translation review by Pascale Giorgi
1 INT. BAR - NIGHT
ALBERTO PIATTI (31, electric blue suit, open white shirt) drinks the last sip of his whisky and puts the glass down on the counter.
ALBERTO
You see, Cozzina, I have one only
weakness: vice. What am I supposed
to do? I’ve never hurt anyone. Never.
And you know why? I’ll tell you why!
(takes some money from his pocket)
See this? How much is that...
Thirty. If you have this
you don’t need to hurt anyone.
Anyone! I say... You say no? I’ll
pay you more! Everyone can be bought, you know?
Everybody has a price.
(a pause, takes the glass)
Gimme another. Oh, Cozzina,
did you hear me? Another one! Oh!
The bartender COZZINA (31, with a sweet face) looks at him tenderly, kinda apologetic. Sighs. Turns and disappears to the back.
Alberto curses under his breath, looking down to study the remains of the drink in his glass. He clears his throat loudly. Sliding a hand along the counter, he swings himself around on his stool to face the rest of the room.
The bar is almost empty: at the tables, a pair of COUPLES are talking over empty drinks. Their words reach Alberto as an indistinct murmur punctuated by sincere laughs, annoying him.
Alberto catches the eye of a GIRL (20, mini dress). He smiles and bats his eyelashes, invitingly. She replies with a cute mocking face, quizzical. She hides her mouth, stifling a cough. She quickly looks away and continues talking to her FIANCE (25, athletic, blue jeans).
Alberto looks over at two Spanish guys, JUAN ANTONIO e FELIPE (21 e 27, loose and messy clothes). Going in for a joke.
ALBERTO (CONT'D)
Caballeros! In Spain do they make you
deal with all this bullshit for a
bebida?
JUAN ANTONIO
¿Qué ha dicho este payaso? ¿De qué
está ablando?
FELIPE
Vale, sì, sì. ¡Es tarde!
Alberto shooes them away, as if sending them back to where they came from. Turning back, he leans over the counter. Takes a bottle of whisky and pours himself a drink. He knocks it back and pours himself another.
ALBERTO
(singing to himself)
The night is long… so come along…
The door of the bar opens to the ringing sound of bells.
MORGAN (29, angelic features, with a moustache) and ADELE (26, brunette, green eyes, and a pale blue bomber jacket) enter, arm in arm.
Cozzina looks out from the back room with a broom in hand.
COZZINA
Sorry guys, we're closing up.
I can get you a last drink real quick.
What would you like, a beer?
(to Alberto, under his breath)
Come over here! What are you doing, put that down.
ALBERTO
(perking up)
Morgan! Look who it is! Morgan! How bout giving me a blowjob? I’ll pay you thirty bucks.
Morgan stares back at him without flinching. Adele shudders, nervously.
Manic, euphoric, Alberto gets up off the stool and walks over to them, bottle in hand.
ALBERTO (CONT'D)
What’s wrong? You want fifty? You want fifty blowjobs?
He’s laughing, pleased with himself.
ALBERTO (CONT'D)
(raising his voice)
What do you think, Cozzina? Check out the hunk Adele is fucking!
(to Adele)
Lucky girl!
(to Morgan)
And look at your little moustache, you look just like Antonio Banderas!
Alberto plants a kiss on his lips. Morgan shoves him away.
MORGAN
Piss off, Albertino.
ALBERTO
Huh? Aren’t we friends anymore?
Adele takes the bottle from Alberto and passes it over to Cozzina, who puts it away in the fridge under the bar. She thanks him with a nod. Adele moves back to Morgan.
ADELE
(to Alberto)
What’s the matter with you tonight? Go home.
Alberto ignores her and goes to put his arm around Morgan's shoulders, who wriggles away, annoyed.
MORGAN
The same thing as always. Piatti is a jackass pretending to be a clown.
ALBERTO
Me? I’m a clown? Well you know what you are? You are..a stilt-walker!
(to Adele, spiritedly)
He thinks he’s above everyone else.
ADELE
(pulling Morgan away by the arm)
Let’s go. Don’t encourage him.
ALBERTO
(red in the face)
Wow what a bunch of goody-two-shoes you’ve become!
I’m glad that you turn your nose up at money! Really I am! But I remember when you guys wouldn’t stop crying about it. Both of you!
(to Adele, imitating her)
Please Alberto could you do me a favour, please Alberto I just need a little bit of help this month...
Alberto grabs Adele by the arm, yanking her over.
ALBERTO (CONT'D)
Or am I wrong? Huh? You don’t care about money?
ADELE (coldly) Let me go.
MORGAN (shouting) Stop it!
Morgan pushes him away. Alberto falls face down.
2 INT. - DREAM - NIGHT
Alberto finds himself on his knees, face on the ground.
He lifts up his head and he opens his eyes: he is in a liminal space, dark and empty. A ray of white light illuminates CHRIST: who resembles Morgan, with the same moustache. Blood glistens on his wounds. Under the crown of thorns, his face is serene, with a distant stare. Alberto is crying like a man in the darkest hour of his life.
ALBERTO
I knew it, I knew you were there. I knew that you hadn’t abandoned me. I never hurt anybody, never! So why am I alone? Why doesn’t anybody love me?
Christ glances at him with a severe look.
ALBERTO (CONT'D)
Please, please, tell me to do! I am better than this, I can be
better than this! I swear to you, I
swear to you! I swear!
Alberto crawls: the hands in prayer, desperate. He grovels at the feet of the apparition and lies down, collapsing into loud sobs.
The hand of a MADONNA, her robe the same blue as Adele’s bomber jacket, touches his shoulder.
Alberto opens his eyes: an intense light blinds him.
3 EXT. PARKING LOT - NIGHT
Cozzina is standing over him, smiling. Behind, there’s a dazzling streetlamp.
COZZINA
Come on, I’ll take you home.
His friend takes him by the hand. Alberto gets up murmuring. They start walking.
Alberto shuffles along. Annoyed, he waves his arm around as if trying to swat away a bee. Cozzina just looks at him.
ALBERTO
(mumbling)
Cedrata. From now on, I only drink cedrata.
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