1. “Travel is useful. It exercises the imagination.
All the rest is disappointment and fatigue.Copy !req
2. Our journey is entirely imaginary.
That is its strength.Copy !req
3. It goes from life to death. People,
animals, cities, things - all are imagined.Copy !req
4. It's a novel, just a fictitious narrative.
Littré says so, and he's never wrong.Copy !req
5. Besides, anyone can do it.
You just have to close your eyes.Copy !req
6. It's on the other side of life.”Copy !req
7. Céline - Journey to the End of the NightCopy !req
8. Fire!Copy !req
9. You're a real pain in the ass.Copy !req
10. Enough!Copy !req
11. They even have cocktails
with cherries. Remember?Copy !req
12. He)', jerks!Copy !req
13. I'll fuck you!Copy !req
14. I'll fuck you!Copy !req
15. Have you seen Ermanno?Copy !req
16. - I'm gonna fuck you now, you hear?
- Get lost!Copy !req
17. What the hell are you doing?Copy !req
18. My phone's been stolen!Copy !req
19. I'm starring in two TV dramas.Copy !req
20. Fm Playing a pope in one,Copy !req
21. and in the other a junkie
on the road to recovery.Copy !req
22. Very impressive.Copy !req
23. Any theater work?Copy !req
24. I'm supposed to do
some Shakespeare with Pietro,Copy !req
25. but it has to be
at least three hours long,Copy !req
26. an ambitious project,Copy !req
27. and no more small cities.Copy !req
28. I'm trying to write a theater piece.
The concept is -Copy !req
29. - What about you?
- I might give up acting.Copy !req
30. In this shitty country there are
never any good female roles.Copy !req
31. I'll work on my first novel,
a Proustian piece.Copy !req
32. No kidding!
Proust's my favorite writer.Copy !req
33. Along with Ammaniti.Copy !req
34. What a coincidence.Copy !req
35. Who's that woman?Copy !req
36. You don't know? it's Lorena.Copy !req
37. Who?Copy !req
38. A former TV showgirl, now in full
physical and mental decline.Copy !req
39. I've never seen her before.
But then, I've never had a TV.Copy !req
40. Viola, I know that.Copy !req
41. You remind me
at least once a day.Copy !req
42. - What does she do now?
- Nothing.Copy !req
43. Happy birthday, Jep!Copy !req
44. Happy birthday, Rome!Copy !req
45. Happy birthday, Jep!Copy !req
46. La Colita!Copy !req
47. To this question, as kids,Copy !req
48. my friends always gave
the same answer:Copy !req
49. nCopy !req
50. Whereas I answered...Copy !req
51. “the smell
of old people's houses.”Copy !req
52. The question was...Copy !req
53. “What do you really like
most in life?”Copy !req
54. I was destined
to be a sensitive type.Copy !req
55. I was destined
to become a writer.Copy !req
56. I was destined to becomeCopy !req
57. Jep Gambardella.Copy !req
58. THE GREAT BEAUTYCopy !req
59. You paid no attention
to me tonight.Copy !req
60. Romano, don't start moaning.Copy !req
61. We're not an item.Copy !req
62. - Did you like that guy?
- I like everyone and no one.Copy !req
63. And when it's no one,
it's my turn.Copy !req
64. - Will you take me to the airport?
- Sure! What time do you leave?Copy !req
65. In three hours.Copy !req
66. Three hours?Copy !req
67. Then maybe I better crash
on your sofa -Copy !req
68. Go home.Copy !req
69. I have to pack,
and I don't like people around.Copy !req
70. - But I live so far away.
- See you at 8:00.Copy !req
71. Good night.Copy !req
72. Guys?Copy !req
73. Guys?Copy !req
74. Children!Copy !req
75. Go on.Copy !req
76. Catellani?Copy !req
77. The best, of course.Copy !req
78. I mean,
did Catellani the tailorCopy !req
79. make your suit?Copy !req
80. There was no doubt
as to Malagna's shady intentions.Copy !req
81. The girl had to be rescued
immediately, at all costs.Copy !req
82. Sir, you drank.Copy !req
83. Just enough
to forget my birthday.Copy !req
84. - You want herbal tea?
- Absolutely, chér/e.Copy !req
85. - I got you a present.
- How sweet.Copy !req
86. A lucky charm from my country.Copy !req
87. Good thing it's lucky,
'cause it's ugly as hell.Copy !req
88. Keep it on your nightstand
and stop complaining.Copy !req
89. Verily. And thanks.Copy !req
90. Wake me at 3:00 p.m.,
you rascal.Copy !req
91. Makes me laugh
when you call me that.Copy !req
92. I don't love you!Copy !req
93. Did you enjoy the performance?Copy !req
94. Parts of it.Copy !req
95. That violent head-butt
explains a lot.Copy !req
96. Let's start at the beginning.
- Why not the end?Copy !req
97. You know, Talia Concept
loves to provoke.Copy !req
98. Don't bother. There are more
important things than provoking me.Copy !req
99. And this referring to yourself
in the third person is unbearable.Copy !req
100. What are you reading?Copy !req
101. I don't need to read. I live on vibrations,
including extrasensory ones.Copy !req
102. Setting the extrasensory aside
for a moment,Copy !req
103. what do you mean
by “vibrations”?Copy !req
104. How does one useCopy !req
105. the crude vulgarity of words
to explain the poetry of vibrations?Copy !req
106. Well, try.Copy !req
107. I'm an artist.
I don't need to explain jack shit.Copy !req
108. Then I'll write, “Lives on vibrations
but doesn't know what they are.”Copy !req
109. I'm starting to dislike this interview.
I sense conflict in you.Copy !req
110. - Conflict as a vibration?
