing us'?

It destroys us.

It doesn't make us stronger but vulnerable.

Man actually needs it to pause for a moment...

...and to be.

Damn, the battery is dead.

Do you happen to have a charger? -No, I don't have a cell phone.

No cell phone? -No.

You don't have a mobile phone? -Nope.

No cell phone.

Unbelieveable.

Nice huh?

“No and no again,” Cosimo cried and pushed his plate away.

Get off the table.

Cosimo had already turned around and left the room.

Where are you going?

Cosimo climbed a tree and sat down on a large branch...

...while his legs dangling down...

...crossing his arms...

...retracted his head and his hat over his forehead.

Father leaned out the window:

When you've had enough you’ll change your mind, he cried.

I'll never change my mind my brother called from his branch.

You will see it, as soon as you come down.

I'm never coming down again.

And he kept his word.'

Isn't that wonderful?

Good night, honey.

Good night. -Good night.

Did you find your dog? -No, not yet.

He was afraid, I had to hide him...

because the director is crazy.

Which piece are you rehearsing?

None.

Is that the title? -No no...

We write the text ourselves.

We have to write to him. We are all living writers.

Interesting. -Yes, that's what he says.

He lets us improvise...

...and get everything out of ourselves, those kind of things.

And then he writes everything down. And we are supposed...

...to reveal all of our inner self. But I prefer not to talk about myself.

He wants us to talk to people...

...and thus absorb emotional material. This is what he calls it:

Emotional material.

That's an oxymoron.

That's why I spoke to that man with those tattoos on, but he thought...

Everyone always misunderstands me.

'I live in fear that I am not misunderstood.'

That's from Oscar Wilde.

Yolande, what are you doing here? He drives us all crazy.

It is your turn. -Okay, damn it.

Back to the madhouse. Bye.

I'm going to Italy next week. -Italy or the Vatican?

No, Italy. -This is the perfect book for that.

Thank you. -Have a nice trip.

Good evening. Bye.

Father Matthieu, your flowers are ready. -Beautiful.

Nice day. -To you too.

You need to breathe, Albertine.

To breathe. Otherwise your lungs will become lazy. You understand?

Breathe, honey. Think of the wind.

Think of the sea.

Think of Corsica. Do you remember the Street of Bonifacio?

I caught you just in time.

Shall we rent a boat in June, if no one is there?

Then you take the helm and I hoist the mainsail.

I can still do something crazy, right?

Just the two of us.

You, me and the sea.

You don't have to go anywhere to be afraid of, dear.

I quit this theater group, I don't fit in.

I replaced the director's girlfriend.

In an argument, she threw half the scenery towards him.

That was the only decent scene. The rest was a disaster.

I was a passerby he grabbed my arm...

...and put me on stage:

You are no longer a passerby, you now have the main role.

Many great careers have started with a substitution.

Do I have an ugly voice? -No, why?

No I have not sat on your muesli.

I did the dishes, you take out the trash.

Of course it stinks, you smoke.

Get some, bitch. My roommate.

You do smoke.

She's really crazy. A vegan.

I have part of the refrigerator, and when I get home, I'm hungry.

Then I see that they are all eggs and ate the foie gras.

The vegan? -Yes

At least during the day. In the evening she even eats rats.

I cried last night.

This is not a very nice time for me.

And then with this weather, that doesn't help either.

I'm waiting for the spring then I always live.

Can you recommend a book? I'm not much of a reader...

Please.

Foam of the Days, Boris Vian.

Looks good... But it's too thick.

I am dyslexic, I learned to read late.

Aren't you either a bit of a liar?

I like to make things a little more beautiful. I clean them up a bit.

Something short, for the subway. -Short?

I never finish books it drives me crazy.

How many stops do you need? -Three.

MARGUERITE YOURCENAR 'THE 33 NAMES OF GOD'

Here's your book back.

Did you read it in three stops?

"The hand that touches things." Beautiful.

I never know what to do with my hands. Should they participate or not?

Try to keep them quiet. -I can not do that...

I don't know if it's a tic but I can't.

I know nothing about theatre, but imagine...

that someone is holding them behind your back. -Yes, I'll try.

Bye. -Bye.

Hold my hands.

What?

Take my hands.

What? Grab them.

Grab them tightly.

What?

Hector...

Hector, my dear, my lover... -Take it easy.

All those promises like candles in the night...

And then nothing, total darkness, emptiness.

I need time to know if you are really the woman for me.

I'm lost, I've lost you.

You are too much for me.

Wait...

I'm not asking you to wait for me. You have your own life.

I'm happy when it's you.

I'm happy when it's you.

Is that bad?

Damn, damn.

It's nothing.

All your gossip stories.

I believed all your chatter.

And then you said:

I'll see you next year on the Pont Neuf.

