Crimes and Misdemeanors Page #5

down the road from your house.

I can be there in five minutes.

I'm going to,

unless you meet me right now.

No, Judah. No, Judah.

No. I wanna talk to you in person,

or I'm coming over.

- Just calm down, OK?

- You said we were going away.

I wanna be alone with you.

And when we get back,

I want you to bring everything

to a conclusion with Miriam.

I can't go on like this! I can't wait for ever!

You don't know what it's like!

Maybe it would help if you

talked to somebody, like a therapist.

Don't trick me, Judah! Christ, I'm shaking.

Listen.

I brought you a birthday present.

I know how much you love Schubert.

Sometimes, when there's real love

and true acknowledgement of a mistake,

there can be forgiveness, too.

I know Miriam.

Her values, her feelings. Our place

among our friends and colleagues.

But what choice do you have

if the woman is going to tell her?

You have to confess the wrong

and hope for understanding.

I couldn't go on living

if I didn't feel with all my heart

a moral structure with real meaning and

forgiveness,

and some kind of higher power.

Otherwise,

there's no basis to know how to live.

And I know you well enough to know that

the spark of that notion is inside you, too.

Could you really go through with it?

What choice do I have, Ben?

Tell me.

Give the people that you've hurt

a chance to forgive you.

Miriam won't forgive me. She'll be broken.

She worships me.

She'll be humiliated before our friends.

This woman plans to make a stink.

- Did you make promises to her?

- No.

Maybe I led her on more than I realised.

She's so emotionally hungry.

- But it's deeper than just Miriam now.

- Meaning financial improprieties?

No.

Maybe I... Maybe I did

make some questionable moves.

Only you would know that, Judah.

I don't any more, Ben.

Sometimes it's worse than...

worse than jail.

It's a human life.

You don't think God sees?

God is a luxury I can't afford.

Now you're talking like your brother Jack.

Jack lives in the real world.

You live in the kingdom of heaven.

I managed to keep free of that real world

but... suddenly it's found me.

You fool around with her for pleasure

and then, when you think it's enough,

you wanna sweep her under the rug?

There's no other solution but Jack's, Ben.

I push one button and

I can sleep again nights.

Could you sleep with that?

Is that who you really are?

I will not be destroyed

by this neurotic woman.

But the law, Judah.

Without the law, it's all darkness.

You sound like my father.

What good is the law if it prevents me

from receiving justice?

Is what she's doing to me just?

Is this what I deserve?

Jack? It's Judah.

I think we should move ahead

with what we discussed.

How much will you need?

Not funny. It's not funny, guys.

No, it's not. You're not thinking funny.

You gotta think with your ear.

Do you understand what I'm telling you?

Here's the difference. It's very easy.

If it bends, it's funny.

If it breaks, it's not funny.

It's very simple. Wait a minute. Here.

- Jeff, this is Alva.

- Hi. Pleased to meet you.

Don't... Don't shoot this part.

Alva will play a small part in the new

series. I don't know what. I just want her.

- It's wonderful. You look great.

- Thank you.

They love you. Wonderful. Be right out.

OK. Don't do that while they're shooting.

It's messing my hair up.

Understand what I'm saying?

Think of Oedipus. Oedipus is funny.

That's the structure of funny, right there.

"Who did this terrible thing?"

"Oh, God - it was me." That's funny.

But the difference is... Not while they're

shooting. What the hell are you doing?

You will notice that what we are aiming at

when we fall in love

is a very strange paradox.

The paradox consists of the fact

that, when we fall in love,

we are seeking to re-find

all or some of the people

to whom we were attached as children.

On the other hand, we ask our beloved

to correct all of the wrongs

that these early parents or siblings

inflicted upon us.

So that love contains in it

the contradiction:

The attempt to return to the past

and the attempt to undo the past.

See? No limos, no bimbos,

no awards or anything.

This guy's just a thinker, an intellect.

I was just thinking, when you show this to

the people that make the final decision,

you should emphasise

his overall view of life.

It's great. It's life-affirming.

They love a positive statement.

See, this is what I need. A little interest

in my work. A little encouragement. It's...

Let me ask you something. I got a bottle

of champagne as a prize, from Paris.

I got honourable mention for a little

documentary I did on leukaemia, and...

- You want some champagne?

- I never say no to champagne, or caviar.

OK. That's perfect. I have no caviar.

I have oat bran. It's better for your heart.

He was very eloquent on the subject

of love, didn't you think?

Yeah. I wish I'd read him

before I got married. You know?

Would've saved me

a gall bladder operation.

- What did you say?

- Nothing.

You know, he wrote a very interesting

book on human relationships.

He speaks very, very highly

of love at first sight.

My ex-husband and I fell in love at first

sight. I should've taken a second look.

No. Actually, it was my fault

as much as his.

I notice you still wear a wedding ring.

Any reason for that?

Well... I don't know. I guess

I'm just not ready to take it off.

It's good. It keeps me

from being asked out on dates.

You must have had a terrible marriage

if you don't want any dates.

Well, no... I mean, he was great.

He was very brilliant. He's an architect.

Real handsome and everything.

But if you're gonna have an affair, not

with my best friend in my four-poster bed.

And they didn't have to finish

all my pistachio nuts.

That inconsiderate?

I hope it hasn't soured you

on marriage or men.

- I can hear myself sounding like a bore.

- Just the opposite. Hello.

Yeah, she's here. How'd you know?

Hold on one second.

It's Lester.

Hello.

Yeah?

Sure, if you want me to.

OK. At the office? At what time?

- Nine?

- Nine o'clock? The building'll be dark.

The floor's dark. There's nobody

at the office. The office is closed.

You'll be in a dark room with Lester.

Yeah, the office is

kind of spooky at nine o'clock.

- Definitely.

- Sure. The hotel's even nearer.

- Don't go to the hotel.

- What was that?

OK. Room 1911. Sure.

OK, I'll see you there. OK.

You're not gonna go to the hotel with him.

It's crazy. I'd better go with you.

- Come on. Don't be ridiculous.

- He won't keep his hands off you.

He'll get you in a room, read you your

Miranda rights and tear your clothes off.

- He wants to produce something of mine.

- Your first child.

I've never been seduced by a guy

who wears loafers and no socks.

- Much less one who says "nucular".

- He also says "foilage".

- I don't like this.

- Why have you got Singin' in the Rain?

It's the one print that I own.

It's a very good 16mm print. I play it every

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