- As a pain in the ass.Copy !req
111. Let's discuss how my mother's
boyfriend abused me.Copy !req
112. No! I want to know
what vibrations are.Copy !req
113. They're my radar
for listening in on the world.Copy !req
114. Your radar... meaning?Copy !req
115. You're a pain in the ass.Copy !req
116. We got off to a bad start.Copy !req
117. Talia Concept wants to be interviewed
by your paper. It has lots of readers.Copy !req
118. But you're biased.Copy !req
119. Write about how she has sex
with her boyfriend 11 times a day.Copy !req
120. He's a talented conceptual artist.Copy !req
121. He covers basketballs in confetti.
It's sensational.Copy !req
122. Talia Concept is talking about things
she doesn't understand.Copy !req
123. All I've heard so far
is unpublishable fluff.Copy !req
124. If you think I'll fall for
“I'm an artist, I don't need to explain,”Copy !req
125. you're mistaken.Copy !req
126. Our paper has
a very educated readershipCopy !req
127. that won't be taken for fools.
I work for them.Copy !req
128. Then let me talk
about my eventful and difficultCopy !req
129. but necessary journey
as an artist!Copy !req
130. Necessary for whom?Copy !req
131. For heaven's sake, ma'am,
what is a vibration?Copy !req
132. - I don't know.
- You don't know.Copy !req
133. You're an obsessive jerk!Copy !req
134. I'll tell your editor to send me
a journalist of greater stature.Copy !req
135. A word of advice:
When you speak with her,Copy !req
136. go easy on the stature business.
She's a dwarf.Copy !req
137. Jep, this interview is a hoot!Copy !req
138. Maybe, but it's the last time
I interview someoneCopy !req
139. who head-butts walls.Copy !req
140. - You find out her trick?
- Foam rubber.Copy !req
141. Amateur theatrics never die.Copy !req
142. You weren't offended
by the stature thing, right?Copy !req
143. Don't be silly.
That's the funniest part.Copy !req
144. I'm a dwarf.
Why not say so?Copy !req
145. It's the first and last thing
everyone says about me.Copy !req
146. You're a spectacular woman, Dadina.
You've had the career you deserve.Copy !req
147. But you haven't, Jep.Copy !req
148. Maybe I just don't have
much to say.Copy !req
149. Bullshit. You're just lazy.Copy !req
150. You never leave Rome.Copy !req
151. Go to Giglio and do that report
o n t h e Concord/aCopy !req
152. I've asked you to do 5O times.Copy !req
153. Rice is always tastier reheated
than freshly cooked, eh?Copy !req
154. The old is better than the new.Copy !req
155. Plans tonight, chér/e?Copy !req
156. As the great De Blasi,
my predecessor, would say,Copy !req
157. “Tonight I'm going to have
some nice soup and a good screw.”Copy !req
158. Two things
that contradict each other.Copy !req
159. That's what I'd always say,
and she'd reply, in a serious tone,Copy !req
160. “No, Dadina, they don't,Copy !req
161. because they're both hot.”Copy !req
162. There's a decent-sized
publishing house in AnconaCopy !req
163. that really wants a book
of interviews with you.Copy !req
164. Another interview book?
They interview everyone in this country!Copy !req
165. Can't you just hear them?
“As I always say”... to whom?Copy !req
166. Let's forget it.Copy !req
167. And honestly,
who'll buy a book calledCopy !req
168. Visions and Revisions:
Jep Gambardella's Galaxy?Copy !req
169. It's a serious title!Copy !req
170. And unfortunately, to be taken
seriously in this country,Copy !req
171. you have to take
yourself seriously.Copy !req
172. I only wrote one novel
4O years ago,Copy !req
173. and no bookstore carries it.Copy !req
174. Bullshit! The Human Apparatus
was a masterpiece!Copy !req
175. It even won the -
What was it?Copy !req
176. - The Bancarella prize.
- The friggin' Bancarella!Copy !req
177. You're very kind, but let's drop it.
It'd look too presumptuous.Copy !req
178. No, we can't. You'll put me
in an awkward position.Copy !req
179. I already agreed to it
and accepted an advance.Copy !req
180. - How much?
- 1,500 euros.Copy !req
181. Give it back.
I'll give you the 1,500.Copy !req
182. By the way,
I spoke to the theater people.Copy !req
183. They'll give you three nights,
but you pay for the lights.Copy !req
184. Who cares about that!Copy !req
185. Jep, this is great news.Copy !req
186. Really great news.
Thanks.Copy !req
187. Are you still up?Copy !req
188. It's time for bed.Copy !req
189. That's Viola Bartoli,
Bartoli's widow.Copy !req
190. The guy who was killed,
the actual Bartoli.Copy !req
191. She has a 150-foot yacht
that belonged to Himmler, the nazi.Copy !req
192. You know what I call her?Copy !req
193. - What?
- “Too Good to Poop.”Copy !req
194. - I don't understand.
- Because she's persnickety.Copy !req
195. Usually persnickety people
don't poop.Copy !req
196. When I introduced Trumeau
to my family, my father said,Copy !req
197. “Miss, before marrying my son,
have you ever seen him poop?”Copy !req
198. - That's gross!
- Gross is all in your head.Copy !req
199. My wife and I
are the only couple in loveCopy !req
200. right now in Italy.Copy !req
201. Orietta, watch out for Lello.Copy !req
202. I figured that out.Copy !req
203. He's the world's greatest salesman.
He cons everyone.Copy !req
204. He'll have you buying
his entire inventory in no time.Copy !req
205. He's always flattering me.Copy !req
206. The fact I express myself well
doesn't mean I'm always working.Copy !req
207. - What do you do?