I went to the Pont Neuf every day.

Every day, I can't help it.

I can not help it. -Stop.

Why didn’t you take the dog with you to Mozambique?

Why didn't you take him?

And now Boubou has run away.

No one feels safe with me.

And I'm just waiting and get more and more illusions.

You are a very good actress.

Thank you.

Want another book to read?

Yes, a thin book. -Okay.

White Nights by Dostoevsky. Are you kidding me?

'Suddenly I stopped, like I was petrified.

I heard a muffled sob. I was not mistaken.

The girl cried and a minute later I heard another sob.

Dear me. It weighed heavily on me.

I was always shy around women, but this was a special moment.

I stepped towards her and should have said: Madam.

If I hadn't known that statement...

...has been done a thousand times already...

...in every Russian novel about the upper classes.'

Vincenzo? -Yes?

May I ask you something? -Naturally.

My mother kept a diary for years.

Nothing important...

Notes, secrets, recipes...

How to store basil in winter, flowers in the house...

And further thoughts, modest but sharp.

I want to bind it.

How do you want to bind it? -No idea.

Does it have a title? -No.

Boat leather is... Albertine can't go on like this.

Why don't you talk to your daughter? -My daughter doesn't talk.

She is eloquent. Selective mutism.

She has no brain damage.

It's a blockage. She's not over the trauma.

I'm here to subject myself to her traumas.

I'm always there.

She needs to go back to college to friends.

She can live an almost normal life. -Normal?

What is normal for the spider, is hell for the fly.

Do not you think?

Is your mother...

She's still alive.

But yesterday she asked me to make love to her.

She no longer recognizes anyone.

You're getting older, Vincenzo.

Albertine also has a life when you're gone.

Think about her future.

I know Albertine means everything to you.

No, you don't know anything. -Yes.

I know she is very intelligent.

I know if there is power going through her body...

...her muscles respond.

Who's your hairdresser, Gérard?

Yesterday he humiliated me again.

'Why are you pretending? Try to be your worthless self.”

Then he picked up a newspaper and went to the toilet.

But that fool is right.

I will never play the leading role. I remain a passerby.

But you're a great actress. Last time...

When I held your wrists you were incredible.

But that was a real story.

Hector didn't trust me.

Maybe he was right. -Or maybe he was scared.

Vincenzo...

My life is full of illusions...

...and I multiply it like soap bubbles.

You're an artist, Yolande.

And illusion is the most important in art.

Yes, but not in life. In life...

...I feel ridiculous.

Because you are brave.

You must dare to be ridiculous to reach the sublime.

Come on, Yolande. Try to be yourself.

Look at what you have.

But I have nothing.

You're stupid for saying that.

You are talented.

Who's up there?

You're right. I will go take a look to what I have at my toes.

Does she live here now?

This relationship with the dead keeps me alive.

The present kills us.

What does that mean?

Are you looking for something special?

Yes, the story of an old fart.

Excuse me?

Who plays the intellectual, but in fact is a pig.

That every woman wants to fuck.

Then there is a lot of choice: Victor Hugo, Simenon.

Bukowski.

Philip Roth too.

Phillip Roth? -Yes.

Leave her alone.

Excuse me? Yolande is my wife. Okay?

Where do you take her? In there? In your bookstore?

Roxane, the books. -Are you taking her in there?

Does she get books for sex?

Who are you?

Who I am?

I'll slap you on your face.

How did you seduce her?

Does she blow you?

He must have shriveled up. You can't get it up anymore.

Listen... Get up and listen.

Look at me, asshole. Listen.

If I see you with her again, I'll set the whole fucking bookstore on fire.

Asshole.

Jerome is a good guy but stupid.

He always gets tricked.

Are you ready, honey? Do you need help?

When I cleaned at the Palais des Congress...

...I had him on my back.

Then I sat on my broom to make him laugh.

Here, honey.

I have an Ashanti doll for you, that brings good luck.

I said to Jerome: We are integrated.

I work for a beautiful woman who loves me like her mother.

But he is angry with the whole world. God forgive me.

Soon he will be just like his father.

Your daughter is angry. She doesn’t even want to wash her armpits. Something is bothering her.

Maybe she's getting her period again? -No, that's too easy.

If a woman is grumpy, you always think it's because of that.

Did you do something stupid?

What?

You make such a face...

What kind of face?

'Don't die, master.

Follow my advice and live many more years.

The dumbest thing a man can do in this life...

...is to die without resisting, Albertine.'

'Without anyone killing him.

Only the melancholy and the depression.'

"Come on, don't be lazy.

Get up from your bed and…

And maybe, somewhere behind a bush...

...we find the lady Dulcinea.'

What did Alan say?

He is crazy.

It's the cocaine.

The cocaine and the gym.

