Cercando La grande bellezza Page #4

---

- I need to talk to you.

- Later! I'm busy, can't you see?

- Is this still your place?

- Luckily not, I sold it.

I'm still the manager though.

You're famous! You're always

in the gossip rags.

You're at all the VIP parties,

always with a girl!

You never come here...

Get lost, will you?

We're having a serious talk!

- Are you married?

- Married, divorced.

- I've got a daughter, Ramona.

- Did you have to call her Ramona?

You artists are all the same!

I tell you I have a daughter

and you complain about her name!

What's wrong with "Ramona"?

Nothing, it's a name that implies

ambitions...

There's my daughter, you see?

She makes me so mad,

I've told her a million times!

You're too old for this!

Now these hot young Polish girls

rule the scene.

They're experts at turning tricks.

She's 42 and she wants to be

a sophisticated stripper.

But the world's no longer

sophisticated. Right, Jep?

I know, only you and I are.

That's right, goddammit!

But she wants to keep doing

this job, for the money.

I don't know why

she always needs money

and what she f***ing

does with it.

- For drugs? - I wish,

we'd have a common interest.

She doesn't even drink beer.

I don't know what she spends

her money on, she's always broke.

- Do I seem like a loser?

- No, why?

Because I can hear myself talk,

I sound like a loser.

I'm nearly 70 and I have to work

till 6 in the morning every day.

I swapped cocaine for heroin

15 years ago.

What an a**hole!

A heroin junkie at 50!

Could I be more of a loser?

But I'm not important,

it's her I worry about, I love her.

And I'm no loser there,

I'm a father.

And like all fathers, I'm worried.

What'll she do in a few years?

She can't be a stripper at 50!

- Why don't you fix her up?

- Me?

Don't you know any rich guys

who want a beautiful wife?

We could change her name,

that's no problem.

You'd do me a big favour.

- I'm a writer, not a pimp.

- Sorry, I was a bit vulgar.

Daddy's little girl, this is

my good friend, Jep Gambardella.

I'll leave you to it,

I need the toilet.

Be right back!

- Hi, I'm Jep.

- Ramona.

- If you want a girl, get a Pole.

- Are you kidding?

Who wants a girl?

Not me.

I really am an old friend

of your father's.

- Dad has no friends.

- He used to.

When I came to Rome, I'd wait for

my friends to leave to come here.

Your father was a nice guy.

He taught me loads of things,

such as:
vodka is uncouth.

How useful!

He asked me to find you a husband.

He's obsessed.

I'm not looking for a husband.

Well, you should be.

- A family's a beautiful thing.

- I know.

But I'm not cut out

for beautiful things.

What's wrong?

- I feel old.

- You're no spring chicken.

One.

- How are you?

- Very well.

Just got back from India,

I had amazing dysentery.

Come to my divorce party,

I'll have burlesque dancers there.

Of course.

What present would you like?

One big wish:
for the wars

in the Middle East to end.

- I'll do my best.

- Two

700 euros.

Thank you.

Tell me, darling.

Perhaps...

I was thinking, my mouth...

I'm scared, I've never

done it before, professor.

Don't call me professor.

Call me "my friend" or "my love".

We all need love.

What star sign are you,

deeply intense lady?

- Aquarius.

- I knew it!

Want to go back 30 years, to when

it rained at the end of August?

- Done.

- That's 700 euros.

Three.

- You've been to see Casagrande!

- No, I don't even know him.

You betrayed me, darling!

We're undergoing a journey,

and you've interrupted it.

This is the last time.

Go, go.

Bye then.

- Full price.

- Five.

1,200 euros.

- How's your mom?

- She's fine, thank you.

- Seven.

- 700 euros.

Have you filled out, darling?

You're always in my heart.

700 euros.

- As handsome as ever.

- Ten.

- You're my pride.

- Thanks.

Eleven.

Professor, I'm here about

my hyperthyroidism.

Where does this undesired

perspiration happen?

On my hands.

- Pray for me, sister.

- You don't need my prayers.

You don't know how much of my income

I must surrender to the tax man.

Go, sister, go.

That's 700, sister.

Fourteen.

- Spying on me?

- No, I was going to knock.

- When?

- When you were more relaxed.

- What brings you here?

- Nothing, I'm just curious.

- I told you what I think.

- I've no hidden agenda.

Do you think every guy

who comes near you wants sex?

Perhaps they just want to talk,

driven by simple

and harmless curiosity.

- That's never happened to me.

- It has now.

Wouldn't armbands be more

comfortable?

Yes, but they irritate my armpits.

Any plans for lunch?

I'm going to my mum's with my dad.

So where's the dog?

What dog?

People buy houses like this

so they can have dogs.

I had a Labrador, but 9 years ago

he got fed up and left me.

Labradors are dumb.

And Cooker Spaniels are dumb too.

Hi, Jep.

Hi, Antonello.

- You know Venditti?

- I know everyone.

It must be very satisfying

knowing so many people!

- You're guaranteed to be unhappy.

- Have people let you down?

I've let them down.

Andrea! Are you with your mom?

- She's parking.

- How are you?

Not well.

Proust says that death

may come to us this afternoon.

Proust is scary.

Not tomorrow, not in a year,

but this afternoon.

But it's evening already

so it'd be tomorrow afternoon.

Turgenev said:
"Death looked at me,

noticing me."

Don't take these writers

so seriously!

Who should I take seriously then?

Nothing, apart from the menu,

of course.

Things are too complicated to be

understood by one individual.

Just because you don't understand

doesn't mean nobody can.

- Your reply?

My reply?

- Jep!

- Hello, Viola.

- Good evening.

- Viola.

Darling, why don't you

get a table for us?

How did you find him?

- He's better.

- Good, very good.

He's much better, I'm so happy!

- Dinner on Thursday?

- Of course!

On Thursday I'm inexplicably free.

Did you hear about Valentina Lemme?

She's dating her personal trainer.

Really? It doesn't show.

- I invited her anyway.

- Are you sure?

She's nasty, you know.

She's like the devil!

Really? You think so?

I see her at yoga twice a week.

- You'll come?

- Of course.

- See you Thursday.

- Okay.

Goodbye.

Watch that table carefully, but

don't let them notice you looking.

Waiter? Champagne, please.

Cristal.

You can't imagine

how much one learns

by living alongside

a cluster of religious institutes.

So that was your first time?

Yes, he didn't think he'd been good,

too quick, he said.

So, out of anger or to let off

steam, I'm not sure which,

he got a football

and played with it furiously!

And you?

I didn't enjoy making love with him,

but seeing him with a football

was an unforgettable thing!

He became really good,

he played on the national team.

Your dad said you spend everything

you earn.

What on? You can tell me.

Maybe one day. But why didn't you

write another book?

Because I went out too much

at night.

Rome makes you waste a lot of time.

It's distracting.

Writing requires focus and peace.

Rate this script:0.0 / 0 votes