- I sell toys.Copy !req
208. It's not some little
toy shop somewhere.Copy !req
209. He sells wholesale worldwide,
even to the Chinese.Copy !req
210. Who's that guy?Copy !req
211. That's Sebastiano Paf,Copy !req
212. perhaps ltaly's
greatest living poet.Copy !req
213. He wrote the line...Copy !req
214. “Up with life,
down with reminiscence.”Copy !req
215. He's doing the Dukan diet
so that Dadina won't leave him.Copy !req
216. Are they a couple?Copy !req
217. - He thinks so, but -
- Like in high school.Copy !req
218. Why doesn't he ever talk?Copy !req
219. Because he listens.Copy !req
220. - Stop sucking that shit up your nose!
- Fuck off.Copy !req
221. Jep's found a theater for me.Copy !req
222. Want to play the lead?
- I'm not acting anymore.Copy !req
223. I'm a writer now.Copy !req
224. Maybe...Copy !req
225. maybe I'll direct a film.Copy !req
226. Viola, darling.Copy !req
227. Jep, please help me.
I'm worried about my son.Copy !req
228. - What can I do?
- Why don't you talk to him?Copy !req
229. You always say
you're best with strangers.Copy !req
230. We're all best with strangers.Copy !req
231. Is he seeing a therapist?
- Yes, but he wants to stop going.Copy !req
232. Take him to a psychiatrist.Copy !req
233. They don't waste time:
Ativan, Prozac, all that stuff.Copy !req
234. “That stuff”
makes him feel worse.Copy !req
235. Viola, relax.
The boy's always been a bit odd.Copy !req
236. Listen, have you tried
Ahé's escarole pie?Copy !req
237. It's the first time
that rascal's made it,Copy !req
238. and it came out
better than my mom's.Copy !req
239. Do me a favor
and try a piece.Copy !req
240. You changed your hair color.Copy !req
241. I've been feeling
Pirandello-esque lately.Copy !req
242. Great jazz, no?
- Not really.Copy !req
243. The Ethiopian jazz scene is
the only one I find interesting today.Copy !req
244. I'm from Milan.Copy !req
245. To be honest,
I find Romans...Copy !req
246. unbearable.Copy !req
247. The best people in Rome
are the tourists.Copy !req
248. In all of Italy!Copy !req
249. What are we famous for overseas?
Fashion and pizza.Copy !req
250. A country of weavers and grocers.Copy !req
251. How can someone who sells toys,
bringing joy to the world,Copy !req
252. be such a pessimist and a defeatist?
You're so dark.Copy !req
253. - Dark?
- Yes.Copy !req
254. I heard Gisella Montanelli
went to loan sharksCopy !req
255. to pay her hairdressing debts.Copy !req
256. Jep says I'm dark.Copy !req
257. Gisella's really sunk that low?Copy !req
258. Rome is the only city
in the worldCopy !req
259. where Marxism's reached
its full potential.Copy !req
260. You can't excel over others here
for more than a week.Copy !req
261. You're immediately brought back
to the golden mean.Copy !req
262. Rome is pure collectivism.Copy !req
263. Pure collectivism.
Stefa', what utter nonsense!Copy !req
264. You know that Flaubert wanted
to write a book about nothing?Copy !req
265. Too bad he never met you.
It would have made a great book.Copy !req
266. You're a misogynist.Copy !req
267. Stop assuming it's all about you.
I'm not a misogynist. I'm a misanthrope.Copy !req
268. Hear, hear!
With hatred, one must aim high.Copy !req
269. You're a very dark man.Copy !req
270. Lello!Copy !req
271. Not stopping tonight?Copy !req
272. Mama!
When I see you, I blush!Copy !req
273. Andrea...Copy !req
274. you're crazy.
- No, I'm not crazy!Copy !req
275. I've got problems.Copy !req
276. “As the lights flashed,
love sat down in the corner...Copy !req
277. shy and distracted as it was.Copy !req
278. That's why we could
tolerate life no longer.”Copy !req
279. Good heavens,
no one's quoted me in decades!Copy !req
280. I read your book as a teenager.
I never forgot the end.Copy !req
281. Stop right there.Copy !req
282. You're stroking my ego
most recklessly.Copy !req
283. It's obvious you were deeply
in love when you wrote it.Copy !req
284. Moravia made more or less
the same comment,Copy !req
285. though he stated his case
a bit more elegantly.Copy !req
286. I once saw Piazza Navona
covered in snow.Copy !req
287. Really?
What was it like?Copy !req
288. White.Copy !req
289. This is where I stay in Rome.Copy !req
290. Banished to the 'burbs, eh?Copy !req
291. What do you do for work?Copy !req
292. Me? I'm rich.Copy !req
293. Nice work.Copy !req
294. You didn't enjoy it.Copy !req
295. I know I'm not very good.Copy !req
296. Why do you say that?Copy !req
297. Besides,
it's so sad to be good.Copy !req
298. It can become
all about technique.Copy !req
299. You didn't really seem
to be into it.Copy !req
300. You're very beautiful, Orietta.Copy !req
301. Very, very, very beautiful.Copy !req
302. I take pictures of myself,
you know.Copy !req
303. At all hours of the day,
to get to know myself.Copy !req
304. With my phone and its timer.
- Interesting.Copy !req
305. My Facebook friends say
I take great pictures.Copy !req
306. I bet you're naked
in some of them.Copy !req
307. - A few.
