Amour

SCENE 1 - INT. APARTMENT - DAY

The hallway is a mess. A window opening onto a light well is

open.

The door to the apartment is suddenly broken open. A plainclothes

detective, two uniformed police officers and several

firemen - also in uniform - enter and look around. They all

wear gloves and masks that cover their mouths and noses.

Behind them, the superintendent and his wife also push their

way in. They’re both holding their noses. In his free hand,

the superintendent holds a pile of mail and promotional

flyers. Behind him, comes a female neighbor.

PLAIN-CLOTHES DETECTIVE

(to the superintendent and the

neighbor)

Wait Outside please.

He signals to a police officer who herds the curious

onlookers back out through the door.

POLICE OFFICER:

(to the superintendent, pointing to

a pile of mail)

What’s the date of the last letter?

SUPERINTENDENT:

(verifying)

The 16th from what I can see...

Wait...

The plain-clothes detective has tried in vain to open the

door on the left. It has been sealed up with adhesive tape.

PLAIN-CLOTHES DETECTIVE

(to the fire officer)

Can you try?

While the firemen go to work on the door, the plain-clothes

detective goes into the adjoining dining room. He opens the

windows quickly and turns to go into the room to the left via

the double doors. They are locked and the gaps are also taped

up. He turns to the right and goes into the living room,

where he also opens up the windows...

FIREMAN (O.S.)

The door is open.

...and comes back into the hallway, passing by the waiting

firemen. Once again, we hear snatches of dialogue between the

police officer and the janitor.

2.

JANITOR:

...no as far as I know. During the

whole time, they had a nurse, but

it’s been a while since I last saw

her. My wife has been...

The plain-clothes detective enters the bedroom which is now

accessible. Its windows are open and the draft makes the

curtains billow into the room.

PLAIN-CLOTHES DETECTIVE

(to the firemen who are now curious

enough to come and stand by the

door)

Did you open the windows?

The firemen shake their heads.

The PLAIN-CLOTHES DETECTIVE turns toward the big double bed

placed against the back wall of the bedroom. On the right-

hand bed, there’s only the bare mattress. On the left-hand

bed lies the partly decomposed body of an old woman. Where

once there were eyes, now there are only gaping holes. The

corpse has been neatly dressed and is adorned with flowers

that have already dried out a little. On her chest is a

crucifix.

SCENE 2 - White letters on a black background: THE CREDITS

SCENE 3 - INT. CONCERT HALL - NIGHT

All we see is the audience pouring into the hall. GEORGES and

ANNE, both are around eighty, are part of this crowd. They go

to their seats in one of the rows near the front. Once

everybody is seated, we hear the usual ANNOUNCEMENT asking

people to turn off their mobile phones. Some people, caught

with their phones switched on, hasten to comply. Then the

lights go out. APPLAUSE.

Off-screen, we hear the soloist make his entrance. THROATS

ARE CLEARED here and there. Finally, the MUSIC begins.

SCENE 4 - INT. ARTISTS DRESSING ROOM - NIGHT

The music from Scene 3 continues. The soloist is surrounded

by admirers who congratulate him.

Now Georges and Anne push their way into the room. (If the

soloist is female, they will be carrying flowers, like most

of the others).

3.

When the soloist notices their presence, he leaves his group

of fans, heads towards them and greets them very warmly,

visibly glad to see them.

SCENE 5 - INT. BUS - NIGHT

Continuation of the MUSIC from Scene 3.

Georges and Anne are seated side by side in the half empty

bus. Anne talks enthusiastically, Georges says something from

time to time, and smiles now and then. They are both relaxed

and happy.

SCENE 6 - INT. APARTMENT - HALLWAY - NIGHT

The door to the apartment is unlocked and opened from the

outside. THE MUSIC ENDS.

Georges comes in, turns on the light. He and Anne observe the

open door. Around the lock, one can see the traces of an

attempted forced entry.

Georges bends down and runs his fingers over the deep

grooves.

GEORGES:

They used a screwdriver or

something like that...it doesn’t

look very professional...

ANNE:

But who would do something like

that?

GEORGES:

No idea. Why do people break in?

Because they want to steal

something.

ANNE:

From us?

GEORGES:

(laughs briefly out loud)

Hey, why not? If I thought about

it, I could come up with at least

three or four people we know who’ve

been burgled.

After having examined the outside of the second leaf of the

double door, he comes in, closing the door behind him.

4.

ANNE:

What time is it? Can’t we call the

superintendent?

GEORGES:

I’ll do that tomorrow morning.

Anyway, they didn’t see anything.

He unbuttons his overcoat and heads toward the large closet

in the hallway.

GEORGES (CONT’D)

Don’t let it spoil your good mood

now.

ANNE:

Or the police?

GEORGES:

Come on, give me your coat.

She goes toward him, he takes her coat off and hangs it with

his in the closet.

ANNE:

Imagine if we were here, in our

beds, and someone broke in.

GEORGES:

Why should I imagine that?

ANNE:

But it’s terrible! I think I’d die

of fright.

GEORGES:

(laughing)

So would I.

He undoes his shoes.

GEORGES (CONT’D)

Shall we have a drink?

ANNE:

I’m tired.

GEORGES:

I still fancy a drink.

He puts away his shoes with the others and slips on his

slippers. Anne has gone into the bathroom.

5.

ANNE (O.S.)

Go ahead then. Mathilde told me

that in her building, the attic

apartment was burgled from the

loft. They just knocked a hole in

the wall, cut out all of the

valuable pictures from their frames

and disappeared without a trace.

He goes toward the kitchen.

GEORGES:

They must have been professionals.

As he passes in front of the bathroom, he stops and appears

to be looking at Anne.

GEORGES (CONT’D)

Did I tell you, you looked good

tonight?

SHORT PAUSE. THEN:

ANNE (O.S.)

(Flattered)

What’s got into you?

With a gentle LAUGH, Georges disappears into the kitchen,

where he turns on the lights. We hear him FIDDLING AROUND,

apparently getting a glass and some wine. After a short

PAUSE:

ANNE (CONT’D)

Weren’t those semiquavers in the

presto incredible? What staccato!

Don’t you agree?

Short PAUSE.

GEORGES (O.S.)

You’re proud of him, huh?

SCENE 7 - INT. BEDROOM - NIGHT

Georges wakes up. He looks with amazement beside him, then

raises his eyes. Anne is sitting upright, her back against

the headboard.

GEORGES (CONT’D)

Something wrong?

ANNE:

No.

6.

After a while, the RINGING of a kitchen egg-timer leads us to

the next scene.

SCENE 8 - INT. KITCHEN - DAY

The egg timer in the kitchen RINGS.

Georges is seated in front of the window, at a table which is

half set for breakfast. He has mobile phone raised to his ear

and a phone book opened in front of him. Anne is getting up

from the table. She goes toward the stove, turns off the gas,

takes the egg out of the pan with a spoon and runs it under

cold water. Like Georges, she is still in her robe.

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