The Moderns Page #3

I'm not posthumous yet, Nathalie,

or hadn't you noticed?

I've noticed little else all evening.

You never answered my question.

- I told you, I can't keep a steady job.

- No, Hart, about being in love.

I've been there.

Then you know the loss one feels

when it leaves.

Been there, too.

We might have a lot in common.

Don't you think?

Look at that painting.

And the other two there.

Of all the works my husband owns,

those are my favorites.

- Do you like them?

- Of course.

Why "of course"?

I was about 12 years old

the first time I saw Czanne.

I was with my father.

Broke into a cold sweat.

Thought I was coming down with malaria.

I see. And that was the moment

you realized you had to become an artist?

Nope. Seems I had pneumonia.

Spent four weeks in bed,

bored out of my mind.

That's when I started drawing.

That part was Czanne's fault.

Then you could copy him?

Not me. I already told Valentin.

Come on, Hart.

It's not as though I was asking you

to commit extortion or murder.

Don't you want to do me a favor

for all the right reasons?

Which are?

Which are life.

Life always presents its best opportunities

in such secret ways...

...that most of us are too busy looking for

something better to even notice.

My husband's like that.

Czanne is the most difficult.

There are only a few decent copies

of his work.

His lines have a life all their own.

- And he was never tempted.

- To do what?

Cheat.

I guess the time it takes

for the paint to dry is our main problem.

There are no problems, Nathalie,

only opportunities.

You see, both Czanne and Modigliani

drew directly on the canvas.

They thinned their paint with turpentine.

The paint dries quicker that way.

- A few weeks, tops.

- Good. Then use the same technique.

I don't have to be in New York for a month.

It takes that long

to institute divorce proceedings.

Do you know what I'm going to do

when I get to New York?

I'm going to donate the originals

to a museum.

I think I missed the part

where I said I was interested, Nathalie.

Hart, you're interested.

If you're in love with something, someone,

you have to surrender to it, you know that.

You know you can do it, Hart.

You know how good you are.

And I think I know how good you can be.

Will you show me, Hart?

I suppose you want to discuss money now?

- $750 American.

- Not enough.

You want more?

This job...

...calls for skill and passion.

A smooth and delicate touch.

Mere expertise is not enough.

You were right about it requiring

a lover's devotion.

After all...

...we both want to be completely satisfied.

How much more?

Just a little.

I won't allow you

to hurt me with this, Hart.

I won't ever allow anyone

to hurt me again.

I don't want to hurt you, Nathalie.

- Quite the opposite.

- Good.

It's a matter of trust.

Trust... Yes.

Good.

Yes!

Hart!

- Bonjour.

- Bonjour, Laurette.

Bonjour, Babette.

Salut, Hart.

Who is this painter Hart?

I was thinking, Bertie,

maybe we should go away this weekend.

That little hotel in Mougins, maybe.

You know,

the one with all the great desserts?

- You think of nothing but your appetites.

- What else should I think about?

Who is he?

He seems quite taken with you.

Taken with me?

Bertie, he slapped me in the face.

He wants you.

It's not unusual.

No, it's more than that.

How could anything be more than that?

I guess you're right.

If you can't trust your wife,

who can you trust?

Here we go.

I'm not laughing!

Hart?

What are you doing?

Working.

- What are you doing?

- Research.

Hart, she wants you to paint her.

Then she wants you to bang her.

And then she wants you to love her.

Bang?

It's easy to be hard-boiled

in the daytime, Hart.

But at night...

Art...

... is only an impression.

Art...

... is only an infection.

Some people get it. Some people don't.

Yes!

Art is only a rumor.

Do you know what "verisimilitude" is?

Where are you going?

C'est la vie.

Voila.

I don't want to be alone tonight.

Don't eat too much chocolate.

You are getting fat.

Do you have anything to drink?

A lot's happened since Chicago, Nicky.

Jesus, Rachel,

you didn't even say good-bye.

We were just kids, Nicky. Just kids.

You were working two jobs, and when

you weren't working, you were painting.

You always had your work, Nicky.

It was like being buried alive.

I wanted more than that.

Did you get it?

For what it's worth.

Worth quite a bit, it looks like.

I got to New York and I realized

I didn't know how to do anything.

Bertie took care of me.

What about love, Rachel?

There's a big difference

between love and passion.

- You know, legally, we're still married.

- I know.

- Does he?

- No.

I never told him.

What should I do?

You could leave him.

- Is that why you think I came here tonight?

- I don't know.

Why did you come here?

I don't know.

What do you want?

Do you know what you want?

Do you?

Nobody knows anything.

- I just wanted to be with you, that's all.

- For how long, Rachel?

You owe me that much. How long?

A night? A couple of nights? A week?

What difference does it make?

You don't own me.

- Nobody owns me.

- I never said I owned you, Rachel.

Christ, I can't even afford you.

That never counted with us, did it?

Did it?

Rachel.

If we start this, we finish on my terms.

Come on.

Rachel, I mean it.

You can't walk in and out of people's lives

like a stray cat.

I need more than that.

- You want me to leave Bertie.

- That's a start.

Nicky, he's crazy. He'll kill us.

Let him try.

We've gone too far to go back now.

This has nothing to do with him.

You haven't gone far enough.

The door's over there.

I guess this wasn't a good idea.

Here. I brought you something.

Maybe you could pay your rent with it.

Laurette?

How about some first-round happiness?

- I'll see you after.

- Don't worry. I'm on the bell.

- Go get 'em, champ.

- Damn it!

You're late.

Bonjour Oiseau, Blackie.

- Hello, Nick.

- Do you have to do this?

Are you kidding?

Wouldn't miss this for anything. Almost.

At least you've given him a chance

to exercise his ego.

I'll go silence the tumultuous throngs.

- How you feeling?

- Like $100.

Listen, I got a plan.

You hit him, and don't let him hit you back.

Jesus, what did you do, get hit by a train?

Listen, if he does hit you back,

don't let him know it hurt you.

What?

Hart doesn't stand a chance.

All right now, remember what I told you.

Come on, Hart. Hit him!

Watch his feet!

I am the only one that rings this bell!

Let him do all the work, Hart.

Let him do it all.

Hit him, Hart!

Yes!

Look what he's doing there.

- That's not fair!

- Ring the bell, buddy.

- What?

- That bell!

- It's not time.

- It's been 10 minutes!

I ring it when it is time to ring it!

Ring that bell!

You're going to have to hurt him.

You hear what I'm telling you?

You're gonna have to hurt him.

Round two.

Use your left.

That's not fair!

Yes!

That's enough!

Hart.

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