Birthday Girl Page #16

Synopsis: John (Ben Chaplin) is a mild-mannered banker who has never been lucky in love. Fed up with waiting for the right girl to come along, John takes a chance on a Russian mail-order bride arranged via the Internet. His Internet love connection is the enigmatic Nadia (Nicole Kidman). When Nadia's Russian cousins, Yuri and Alexei, turn up unexpectedly to celebrate her birthday, John's life is turned upside down as he learns the truth behind their relationship and is taken on an adventure.
Genre: Drama
Director(s): Morag Fullarton
Production: Miramax Films
 
IMDB:
6.7
Rotten Tomatoes:
58%
Year:
2002
120 min
£4,919,896
Website
568 Views


John lies there on the floor, panting, and he hears the

English words.

Exhausted, John stands, wipes his mouth, and rushes her anew.

Nadia dodges out the way and cuffs him painfully on the ear.

The whole fight starts again and ends only when neither has

the strength to go on. Nadia staggers into the bathroom where

she shuts the door and begins to sob uncontrollably. John

lies on the bed listening to her cry.

EXT. DUAL CARRIAGEWAY - DAY

The mid morning traffic flows by on the dual carriageway.

INT. HAPPY EATER - DAY

Nadia and John sit in silence in the half empty diner. Nadia

has a cut lip and a graze on her chin. John has a Thousand

Yard Stare and a lesion over his left cheekbone.

The Waitress comes over.

WAITRESS:

Good morning. What can I get you?

NADIA:

I'll have an espresso, with a small

pastry, a croissant or something.

WAITRESS:

We only do a croissant with the

Continental breakfast.

NADIA:

Just get me a coffee.

WAITRESS:

One coffee. And for you Sir ?

John doesn't answer.

NADIA:

He'll have a coffee.

The waitress leaves them. Nadia lights a cigarette and they

sit in tense silence, the pain of betrayal, and recent

violence, thick in the air.

JOHN:

You can't smoke in here.

Nadia ignores him. John bellows

JOHN:

YOU CAN'T SMOKE IN HERE!

The diner falls silent, people stare. She takes a last drag

and crushes the butt on the floor. A waitress comes over and

puts down two coffees.

NADIA:

I don't expect you to understand.

It seems as if John has no intention of replying. He sips

his coffee, and puts it down. He begins speaking very calmly.

JOHN:

Oh, I don't know. In my job as Deputy

Assistant of New Business at the

bank would have to listen to the

problems of a great many individuals.

This took a lot of understanding and

sympathy, to try to work out solutions

to their problems. But, you see, I'm

not in that line of work anymore.

Nowadays I'm a bank robber.

NADIA:

You don't understand anything.

JOHN:

I think that about covers it. I think

I have grasped the part about you

being dumped though. That's got to

hurt, I imagine. That's got to smart

a bit. I mean strictly in my

observer's capacity it seemed you

two were getting on Pretty F***ing

Famously.

He sips his coffee.

JOHN:

Unless. Unless this is part of the

routine. You get tied up, stick

around, distract me, they both bust

in and Steal My Cup Of Coffee.

NADIA:

It's makes it easier. Okay.

JOHN:

I don't want to know.

NADIA:

It makes it faster. If I don't speak

to the men, they fall faster. It's

pretty obvious why.

JOHN:

That's a relief. It's nice to know

I'm a regular guy.

Pause.

NADIA:

So what are you going to do?

JOHN:

I'm going to drink my coffee. Then,

we're going to the police station.

Where there will be lawyers, loss of

job, house, humiliation, gutter press,

and probably prison.

NADIA:

They don't blame you. When a bank

employee does this they understand.

You get your life back. Anyway I bet

you hated that bank.

JOHN:

Even so I always felt the decision

to burst in and rob it very much

remained with me.

NADIA:

Why else would you send off for me?

If you just wanted sex just go to a

prostitute.

JOHN:

Well as it turns out I did.

She slaps his face. He slaps hers back. The waitress comes

over.

WAITRESS:

More coffee?

JOHN:

Yes please.

NADIA:

No.

She pours for John.

JOHN:

Splendid. Thank you.

WAITRESS:

Pleasure.

She smiles and leaves them. John watches her walk away.

NADIA:

John, I need your help.

This really tickles John. He has to put his coffee down.

JOHN:

You must think... I'm the biggest

pillock... In the world.

NADIA:

No I don't.

JOHN:

In the world.

NADIA:

I know you just want to punish me --

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Jez Butterworth

Jeremy "Jez" Butterworth is an English playwright, screenwriter, and film director. He has written screenplays in collaboration with his brothers, John-Henry and Tom. more…

All Jez Butterworth scripts | Jez Butterworth Scripts

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