A Late Quartet Page #5

Not completely.

And I've learned to live with that,

you know, expecting one day

that you'll, you know,

finally want to be closer to me.

I did away with my dreams of composing

and playing other forms of music.

And I did it gladly,

without reservation, for us.

To be together.

To play-

To have a child.

Do you really love me?

Or am I just convenient?

Good father. Good husband.

Good second violin player.

- FRANKLIN:
Isn't it great?

- Yes, it's... perfect.

We'll bid on it, yeah.

- Oh, great. Good luck.

- Thank you.

- We're getting started.

- OK.

(WHINNIES)

This is some

good stuff, man.

It's not bad. Not bad.

What about this one here?

Actually, he doesn't

cut it off the horse.

He imports it from

all over the world.

- This is Siberia, right?

- That's right, yeah.

Look, I'll bundle up

the best samples that I've got,

and whatever you don't use,

you can just mail 'em back to me.

Thanks, Jack.

"This one's Siberia."

What? What is that about?

You can't just use

any hair for a bow.

The smallest differences

in hair structure change the timbre

of the instrument completely.

What?

You're obsessed.

You're obsessed.

I guess so.

You cold?

(HORSES WHINNYING)

Why didn't you pursue

a solo career?

I would never trade

with them.

As a soloist, you rehearse with an

orchestra three, maybe four times,

and perform the piece once or twice.

And that's it. Next city,

next conductor, next orchestra.

We celebrated 3,000 concerts

together last season.

Which makes me feel

kind of ancient, but...

(CHUCKLES)

It's the only way to find

meaningful interpretations.

The greatest composers,

when they wanted to express

their most sincere thoughts, feelings...

...dig deep into their souls,

always this form,

always, always the quartet.

If they were courageous enough, Alex...

(WHISPERING):

What are you doing?

Need to get the samples.

A really beautiful Gagliano

with a slab cut back.

- At 14,000 on the telephone now.

- Raise your hand.

- MAN:
...at 14,000, with a circa 1820.

- How far are we willing to go?

Fifteen.

- MAN:
Fifteen thousand is on the aisle.

- Raise your hand.

Fifteen thousand dollars now.

Sixteen thousand.

Thank you, on the right.

The lady with the really lovely hat.

It's 16,000 on my right.

That's $16,000.

Now bidding at 16.

Raise your hand.

Jules, I didn't mean

to upset you back there.

- MAN:
Gagliano...

- Twenty!

- Twenty thousand dollars on the aisle.

- If I am off track, just tell me.

Twenty-one thousand dollars in the back.

It's a lady in the back.

- At$21,000, $21,000.

- Twenty-five!

Twenty-five thousand,

$25,000 now on the aisle again.

Twenty-five thousand. Twenty-six?

All through at 25?

At $25,000, now bidding at 25,

all through.

Twenty-five thousand dollars,

fair warning. Sold for $25,000.

Congratulations, sir, you just took

a quality violin from a real musician.

Jules!

Jules!

Jules, hold on!

JULIETTE:
Would you mind waiting

a minute, please?

- Hold on.

- Thank you.

What is it?

What is it that you want... Robert?

What is it that you

want me to tell you?

That I've always loved you,

but I'm just incapable of showing you

in the way you'd like me to?

Here's the truth: I don't know.

I don't know if I love you,

I don't know if I don't.

I don't know how I feel. I don't.

You need to leave me alone.

(TAXI DOOR CLOSES)

(TAXI DRIVES OFF)

(SLOW, SEDATE

ORCHESTRAL MUSIC PLAYING)

(SIGHS SOFTLY)

(KNOCKING ON DOOR)

Who is it?

(KNOCKING)

- Daniel.

- Hey.

Come on in.

(DOOR CLOSES)

(SCOFFS) What were

you thinking, Robert?

Compromising your marriage,

our quartet, for what, for a f***?

(SIGHS)

What about you?

What about me?

Oh, sneaking around

with Juliette behind my back.

Trying to manipulate my wife against me.

Don't be ridiculous. Please,

no one is trying to manipulate you.

You just went too far.

Somebody had to bring you back

to your senses, that's all.

Actually, my senses

are coming back to me

for the first time

in a very long time.

Really?

Stay someplace

where I'm not respected?

That's over.

You're a great violinist.

I love playing

with you, I truly do.

You can't lead a quartet, man.

- You're not sufficiently disciplined...

- You think you're better...

...not motivated.

- ...than me.

You just don't have that in you,

and it's fine. It's perfectly fine.

You think you're better than me.

When did I say that?

You're wrong.

You know, practicing obsessively

doesn't make your playing perfect.

It actually sucks the life

right out of it.

It's rigid and... and monotonous,

and, and self-loving, and safe.

Jesus, Robert,

would you stop being so childish?

Please. Yeah, I know it's

a challenging period...

The whole group is going down

the path that you have us on.

Yes. I understand that.

The way you play

is the way the quartet plays,

and it's the same thing

over and over and over and over!

I am in my 40s. We've been playing

since we were in our early 20s.

That is where you've taken this group.

But if we keep it together,

now we have Nina on board...

That is where you

have taken this group!

That is where we have

let you take this group!

I have let you do that!

A disservice.

You're not even willing to play

Beethoven without your notes.

- Unleash your passion, man.

- Unleash my passion?

Unleash your passion!

What are you afraid of?

You have the three of us

to cover your ass.

Unleash your passion.

Wow.

GIRL (HALTINGLY):

"People expect old men to die,

They do not really mourn old men.

Old men are different.

People look

At them with eyes that wonder when...

People watch with unshocked eyes,

But the old men know

when an old man dies."

(SLOW, SOF ORCHESTRAL MUSIC PLAYS)

(J.VIEWZ:
"SALTY AIR")

(DOORBELL BUZZES)

Come on up.

Mom.

(MUSIC STOPS)

(DOOR CREAKS OPEN)

(DOOR CLOSES)

(MAN SNIFFS)

("SALTY AIR" RESUMES PLAYING)

- (DOORBELL BUZZES)

- (MOANING, PANTING)

Sh*t.

What?

- It's my mom.

- What?

- That's... not funny, Alex.

- I'm not kidding.

- That's not funny.

- She's coming over.

- Your mom?

- Yeah.

(ALEXANDRA LAUGHS)

Oh, my God. You gotta get dressed.

(DOORBELL BUZZES)

(BUZZES)

- Hello?

- JULIETTE:
Hi, it's me.

I'm gonna grab my stuff,

I'll meet you down stairs.

I'd like to come up

and see your apartment.

I'm dying for some coffee.

I don't have any coffee here.

We'll go right after, Alex.

OK, come on up.

No, she's coming up

the stairs.

Daniel, you're gonna have

to go out the window.

Daniel, I'm really sorry,

but that's the only option.

I'm so sorry.

- Sh*t, sh*t. Go, go, go...

- (KNOCKING ON DOOR)

(WINDOW OPENS)

- (WINDOW CLOSES)

- (KNOCKING CONTINUES)

JULIETTE:
Alexandra.

- Hey, sorry. The door...

- That's OK.

How are you?

- Good. Oh.

- You look great.

- Nice. Nice.

- Yeah?

- I brought you a housewarming...

- Thank you.

- Madeleines.

- I'll open it in a sec.

JULIETTE:
So how do you

like living out here?

- ALEXANDRA:
Oh, it's perfect.

- JULIETTE:
Yeah?

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