Hopefully he didn't hurt you.

I defended myself.

He means nothing to me.

We have maybe slept together twice.

Emotional material?

No, sex.

I left him.

We were never actually a couple.

I'm sorry, I only cause problems.

No worries, no problem.

Good night.

My bag... I need that.

Good night.

What Alain said is true.

I can't stay away from you Vincenzo.

Please, Yolande.

You have to believe me.

You never tell the truth. -Always, I never lie.

Can I have a seat?

I'm exhausted, I haven't slept for two days.

Remember when you said I had to look at what was inside me?

I closed my eyes...

...and saw you. I dreamed of you.

No, no dreams, please. No dreams.

Do you know what I dreamed of?

That we were in the bumper cars.

Wonderful, that was years ago.

You were very good and kept bumping into me.

Time after time.

I was shaken and couldn’t stop laughing.

I woke up laughing.

But then I burst into tears.

As usual.

Vincenzo...

You live in one place which is outside this world.

I feel so happy here.

You don't care about me at all, do you?

No you...

You are a good customer.

Not at all, I rarely read anything.

That's because I'm there quickly enough.

I have too many thoughts and can't concentrate.

Would you like to go out with me?

What? -We can go out to dinner.

You don't have to pay I pay for myself.

That's how we always do it in the theater.

Unless you invite me. -Of course I invite you.

Yes? -No.

No? -Yes, no.

Are you married, Vincenzo?

Divorced.

That's a good thing because I bring bad luck.

It's cold.

Do you have a blanket?

Yes.

She lost her dog but has found her owner.

Is that a corpse? Did you kill someone?

If you have to get rid of the body, Jerome has friends.

Well integrated guys.

But it will cost you something.

Bring chamomile tea next time for your friend.

Who is that terrorist? Are you putting her in the window?

I have not slept so well in ages.

Good morning.

Good morning.

I need to go to the toilet.

No no no. Excuse me.

The toilet is there. -Okay.

That will cost money.

See how she devours that croissant? Like Marie-Antoinette.

Get out of here, Clemente.

Then I'll go again.

I have dress rehearsal.

Fingers crossed.

No.

Is that...

Is that your daughter?

Yes.

I'm sorry.

I'm too impulsive, so stupid.

I thought you had a woman there.

Go, Yolanda. Please, leave.

Does your daughter never go out?

I understand her.

What's outside?

Not much.

A few lights...

...and a lot of noise.

Dear...

Dear Vincenzo.

It's enough like this.

Dear Professor.

Please. -Excuse me?

It's enough now. Stop stealing.

You have to pay for that book. Do you understand?

You have to pay for it. Go away, please.

"Every attraction is mutual."

Of course, but you have to pay.

Piss off.

'Get lost. That's life.'

"May everyone be blessed."

'Damn.'

What were you like as a child? -I don't remember, that was a long time ago.

I can imagine. -How was I then?

Some people change a lot. Others don't, like you.

How do you know that?

I would recognize you in a group of children.

How? -From your eyes and your nose.

My nose used to be much smaller.

You don't like to talk about yourself. -No, that's boring.

When I look in the mirror, I think:

Who is that guy? They call me the misanthrope.

Do you know what they called me? Porcupine.

Porcupine? -Yes.

Why?

Because I poked everyone who got too close.

And your daughter? You never talk about her.

I live for her, period.

She's my star.

And her mother? -He left for New York.

She lives there with another man, a writer.

Back then I lived like most married men: alone.

I rarely saw Albertine.

She had her own life she went to school.

She was always good, a perfectionist.

She always wanted her perfection show to the whole world.

Just like her mother.

She didn't respect me but I didn't care.

I'd rather be a big loser than a mediocre winner.

The whole divorce...

...was awful.

Our house was full of poison and rage.

That was four years ago. Since...

...Albertine doesn't go out anymore.

But one day she decided to go swimming.

She went over and climbed on the trampoline.

But the pool was empty...

...and she fell.

There were leaves on the bottom and she fell on it.

Despite everything, we were lucky.

Shall we sleep together?

I shouldn't be here. -But you're here.

Do you know...

Giving up is not always defeat.

I sold a book.

Nice. -It cost 18.56 euros.

That jerk gave me 20 euros and left with a chuckle.

The 'Madame Bovary' from the shop window?

Yes. -I understand. 18.56...

1856, that's the year of that first edition.

It was worth much more.

That's why he was smiling for sure. That bastard...

Probably yes.

But it's ok.

This is not a profitable business anyway.

Wine, that's good business.

Get rid of those books and put wine there.

Clear the shelves. Leave a few books for the atmosphere.

I know what people want. They want to drink.

They are nostalgic and melancholic.

And then those fatties, Russians and Arabs...

...who drink 20,000 euro bottles like it's water.

