Uncut Gems Page #2

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HOWARD:

Hang on a second.

(into intercom)

Joani have you heard from-

PHIL pulls HOWARD away from the intercom and desk.

PHIL:

Enough! It’s not a soap opera!

HOWARD:

Soap opera?!

PHIL:

We’re not here for the drama. Arno is

under the impression you’re living avery rich life.

HOWARD:

I’m glad to hear that. It’s part of myjob to make it look that way.

PHIL:

(TO NICO)

This guy doesn’t get it... lemme backup a second for you... I’m the kind ofguy who likes to get a littlecreative. You know what I mean bycreative?

(beat)

Let’s take, for instance, you looklike a family man. You got a dog?

7.

HOWARD darts a look to NICO.

PHIL (CONT’D)

Let’s start with the dog. Ok? I willsit you down while I literally torturethat animal... Right in front of you.

HOWARD’s listening.

PHIL (CONT’D)

Paint him and douse him with the

slowest burning chemical I can find.

Every hair... The whole thing... ThenI’ll light him on fire, ok?

HOWARD:

Look, this is-

PHIL:

Hold on-then I’m gonna get creative.

You understand that?

NICO approaches Howard.

NICO:

Don’t move.

HOWARD:

Why? What’re you doing?

NICO starts to pat him down, removes the envelope from theBazaar from his inside pocket.

NICO:

What’s this?

HOWARD:

That’s $1200 That’s literally all thecash I have.

PHIL notices HOWARD’s Audemars Piguet watch.

PHIL:

What about this?

HOWARD:

What about it? It’s not mine.

PHIL lets out a loud laugh.

PHIL:

Take the watch.

8.

HOWARD:

It’s not mine! I went halves on this

with Avi down the block. We haven’t

even blinged it out yet.

PHIL:

Take it off.

HOWARD removes the watch and hands it over.

HOWARD:

Ok, happy? We done?

PHIL:

No. We’re gonna be hanging around heretoday.

HOWARD:

Doing what?

PHIL:

Observing. We wanna see for ourselvesjust how ‘barely you’re stayingafloat’.

(beat)

You got a problem with that?

HOWARD:

No, what do I care? You’re gonna seethe exact same thing I’ve been tellingArno for months.

PHIL:

Go talk to your staff. Make sureeveryone’s on the same page.

HOWARD stares at the two of them for a beat then walks out.

EXT. EAST 38TH STREET - 30 MINS LATER

HOWARD walks down the street, dialing a number into thisphone.

HOWARD:

-Arno, what the f*** are you doing??

You’re sending collectors to f*** with

me? Are you out of your f***in’mind???... I’m literally minutes awayfrom closing the biggest deal of mygoddamn life, and with that f***in’money I’m gonna be paying you back you

moron...

(remembering)

(MORE)

9.

HOWARD (CONT'D)

Oh and by the way that watch they tookfrom me is worth 20 thousand dollars.

I want that deducted from the hundred

grand, you understand?!?!... Call meback!

HOWARD walks into a doorman’d building.

INT. HOWARD'S APT BUILDING - 37TH FL - HALLWAY - AFTER

HOWARD steps out of the elevator. Two young women quietly exitan apartment at the far end of the hall. HOWARD approachesthem.

HOWARD:

What’s up ladies?

One of the women, LEXUS, quietly ‘shhhh’s’ him.

HOWARD (CONT’D)

What’s going on???

LEXUS:

She’s sleeping...

HOWARD:

(smiling, repeating)

She’s sleeping...

INT. HOWARD’S APARTMENT - LIVING ROOM - CONTINUOUS

HOWARD enters. The place is a mess from hard partying. HOWARDhears JULIA from the bedroom and angrily approaches.

JULIA (O.S.)

Wait, wait, go back.

(a beat)

No the other one, send me that one.

INT. HOWARD’S APARTMENT - BEDROOM - CONTINUOUS

HOWARD enters into darkness. JULIA (28, New York native] liesin bed next to KAT [Dominican, mid 20s]. They scroll throughpictures on a DSLR camera.

HOWARD:

This is bullshit!