- I knew it.Copy !req
308. Want to see them?Copy !req
309. Sure.Copy !req
310. I'll get my computer.Copy !req
311. The most important thing
I discoveredCopy !req
312. a few days after turning 65Copy !req
313. was that I can't waste any more time
doing things I don't want to do.Copy !req
314. When I arrived in RomeCopy !req
315. at the age of 26,Copy !req
316. I fell fairly swiftly,Copy !req
317. almost without realizing it,Copy !req
318. into what might be calledCopy !req
319. “the whirlpool of high society."Copy !req
320. But I didn't just want to be
part of high society.Copy !req
321. Sacconi should be in charge.Copy !req
322. Antonini's
a fucking pain in the ass!Copy !req
323. I wanted to be
the king of high society.Copy !req
324. And I succeeded.Copy !req
325. I didn't want
to just go to parties.Copy !req
326. I wanted the power
to make or break them.Copy !req
327. Gambardella?Copy !req
328. Forgive my showing up
like this without notice.Copy !req
329. I'm Alfredo Marti.Copy !req
330. Nice to meet you. I'm Jep.
But I live over here.Copy !req
331. No, I don't want to bother you.Copy !req
332. How can I help you?Copy !req
333. I'm Elisa De Santis's husband.Copy !req
334. Did you have children?Copy !req
335. No.Copy !req
336. I couldn't.Copy !req
337. I could.Copy !req
338. I could.Copy !req
339. I'm sorry.Copy !req
340. I'm sorry.Copy !req
341. She could have too.Copy !req
342. Elisa died.Copy !req
343. Yesterday.Copy !req
344. Alfre', if I can help in any way.
you know where I live.Copy !req
345. Don't leave me alone.
Please don't leave me alone.Copy !req
346. We were married for 35 years,Copy !req
347. but Elisa always loved you.Copy !req
348. What are you talking about?Copy !req
349. Elisa and I went out together
when we were kids.Copy !req
350. In fact, I think she left me,
but it was so long ago I can't -Copy !req
351. Yes, she left you.Copy !req
352. On September 8th, 1970.Copy !req
353. Exactly.Copy !req
354. You're distraught now.
That's normal.Copy !req
355. I'm not distraught.Copy !req
356. Elisa only loved
one man in her life.Copy !req
357. You.
- How can you say that?Copy !req
358. I never saw Elisa again.
You two spent a lifetime together.Copy !req
359. I found a diary of hers,
with a lock.Copy !req
360. And I broke the lock off.Copy !req
361. Alfredo, I write for a living.Copy !req
362. Believe me...Copy !req
363. when you write, you give life
to fantasies, imagination, lies.Copy !req
364. I was just a good companion.Copy !req
365. That's all she wrote about me.Copy !req
366. Thirty-five years together...Copy !req
367. and I'm mentioned in two lines
as a good companion.Copy !req
368. Here.Copy !req
369. What will you do now?Copy !req
370. What I've always done.Copy !req
371. I'll go on worshipping her.Copy !req
372. What's he doing?Copy !req
373. Stop!Copy !req
374. Jep!Copy !req
375. You did it!Copy !req
376. - Have you seen my daughter?
- Your daughter? No.Copy !req
377. Francesca.Copy !req
378. Who are you?Copy !req
379. Who am I?Copy !req
380. I am -
- You're nobody.Copy !req
381. Nobody?Copy !req
382. But I-Copy !req
383. Francesca,
where on earth are you?Copy !req
384. I've been looking for you
for an hour.Copy !req
385. - Are you sad, sir?
- No.Copy !req
386. Sir feels strange.Copy !req
387. I don't like.
I prefer Sir be sad.Copy !req
388. Are you going to bed?
- Last night I went to bed at 10:30.Copy !req
389. Now I don't know what to do.Copy !req
390. Morning is
an unknown quantity to me.Copy !req
391. Unknown.Copy !req
392. Then Sir can help me
clean the house.Copy !req
393. - Sir can't. Sir feels strange.
- Sir is a rascal.Copy !req
394. “Is there a new nation
stirring within the city walls?Copy !req
395. From the crevices of that soil
a feverish vapor ascends like smokeCopy !req
396. and works like a magic philter
in the blood of certain men,Copy !req
397. producing a form
of heroic madnessCopy !req
398. unlike any other.”Copy !req
399. What do you think?
Friggin' powerful, right?Copy !req
400. Why the hell adapt
D'Annunzio for the stage?Copy !req
401. D'Annunzio's
always been paradigmatic -Copy !req
402. You think these intellectual
acrobatics lend you dignity,Copy !req
403. that others are better than you,
but you're wrong.Copy !req
404. Try and write something
truly your own...Copy !req
405. about a feeling, or sorrow.Copy !req
406. You know, you've never
been to my place.Copy !req
407. Your “place”?
You have a room in student housing.Copy !req
408. You going out with that sourpuss
you're always with?Copy !req
409. I wish.
I've tried 7,000 timesCopy !req
410. and never got a single kiss.Copy !req
411. - She's a bitch.
- No, she's not.Copy !req
412. She's complicated.Copy !req
413. She's a bitch.
Trust me. You're too kind.Copy !req
414. I can tell her type a mile off.
No need to even meet them.Copy !req
415. - What are you doing?
- My morning exercise.Copy !req
416. - That's exercise?
- Yes.Copy !req
417. Have you ever counted
the women you've been with?Copy !req
418. No, I'm terrible at math.Copy !req
419. I've always been great at math.Copy !req
420. But I know you've had six.
I introduced you to all of them.Copy !req
421. Seven.Copy !req
422. Seven?Copy !req
423. When was number seven?
- Last summer.Copy !req
424. A friend of my sister's,
when I visited back home.Copy !req
425. She has a men's shop.Copy !req
426. She's nice.Copy !req
427. That means she's a dog.Copy !req
428. What about you and Orietta?Copy !req
429. - Who's Orietta?
