Odette Toulemonde

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Hello!

Can I help you?

Do you have something to cover redness?

Of course, what kind of redness?

No problem, I've got what you need.

A cover stick.

Come here.

There you are:
you just need to

dab it lightly on the area.

Do you want me to do it?

Oops.. It hurts!.. Hmmm. You should go

and buy a fillet in the basement.

A fillet?

- A fillet. From the meat counter.

It'll make the swelling go down, it's

the best thing when you've been punched.

Ah, but I haven't been punched!

I got hit by a door!

Hmm.. of course you did.

I've been hit in the face by doors before,

when I was in love.

Even more reason to get the fillet.

Go on, you can pay for everything

at the same counter.

Thanks

Oooh - time to go already!

So, Odette, it's the big day?

So? It's the big day?

Tell me... how do I look?

Really! How do I look?

Honestly?

- Honestly!

Like a mother-in-law!

NO!

- Yes! Like a mother-in-law at a wedding.

OK Rudy... I'm staying here.

I'm not going!

But you have to go!

- No! I'm not going.

You've taken a half-day's holiday!

I'll tidy the house.

I've never got time to do it properly.

I've got loads to do...

Come on, it's the only time you'll see him!

This afternoon, or never!

You'll always regret it if you don't.

Voil!

Are you going too?

Pardon?

Nothing!

Pardon?

No no, nothing, sorry.

Speak up a bit please

That side is my bad ear.

I was wondering if this is

the right bus for Brussels.

Obviously! It's the bus for Brussels,

It says so all over the place!

Why? Am I on the wrong bus again?

Oh no no, no no no!

What?

No! Everything's OK!

Pardon?

- I said no:
don't worry, everything's fine!

Everything's fine! Hmm

Everything's fine...

You poor thing!

What do you know!

Aaaah.. Calm down, Odette. Calm down!

Is he here?

- Yes, yes... over there

IT's awful! I'm so impressed,

I don't even dare go over.

Look, there he is!

CAROLE...

Voil! Have a good day Carole!

Gisele..

How much further is it?

Another hour, at least.

I've definitely spent more time signing

books than writing them, overall.

Oh, it's the biggest day of my life!

Meeting Balthazar Balsan

I don't believe it.

I've read all his books. Everything!

I loved them all!

I've only read "Childhood Smile"

- Ah "Childhood Smile", what a lovely book!

My favorites "Budapest Sun".

"Budapest Sun", sad!

I prefer "The Sadness of Whales"

"The Sadness of Whales"?

- Yes!

My daughter bought it for me!

- "The Sadness of Whales"?

That's not one of his! - Yes it is!

Ah no no no! I've read everything by him

but I've never read "The Sadness of Whales".

Well, I have!

Are you going to get him to sign it?

- Yes

Let's see!

Ah! Like I said,

it's by Doris Dormann.

You see, look at the cover.

Oh.. I could have sworn!

I knew he'd never written anything called

"The Sadness of Whales"

Besides, he would never have called a book

"The Sadness of Whales".

Doris Dormann.. Ah..

Perhaps it's one of his pseudonyms!

Yes, and I'm Queen Fabiola.

.. off we go..

Incredible! No men, it's all women!

Why do you think I write?

.. yes, I imagine he's very pleased..

as am I, of course..

Dear Mr. Balsan, I don't just admire your

books, I must say they saved my life.

If I hadn't read them...

So I'm queuing up for nothing!

Just ask him to sign his new one.

His new one?

What's it called?

"The Silence of the Plain"

Is it any good?

Of course, you can never go wrong with

a book by Balthazar Balsan!

"The Silence of Pleasure "

- OF THE PLAIN!

Of the Plain? Oh.

I don't know if I'll like it.

Dear Mr. Balsan...

Let's not be scared of words... Who is it?

It's your Belgian Press Officer.

Do you like her? Shall I introduce you?

- Hmmm

Florence!

Florence, this is Balthazar Balsan.

Hello

- Hello

I'll be looking after you for two days.

I'm counting on it.

So, dear lady, what can I do for you?

Did you bring a book?

Would you like me to sign it for you?

What's your name?

Is it for you?

.. Yes..

So, what is your name?

Your first name?

.. Dette!

Pardon?

...DETTE!

DETTE!

NON!.. DETTE!

Are you ok?

Can you believe it, a woman my age,

who's too stupid even to say her own name?

Voil! You win!

That woman is me!

What is your name?

- Odette!

Actually it's...

How are you Jesus?

I'm ok!

Ah.. It's time!

Ah no, don't put on the TV!

Yes, I want to see what

they're going to say.

Olaf Pims, you wanted to talk to us about

Balthazar Barlan's latest book

Could you tell us whether it's

true that it will be the last...

that at least would be good news.

You seem critical, my dear Olaf

Mr. Thret, from a literary point of view,

It's catastrophic!

It's all quite worrying: the story,

the characters... the style...

To show such lack of talent...

so consistently, so regularly...

you could even call it a performance,

It's almost genius! If it were

possible to die of boredom...

I would have done so last night.

I feel even more awkward saying that,

as I've met Balthazar Balsan at parties,

A polite, friendly man well...

a bit too much like a PE teacher but..

but an individual, someone you can talk to!

In fact, the sort of man

a woman can divorce amicably!

When it's so dependent on clich, Mr. Balsan,

you shouldn't call it fiction!

Perhaps a Dictionary. A dictionary of

ready-made phrases.

This is what your book deserves:

the bin... and quick!

Well then! How do you explain his success?

The weak-minded are allowed

their heroes, too.

Hairdressers, check-out girls, concierges

who collect cuddly toys from fairs

photos of sunsets,

have doubtless found their ideal author.

Well Odette!

Doesn't say much for your taste in writers.

Ah.. I spent the night with him!

With who?

Balthazar Balsan

His latest book; it's great!

Personally, I'd rather spend the night with,

the writer than the book!

I saw his picture!

He's quite good looking.

No! I wouldn't sleep in the bath!

Oh Nadine!

And anyway, intellectuals..

apparently they're nasty in bed.

Nasty?

- Imaginative, I mean.

Tell me, Nadine, didn't you say

that one day you'd like to work...

somewhere else than the magazine aisle?

Maybe!

Because there's an opening...

Oh yeah? Where?

- Womens lingerie.

Bras?

- Yes! Bras.

Listen, Mr. Dargent, it's really nice

of you to think of me...

but I actually love my aisle!

For example, look, here's Balthazar Balsan's

new book, well, I read it last night.

That's great!

I'm sure I'll be able to sell it easily.

Really?

It's odd that no-one ever wants

to work on the bra counter.

Mr. Dargent..

Do you know what happened to our colleague?

Your colleague? RSI.. she preferred to

leave the shop entirely.

RSI.. yikes..

Exactly! They said that

at Chernobyl as well.

While I'm breathing, I'm never going to the

lingerie counter! Do you hear me? NEVER!

Me neither!

Listen, let's not be too dramatic.

If it wasn't dramatic, my editor wouldn't

have got on a train at dawn to meet me here.

You need to give this guy

a wacky image, quickly!

You know very well I'm not like that...

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