Get rid of those books.

You take care of the space I for the taste. I help you.

Vincenzo.

Are you crying now because of Madame Bovary?

You know what Flaubert said on his deathbed?

'I die...

...and that whore will live forever.'

Aren't you eating?

You are not starving.

Darling...

So you are not pregnant.

Nice.

Come on, your gift.

Sit down. -I can't, I have to box.

Then go fight.

I feel something in my chest...

...like a frog that perpetually jumping around.

You're right about Albertine.

I stop her.

Open your shirt.

As you take care of her is impressive.

I think Albertine is tired of me.

It's time that you live again.

Or that you're going to live...

...before you're too old.

I'm afraid.

Lift up your shirt.

Fear is the mother of regret.

Take a deep breath.

And if she does it again?

If she takes a dip again?

Life is an ambush.

Cough once.

You have nothing.

I think suicide is a clumsy act.

Anyone who commits suicide would rather have killed another.

I have something for you.

Thank you.

Real cow leather. -Beautiful.

It had wine stains on it. What was she drinking? Burgundy?

No. Or sometimes. But mostly simple wine.

Her life was less rosy than described herein.

I think she knew that someday we'd find it...

...and would read.

So she embellished it a bit.

Mothers teach us what love is.

Wait a minute, Gerard.

I met a woman.

It may not work out. -Or maybe a lot.

An actress. -It does not matter.

I don't want Albertine to think... -She knows you love her.

Hello Vincenzo. -Hello.

Columbus.

Have you bought sanitary napkins?

Keep to your coffins, women take care of life.

Everything okay, Vincenzo? -Yes.

FOR YOLANDE

MARGUERITE YOURCENAR 'THE 33 NAMES OF GOD'

Closed

Good evening, Albertine.

I brought you something.

That's for stars to project along, see?

That madman wanted it first for our piece but then no more.

No more stars, he said.

Tonight is the big night for me. The premiere.

Wish me good luck.

What is this? Did you recreate all of Paris?

In miniature. How cute.

Are they father and mother fish? Or a brother and sister?

Look. They are in love, yes.

Do you know... I also have panic attacks.

In the evening, when the curtain rises...

...I'm afraid I can't say anything.

But then I say something anyway.

We have to.

People have paid.

So you talk. Blah, blah, blah. Everyone plays their part.

We must.

You have to do something with your gifts.

Good evening, Vincenzo. -Hello, Father Matthieu.

I'll take your roses to the theater.

Once upon a time there was a loving family of porcupines.

On a cold night they crawled close together to get warm.

But after a while their spines started to hurt.

So they broke up.

But then they got cold again.

So they huddled together again.

Then they felt the pain from the spines again.

They were in between two discomforts: cold and pain all night.

That went on until they found the right distance.

The ideal position.

Schopenhauer's Porcupine Dilemma. Heard of it?

I always read the advice on happiness.

THEATER OF PROVIDENCE

Damn.

There are a lot of people.

I'm late.

Heaven always opens to a star.

Cut the onions...

...and fruit them...

...in a little oil.

Turn off the fire.

Add some parsley and cut the sardines.

Yolande, Yolande.

How did it go? -We were booed.

That was to be expected.

I have a lot to tell you.

I'm a little vague but in my mind everything is clear.

Come with me. -He's back.

Boubou? I told you that dogs always come back.

Hector. He has kept his promise.

He was in first rank and just looked at me.

I was so nervous I was drooling all over.

When I saw him I thought I was going to pass out.

My hands were frozen.

I thought he was laughing at me...

...but suddenly I saw something in the fog.

I felt a power...

As if hope itself sat there in front of me.

Vincenzo, I played like never before.

Like a boat that effortlessly sails through the waters.

I literally flew.

He came to my dressing room...

...and I realized that I always had been waiting for him.

Vincenzo...

Illusions support our wings.

It doesn't matter if I regret tomorrow, I’m happy now.

When I least expected it.

We leave tonight.

He's going on tour. Nice right?

So...

I've come to say goodbye.

And... Did you want to hear about Boubou?

The whole neighborhood wants to know how Boubou is.

Hector found him one morning in front of his door.

That dog is so sensitive.

Yolande...

We go. -He's waiting for me.

Won't you forget me?

Me you neither.

OK, I have to go.

The thorns.

Wish me luck.

I love you.

Thanks, Alan. -You were great.

You're a great actress.

You were good the other day too. -No, I'm an amateur.

Why are you leaving him like this?

That poor man.

You're crazy about him. Giving up isn't always defeat.

Here.

Caught in the theater? Your butt is important.

That's true. Bye.

Where are you sleeping tonight? -I'll find something.

Drive carefully and do not use drugs.

Yolande?

Are you okay?

You will hear that tomorrow.

Good morning, Hector.