JULIA:

Hey Howie.

10.

HOWARD:

People comin’ in and out of the

apartment... Show up to work anytimeyou damn please?

JULIA:

Howard, I was working all night.

HOWARD:

I’m sick of this sh*t. You’re takingadvantage of me.

HOWARD presses a button on a remote, opening the automaticblackout shades. Harsh invasive light floods the room.

JULIA:

NOOOO!

HOWARD:

It’s 10:
30. It’s time to wake up!

JULIA:

God, you’re so extra.

HOWARD:

You don’t even ask me about myprocedure? I could have colon cancerfor all you know.

JULIA:

You don’t have cancer, Howard, you’rein perfect health. I don’t know about

your mental health but-

HOWARD:

You had a party last night?

JULIA:

We did not have a party! We did ashoot and it turned into a whole thing-

HOWARD:

Why didn’t you call me?

JULIA:

Um, excuse me, I did call you, ataround 9:30, and you said you’d callme back in 5 and I waited for hours-

HOWARD:

That’s cause I fell asleep! I wasputting Beni to sleep

11.

JULIA:

Oh, here we go with the lies.

HOWARD:

(yelling)

I’M NOT LYING! I HAD TO FALL ASLEEP ON

THE FLOOR AGAIN! I’M EXHAUSTED!

JULIA:

Well, I didn’t tell you to have kids.

It’s not my fault you have kids!

HOWARD:

Oh shut the f*** up with that.

JULIA:

Look... Do you want to stay mad or doyou wanna get in bed and cuddle?

HOWARD sulks.

JULIA (CONT’D)

I know you wanna cuddle, Howard. Justcome here... Come here, baby.

A pause. HOWARD reluctantly lays down on the bed.

HOWARD:

I’m so goddamn stressed out.

JULIA:

I know you can’t resist me.

JULIA smothers his face with kisses.

HOWARD:

Stop... You can’t just do that.

JULIA:

Don’t you want to see the photos Itook?

HOWARD:

Sure.

JULIA brandishes her camera.

JULIA:

Wait til you see... I think I reallyhave a future in this.

HOWARD:

How much did you get?

12.

JULIA:

Thirty five hundred.

JULIA scrolls through the photos of the Weeknd decked out in aarray of jewelry. One has him wearing a blinged-out crucifixwith a diamond encrusted Michael Jackson standing in forJesus.

HOWARD:

Who’s this clown?

JULIA:

That’s the Weeknd-

HOWARD:

What the f*** is a “weekend”?

JULIA:

Oh, he’s gonna be major. Even thoughhe’s from Canada.

HOWARD:

Look at those pants, who wears jeanslike that?

JULIA:

Howard, you wouldn’t know. This iswhat’s trending right now.

HOWARD:

He looks stupid.

EXT. CANAL STREET - SOON AFTER

HOWARD walks through a crowded Chinatown street and entersPopular Jewelry’s dingy storefront.

INT. POPULAR JEWELRY - CHINATOWN, NYC - CONTINUOUS

A low-rent jewelry shop off Canal street. EVA SAM and her sonWILLIAM WONG stand behind a showcase surrounded by 24k goldchains and modest bejeweled pendants. HOWARD sells the MichaelJackson pendant to EVA SAM for $23,500 in cash.

INT. NINO’S RESTAURANT - UPPER EAST SIDE - SOON AFTER

HOWARD enters the restaurant. The place is’t open for lunchyet. Waiters are setting up the tables. HOWARD approachesGARY’s table. Gary notices.

13.

GARY:

Oh no! Turn around! Don’t even step inmy place!

HOWARD:

(waving a manillaenvelope)

I got some bets! I got cash!

GARY:

You’re not placing a bet with me.

HOWARD sits down.

HOWARD:

24 grand. You’ll take the 5 I owe youoff the top.

GARY:

Where the f*** would you get 24 g’s?

HOWARD:

Let’s see. I want the OKC/Lakers. Iwant the f***ing over, alright? Withthe under on Kobe-

GARY:

(writing down the bet)

Kobe under.... He can’t even throw it

in the ocean.

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