The Libertine

FADE IN:

CLOSE ON - A ROLLED UP NEWSPAPER

Swinging in the HAND that carries it. Behind the paper aMARBLE FLOOR becomes an ELEVATOR FLOOR.

The carrier taps the paper against his leg as the elevator

moves.

The elevator floor becomes a CARPETED HALLWAY. The hand

drops the paper in front of a door then reaches into a BAGand pulls out ANOTHER NEWSPAPER.

The carrier walks down the hallway and does this a secondtime, then a third. At the fourth door

INT. BRANDILL TOWERS - HALLWAY - DAY

The paper lands at the feet of DAVE MONROE, 35, a friendlypoliceman doing SUDOKU in a FOLDING CHAIR.

DAVE:

My hand is here.

PEDRO, 28, the newspaper delivery man, answers.

PEDRO:

I like to see you work for it.

(re:
Sudoku)

You on Advanced yet?

DAVE:

They should call the goddamn Mediumlevel Advanced, just to fluff the

ego. Label the next one Genius.

PEDRO:

It's all about celebrating mediocrity,

huh Dave?

Pedro continues down the hall. Dave picks up the paper andopens the door behind him.

INT. MAURICE'S APARTMENT - FRONT HALL - DAY

Dave steps into the swank apartment.

DAVE:

Mr. Lunel-Caspi? I have your paper.

MAURICE LUNEL-CASPI, 60, distinguished, French, andoverbearing, appears in a SILK ROBE.

2.

MAURICE:

He's late. Again.

Maurice grabs the newspaper and looks at the front page,

clearly disappointed in what he sees. He rummages the paperuntil he finds what he wants.

MAURICE (CONT'D)

Page three beneath the fold. A

national insult.

Maurice steps into the

LIVING ROOM:

And cuts out the article. Dave awkwardly watches an ANKLEMONITOR poke out from beneath Maurice's robe.

Maurice tapes the clipping to a WALL COLLAGE of news items.

They read:

-- "Head of French National Assembly Arrested in New Yorkfor Sex Assault."

-- "Maurice Lunel-Caspi: 'I did not attack that maid.'"

-- "MLC suspends campaign for French president"

DAVE:

Any big news?

MAURICE:

Does the most overpaid doorman inNew York want a hot tip to sell thePost?

DAVE:

I'm a police officer.

MAURICE:

Whose job is to sit outside my door.

Dave turns to leave.

MAURICE (CONT'D)

Third page beneath the fold. There's

your answer.

(off Dave's look)

No new news.

DAVE:

Your robe is ugly.

3.

MAURICE:

Remember my lawyer's sending someoneat two.

The door shuts behind Dave.

Maurice stares at the wall, bored. He scratches his ankle.

The skin around the monitor is irritated from his nails.

Maurice flops onto the couch and flips through the paper.

Maurice looks over at an interior DOORWAY. He takes the

newspaper and walks over.

Maurice almost knocks, then fixes his robe and hair. He

knocks.

No answer.

Maurice knocks again.

EDITH (O.S.)

Go away.

Maurice opens the door.

INT. MASTER BEDROOM - DAY

EDITH RIVET, 55, Maurice's commanding wife, rises from herLEATHER CHAIR and marches away from her LAPTOP. She wears a

BUSINESS SUIT and speaks with an ambiguous internationalaccent.

EDITH:

We have one rule in this apartment.

One rule.

MAURICE:

I saw an article you might finduseful.

Edith starts pushing Maurice out of the room.

EDITH:

Wait until I come into the kitchen,

then show it to me. Or, if it can'twait, email me.

MAURICE:

You want me to email you from theliving room?

EDITH:

I want you to walk into the living

room.

4.

MAURICE:

I will if you look at the article.

EDITH:

I'll look at it in the living room.

Maurice makes a courteous gesture toward the door.

MAURICE:

After you.

EDITH:

Cut the gentleman crap and walk infront of me.

Maurice walks ahead.

INT. LIVING ROOM - CONTINUOUS

Maurice steps into the living room. Edith slams the door on

him. Maurice tries to open it. Locked.

MAURICE:

You're a f***ing child, Edith!

EDITH (O.S.)

Keep sweet talking.

Maurice steps away from the door and puts the paper on thetable. He fidgets, sits, stands, and sits.

Edith marches out toward the front door.

MAURICE:

I'll just put the article aside then.

EDITH:

You look like a lazy slob. Why don'tyou get dressed?

MAURICE:

For what? In case I bump into someoneI know in the bathroom?

EDITH:

Just because you can't go outside,

doesn't mean you have to give up onhaving a day. Maybe if you getdressed you'll get some work done onyour book.

MAURICE:

I'll get work done if you look atthe article.

5.

Edith walks over and looks at the paper.

EDITH:

Which one?

Maurice grabs a bejeweled PEN out of Edith's purse and circlesan article. Edith snatches the pen back.

EDITH (CONT'D)

Watch the Visconti.

MAURICE:

Why don't you carry expensive jewelrylike a normal woman?

EDITH:

The pen is mightier than the earring.

Edith drops her pen in her bag and looks at the article.

The headline reads, "Sale of news blog 'The Euro Post' drives

stock price beyond value." Edith brushes it aside.

MAURICE:

They say you're wasting our money.

EDITH:

My money.

MAURICE:

You don't think you should even readit?

EDITH:

If I deem a company worth acquiring,

trust that it is.

Edith puts on her coat and starts to leave.

MAURICE:

I'm going to work from the bedroomtoday.

Edith stops.

EDITH:

If you go in there, I'll know.

MAURICE:

You hid a camera?

EDITH:

I'll smell it on you.

6.

MAURICE:

You're out all day while I'm stuckhere. It doesn't make sense to let

the nice room go to waste.

EDITH:

If we're forced to share an apartmentbecause of your disgusting behavior-

MAURICE:

-I'm a victim of baseless accusation.

EDITH:

Promise me that you won't go in my

room.

Maurice squirms.

MAURICE:

Fine.

EDITH:

(re:
wall collage)

You wouldn't want to separate yourselffrom this monument of self worship.

MAURICE:

You mean my comic collage of slanderleveled against me?

EDITH:

And don't sit around bored all day.

Only boring people get bored by their

own company.

As Edith turns to leave, Maurice reaches under her arm andsteals her Visconti pen out of her purse.

Edith leaves.

Maurice takes the pen and shoves it down his pants. He rubs

the pen back and forth, then takes it out and sniffs it. He

drops the pen on the table with a satisfied grin.

Maurice walks over to the collage and stares at it.

His eyes wander to a PICTURE of him in a New York perp walk.

He has a slight paunch in the photo.

Maurice looks down and sucks in his gut. He holds it for a

second then exhales.

Maurice flops onto the couch and opens his LAPTOP. He tapsthe top of the laptop, too distracted to work. He closes

the laptop. He looks bored.

7.

He picks up the TELEVISION REMOTE and turns on the TELEVISION.

The TV turns onto some bland financial news. Maurice channel

browses until it lands on a news show where a female HOST,

45, is conducting an interview with JAQUELINE LUNEL-CASPI,

26, identified on screen as: "Daughter of MLC and EdithRivet."

JAQUELINE (V.O.)

He's a pig. My father is a pig.

The STUDIO AUDIENCE cheers.

HOST (V.O.)

So in the opinion of MLC's daughter,

MLC is guilty?

JAQUELINE (V.O.)

That's for the jury to decide. I

will say I don't let my friends nearthat snake.

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