- Who's Orietta?Copy !req
430. She was at your place
the other night.Copy !req
431. A real beauty.Copy !req
432. At my age,
a beautiful woman isn't enough.Copy !req
433. I might start writing again.Copy !req
434. That's great news!Copy !req
435. Did something happen?Copy !req
436. Why?Copy !req
437. If you want to write again
after all these years,Copy !req
438. something happened.Copy !req
439. Somethings always happening in Rome.
Nothing happened.Copy !req
440. What are you looking at?Copy !req
441. Come here.Copy !req
442. They met at the university
ten days ago.Copy !req
443. They've been kissingCopy !req
444. nonstop for ten days.Copy !req
445. This generation
of young people horrifies me.Copy !req
446. The state supports them
for years,Copy !req
447. but when they realize they have half
a brain, they're off to study or workCopy !req
448. in America or London.Copy !req
449. They have no civic vocation.Copy !req
450. As a young girl, in the occupied Arts
Department, I oozed civic vocation.Copy !req
451. - You oozed civic vocation?
- Yes, why?Copy !req
452. - Come off it.
- What do you know?Copy !req
453. You were loafing
around Naples with rich girlsCopy !req
454. and writing your only novelette.Copy !req
455. I didn't realize history
was being made.Copy !req
456. Novelette?Copy !req
457. It was a masterpiece
of Italian literature.Copy !req
458. Jep and civic vocation
never got along.Copy !req
459. He was lazy,
civic vocation was hyperactive.Copy !req
460. Romano, stop sucking up
to your idol. You're pathetic.Copy !req
461. The Human Apparatus
was narrow-minded,Copy !req
462. frivolous, and as pretentious
as its title, and Jep knows it.Copy !req
463. That's why he stopped there.Copy !req
464. Sorry, and what about you?Copy !req
465. I tried changing things
through literature.Copy !req
466. I wrote 11 socially engaged novelsCopy !req
467. and a book
on the official history of the Party.Copy !req
468. Don't forget your contribution
to that reality show -Copy !req
469. Girl Farm.Copy !req
470. Television can be
a very formative experience.Copy !req
471. And when I'm invited
somewhere, I go.Copy !req
472. I get my hands dirty.
I try things.Copy !req
473. I don't spend my life
being a snob.Copy !req
474. Are you saying
a socially engaged writerCopy !req
475. gets some sort of free pass
compared to a novelistCopy !req
476. who deals with -
I don't know - feelings?Copy !req
477. Of course she is!Copy !req
478. The cause someone commits
their life to isn't secondary.Copy !req
479. Like having a family,Copy !req
480. sacrificing oneself day in and day out
to raise one's children.Copy !req
481. Eusebio and I have four children.
We plan the future together.Copy !req
482. I break my back to be
both mother and woman,Copy !req
483. and at the end of the day I feel
I've done something important.Copy !req
484. So those of us without childrenCopy !req
485. should consider suicide?Copy !req
486. - I don't mean you, of course.
- She means me.Copy !req
487. Dadina, I admire you greatly.
You're a real badass.Copy !req
488. Do you use “badass”
in your novels?Copy !req
489. Yes, I do.Copy !req
490. I try to be modern.Copy !req
491. - Modernity is badass.
- De gust/bus...Copy !req
492. Such conviction!Copy !req
493. I don't know whether to feel
jealous or appalled.Copy !req
494. Yes, I have convictions.
I'm 53 -Copy !req
495. - You'd never know it.
- Never.Copy !req
496. I'm 53. I've suffered,
but I've bounced backCopy !req
497. and learned a lot about life.Copy !req
498. At last -
no further response.Copy !req
499. I was drinking.Copy !req
500. No response
because we're fond of youCopy !req
501. and don't want
to embarrass you,Copy !req
502. but all this boasting,Copy !req
503. all this earnest showing off,
all this “me, me, me”...Copy !req
504. and all these sweeping
condemnationsCopy !req
505. hide a certain fragility
and uneaseCopy !req
506. and above all
a whole series of untruths.Copy !req
507. We care about you,
and we know our own untruths,Copy !req
508. and that's why, unlike you,Copy !req
509. we end up talking
about inane nonsense,Copy !req
510. because we have no intention
of facing our own pettiness.Copy !req
511. What untruths?Copy !req
512. Everything I said is true.
It's what I am, what I believe in.Copy !req
513. Please, I consider myself a gentleman.
Don't take away that only certainty.Copy !req
514. No, my friend. I want to hear it all:
What fragility? What untruths?Copy !req
515. I'm a woman with balls.
Out with it.Copy !req
516. “A woman with balls” would be
too much for any gentleman.Copy !req
517. Very well. You asked for it.
In random order:Copy !req
518. No one remembers your “civic vocation”
during your student days,Copy !req
519. whereas many recall
another vocation of yours,Copy !req
520. one that took place
in the university restrooms.Copy !req
521. You wrote about the Party because
you were its leader's mistress.Copy !req
522. And your 11 novels,Copy !req
523. brought out by a small publisher
subsidized by the PartyCopy !req
524. and reviewed by minor,
Party-affiliated newspapers,Copy !req
525. are insignificant.
Everyone says so.Copy !req
526. I'm not saying
my novelette was any better.Copy !req
527. I agree with you there.Copy !req
528. As for your relationship
with Eusebio -Copy !req
529. what relationship?
Eusebio loves Giordano.Copy !req
530. Everyone knows that.
He has for years.Copy !req
531. They eat together every day
at Arnaldo's, next to the coat rack,Copy !req
532. like sweethearts under an oak tree.
But you and Eusebio keep pretending.Copy !req
533. As for your dedication to your children
and all the sacrifices entailed...Copy !req
534. you work all week in TV, you go out
every night, including Mondays,Copy !req
535. when even popper dealers
don't venture out.Copy !req
536. You're never with your children,Copy !req
537. even on your long vacations.Copy !req
538. Plus you have
a butler, a waiter...Copy !req
539. a cook...Copy !req
540. a chauffeur who drives
the kids to school...Copy !req
541. and three babysitters.Copy !req
542. So how and when exactly
do you make any sacrifices?Copy !req
543. These are the untruths
and the fragility I mean.Copy !req
544. Stefa',
mother and woman.Copy !req
545. You're 53,
with a life in tatters,Copy !req
546. like the rest of us.Copy !req
547. So instead of lecturing us
and treating us with contempt,Copy !req
548. you should look at us
with affection.Copy !req
549. We're all on the brink
of despair.Copy !req
550. We can only look each other in the face,
keep each other company,Copy !req
551. kid each other a bit.Copy !req
552. Don't you agree?Copy !req
553. Son of a bitch!Copy !req
554. Egidio!Copy !req
555. You bastard!
I haven't seen you in 3O years!Copy !req
556. - I gotta talk to you.
- Later. Can't you see I'm busy?Copy !req
557. - Is this still your place?
- No, thank God, but I still manage it.Copy !req
558. You made it big!
You're always in the gossip rags.Copy !req
559. All the VIP parties.
A different girl every night.Copy !req
560. But you never come here.Copy !req
561. Get lost, will you?
We're having a serious talk.Copy !req
562. - Are you married?
- Married, divorced.Copy !req
563. - I've got a daughter, Ramona.
- Did you have to call her Ramona?Copy !req
564. You artists are all the same.Copy !req
565. I tell you I have a daughter,
and you moan about her name.Copy !req
566. What's wrong with “Ramona”?Copy !req
567. Nothing. It just sounds
a bit pretentious.Copy !req
568. There she is now.Copy !req
569. She makes me so mad.
I've told her a million times.Copy !req
570. “You're too old for this.”Copy !req
571. These hot young Polish girls
rule the scene now.Copy !req
572. They're experts at turning tricks.Copy !req
573. She's 42 and she wants to be
a sophisticated stripper.Copy !req
574. But the world's no longer
sophisticated. Right, Jep?Copy !req
575. Right.
Only you and I are.Copy !req
576. That's right, goddamn it!Copy !req
577. But she wants to keep
doing this for the money.Copy !req
578. I don't know why she needs it,
what she does with it.Copy !req
579. - Drugs?
- I wish. We'd have a common interest.Copy !req
580. No, she doesn't even
drink beer.Copy !req
581. I don't know
what she spends it on.Copy !req
582. She's always broke.
Do I sound like a loser?Copy !req
583. No, why?Copy !req
584. I can hear myself talk.
I sound like a loser.Copy !req
585. I'm nearly 70 and I have to work
till 6:00 a.m. every day.Copy !req
586. I swapped cocaine
for heroin 15 years ago.Copy !req
587. What an asshole!
A heroin junkie at 50!Copy !req
588. Could I be more of a loser?Copy !req
589. But I don't matter.Copy !req
590. It's her I worry about.
I love her.Copy !req
591. And I'm no loser there.
I'm a father.Copy !req
592. And like all fathers, I'm worried.Copy !req
593. What'll she do in a few years?Copy !req
594. She can't be a stripper at 50!Copy !req
595. Why don't you fix her up?
- Me?Copy !req
596. Don't you have any rich friendsCopy !req
597. looking for a beautiful wife?Copy !req
598. We could change her name.
That's no problem.Copy !req
599. You'd be doing me a big favor.Copy !req
600. - I'm a writer, not a pimp.
- Sorry, that was kinda crass.Copy !req
601. Daddy's little girl!Copy !req
602. This is my good friend,
Jep Gambardella.Copy !req
603. You two get acquainted.
I need to use the bathroom.Copy !req
604. I'll be right back.Copy !req
605. - It's a pleasure. I'm Jep.
- Ramona.Copy !req
606. If you want a girl, get a Pole.Copy !req
607. Are you kidding?Copy !req
608. Who said anything
about a girl? Not me.Copy !req
609. I really am an old friend
of your father's.Copy !req
610. - Dad has no friends.
- He used to.Copy !req
611. When I came to Rome, I'd wait
for my friends to leave to come here.Copy !req
612. Your father's a nice guy.
He taught me a lot.Copy !req
613. For example,
that vodka is uncouth.Copy !req
614. Dad knows
a lot of useless stuff.Copy !req
615. He asked me
to find you a husband.Copy !req
616. It's an obsession with him,
but I'm not looking for a husband.Copy !req
617. You should.Copy !req
618. Family's a beautiful thing.
- That's true.Copy !req
619. But I'm not out out
for beautiful things.Copy !req
620. What's wrong?Copy !req
621. I feel old.Copy !req
622. You're no spring chicken.Copy !req
623. Madame Ardant.Copy !req
624. One.Copy !req
625. - How are you?
- Very well.Copy !req
626. Just back from India.
I had the most amazing dysentery.Copy !req
627. Come to my divorce party.
There'll be burlesque dancers on elephants.Copy !req
628. Sure. What would
you like for a present?Copy !req
629. Just one great wish:
an end to war in the Middle East.Copy !req
630. - I'll do my best.
- Two.Copy !req
631. Seven hundred euros.Copy !req
632. Tell me, darling.Copy !req
633. I was thinking
perhaps my mouth.Copy !req
634. I'm soared. I've never
clone this before, Professor.Copy !req
635. Don't call me “professor.”Copy !req
636. Call me
“my friend” or “my love.”Copy !req
637. We all need love.Copy !req
638. What sign are you,
deeply intense lady?Copy !req
639. - Aquarius.
- I knew it.Copy !req
640. Want to go back 3O years, to when
it always rained in late August?Copy !req
641. Done.
- That's 700.Copy !req
642. Three.Copy !req
643. - You've been to see Casagrande.
- No, I don't even know him.Copy !req
644. You've betrayed me, darling.Copy !req
645. We're on a journey
together here,Copy !req
646. and you've interrupted it.Copy !req
647. This is the last time.Copy !req
648. Go on.Copy !req
649. Bye then.Copy !req
650. - Full price.
- Five.Copy !req
651. 1,200 euros.Copy !req
652. - How's your mom?
- Fine, thanks.Copy !req
653. - Seven.
- That's 700.Copy !req
654. You look a bit swollen.Copy !req
655. You're always in my heart.Copy !req
656. Seven hundred.Copy !req
657. - As handsome as ever.
- Ten.Copy !req
658. - You're my pride and joy.
- Thanks.Copy !req
659. Eleven.Copy !req
660. Professor, I'm here
about my hyperhidrosis.Copy !req
661. Where does this undesired
perspiration happen?Copy !req
662. On my hands.Copy !req
663. - Pray for me, Sister.
- You don't need my prayers.Copy !req
664. You don't know
how much of my incomeCopy !req
665. goes to the tax man.Copy !req
666. Go on, Sister.Copy !req
667. That's 700, Sister.Copy !req
668. Fourteen.Copy !req
669. - You spying on me?
- No, I was going to knock.Copy !req
670. - When?
- When you were more relaxed.Copy !req
671. - What brings you here?
- Nothing. Simple curiosity.Copy !req
672. - I told you what I think.
- I have no hidden agenda.Copy !req
673. You think every guy
who comes near you wants sex?Copy !req
674. Couldn't they just want to talk,Copy !req
675. driven by a simple
and harmless curiosity?Copy !req
676. - That's never happened before.
- It has now.Copy !req
677. Wouldn't armbands
be more comfortable?Copy !req
678. Sure, but they irritate
my armpits.Copy !req
679. You have plans for lunch?Copy !req
680. I'm going to my mom's
with my dad.Copy !req
681. Where's the dog?Copy !req
682. What dog?Copy !req
683. People buy houses like this
so they can have dogs.Copy !req
684. I had a Labrador,Copy !req
685. but nine years ago
he got fed up and left.Copy !req
686. Labradors are dumb.Copy !req
687. So are cooker spaniels.Copy !req
688. Hi, Jep.Copy !req
689. Hi, Antonello.Copy !req
690. - You know Venditti?
- I know everyone.Copy !req
691. It must be nice
knowing so many people.Copy !req
692. It's a sure way to be unhappy.Copy !req
693. Have people let you down?Copy !req
694. I've let them down.Copy !req
695. Andrea.
You here with your mom?Copy !req
696. - She's parking.
- How are you?Copy !req
697. Not well.Copy !req
698. Proust says that death
may come to us this afternoon.Copy !req
699. Proust is scary.Copy !req
700. Not tomorrow, not in a year,
but this very afternoon.Copy !req
701. It's already evening,
so it'd be tomorrow afternoon.Copy !req
702. And Turgenev said,
“Death cast his gaze my way.”Copy !req
703. Don't take
these writers so seriously.Copy !req
704. Who should I take seriously then?Copy !req
705. No one and nothing.
Except the menu, of course.Copy !req
706. Things are too complicated
for one individual to understand.Copy !req
707. Just because you don't understand
doesn't mean nobody can.Copy !req
708. - Your reply?
- What can I say?Copy !req
709. - Jep!
- Hello, Viola.Copy !req
710. - Good evening.
- Viola.Copy !req
711. Darling, why don't you
get us a table?Copy !req
712. How did he seem to you?Copy !req
713. He's better.
- Better.Copy !req
714. He's much better.
I'm so happy.Copy !req
715. Dinner on Thursday?
- Of course.Copy !req
716. Thursday
I'm inexplicably free.Copy !req
717. Did you hear
about Valentina Lemme?Copy !req
718. She's dating
her personal trainer.Copy !req
719. Really?
It doesn't show.Copy !req
720. - I invited her anyway.
- Are you sure?Copy !req
721. That woman's evil, like the devil.Copy !req
722. Really? How can that be?Copy !req
723. I see her at yoga
twice a week.Copy !req
724. Anyway, you'll come?
- Of course.Copy !req
725. - See you Thursday.
- Okay.Copy !req
726. Good-bye.Copy !req
727. Keep your eye on that table,Copy !req
728. but don't let them
catch you watching.Copy !req
729. Waiter?Copy !req
730. Champagne, please.
Cristal.Copy !req
731. You can't imagine
how much one learnsCopy !req
732. living amid a cluster
of religious institutions.Copy !req
733. So that was your first time?Copy !req
734. Yes. He didn't think
he'd been any good.Copy !req
735. Too quick, he said.Copy !req
736. So out of anger or to let off steam -
I'm not sure which -Copy !req
737. he played with a soccer ball
like a madman for an hour.Copy !req
738. What did you do?Copy !req
739. I didn't enjoy
making love with him,Copy !req
740. but watching him show off
like that was unforgettable.Copy !req
741. He got really good.
He played on the national team.Copy !req
742. Your dad said you spend
everything you earn. What on?Copy !req
743. You can tell me.Copy !req
744. Maybe one day I'll tell you.Copy !req
745. But why didn't you ever write
another book?Copy !req
746. Because I went out
too much at night.Copy !req
747. Rome can really
waste your time.Copy !req
748. It's distracting.
Writing takes focus and quiet.Copy !req
749. That's not much of an answer.Copy !req
750. You have peace and quiet here.
It's like being in the country.Copy !req
751. I wrote in short spurts...Copy !req
752. sprinter-style.Copy !req
753. I told you
about my first time...Copy !req
754. but you've told me nothing.
it's your turn now.Copy !req
755. On an island one summer.Copy !req
756. I was 18. She was 20.Copy !req
757. At the lighthouse, at night.Copy !req
758. I went to kiss her.
She turned her face away.Copy !req
759. I was disappointed.Copy !req
760. But then she turned
to look at me.Copy !req
761. She brushed my lips.Copy !req
762. She smelled of flowers.Copy !req
763. I didn't move.Copy !req
764. I couldn't have moved.Copy !req
765. Then she took a step backCopy !req
766. and said -Copy !req
767. She stepped back...Copy !req
768. and said...Copy !req
769. I'm going home. It's late.Copy !req
770. Want to go to a party with me
tomorrow night?Copy !req
771. Outstanding!Copy !req
772. Were you trying
to kill us all with anxiety?Copy !req
773. You may not believe this,
but I love knife throwers.Copy !req
774. A true likeness,
especially the hips.Copy !req
775. A masterpiece, Geronimo.
It'll look great above the mantelpiece.Copy !req
776. God bless you, Jep!Copy !req
777. This is Ramona.Copy !req
778. What a unique
and marvelous creature.Copy !req
779. - Is he putting me on?
- Hard to say.Copy !req
780. I meant it.Copy !req
781. I'm just sorry
you missed Geronimo D.Copy !req
782. We'll get over it.Copy !req
783. Make yourselves at home.Copy !req
784. - Who is that asshole?
- Lillo De Gregorio...Copy !req
785. the greatest modern art collector
in this country of degenerates.Copy !req
786. What's Jep's
floozy friend wearing?Copy !req
787. I don't know.Copy !req
788. Jep's becoming
a bit of a disappointment.Copy !req
789. - Good evening, Countess.
- Hello. You're looking well.Copy !req
790. I wish I could say
the same for the count.Copy !req
791. Hello, ladies.Copy !req
792. Are you crazy?
You're distracting my artist.Copy !req
793. Dad, we're having fun.Copy !req
794. Carmelina,
come do a little work.Copy !req
795. Morn, I want to play here.Copy !req
796. - Has this human being gone mad?
- We'll work this out.Copy !req
797. - I'm staying here.
- You realize what you're saying?Copy !req
798. Europe's greatest
gallery owners are outside.Copy !req
799. If you show them what you can do,
ours will be a happy family.Copy !req
800. I'm happy now,
and I want to be a vet.Copy !req
801. Off to bed, you two.Copy !req
802. See that?
My kids are going to bed.Copy !req
803. Come on.Copy !req
804. Then I'll go to bed too.
I'm a kid too.Copy !req
805. She blushes and says,
“Forgive me.Copy !req
806. I didn't realize
you loved me so much.Copy !req
807. My ignorance is obscene.”Copy !req
808. He looks at her
reassuringly and says,Copy !req
809. “Let me plead for our love.”Copy !req
810. How's that for the start
of the second act?Copy !req
811. It's a pile of shit.Copy !req
812. That little girl was crying.Copy !req
813. What are you talking about?
That little girl earns millions.Copy !req
814. Excuse me a moment.Copy !req
815. Hi, Stefano.Copy !req
816. Hi, Jep.Copy !req
817. - Caterings gone downhill.
- Rome's gone downhill.Copy !req
818. Straight downhill.Copy !req
819. Do you have
your case with you?Copy !req
820. - Always.
- You up for it?Copy !req
821. See that?Copy !req
822. Stefano has the keysCopy !req
823. to the most beautiful
buildings in Rome.Copy !req
824. - Is he a doorman?
- No.Copy !req
825. He's not a doorman.Copy !req
826. He's friends with princesses.Copy !req
827. Ready?Copy !req
828. Come with me.Copy !req
829. Good evening, Princesses.Copy !req
830. Good evening.Copy !req
831. How come you have
all these keys?Copy !req
832. Because...Copy !req
833. I'm a trustworthy person.Copy !req
834. You see that? It looked huge,
but it's actually tiny.Copy !req
835. Stand still
while I take your picture.Copy !req
836. That one was no good.
Smile.Copy !req
837. You got it?Copy !req
838. Now I do.Copy !req
839. Many people think
that a funeralCopy !req
840. is a random event,
with no rules.Copy !req
841. That isn't true.Copy !req
842. A funeral is the high-society event
par excellence.Copy !req
843. You must never forget
that at a funeral...Copy !req
844. you're appearing onstage.Copy !req
845. Nice.Copy !req
846. But I'd try
the other one on too.Copy !req
847. You must wait patientlyCopy !req
848. until family members have
freed themselves from the throng.Copy !req
849. Once you've made certain
your audience is seated,Copy !req
850. only at that point may you
offer your condolences.Copy !req
851. This way everyone will see you.Copy !req
852. You take
the grieving relative's hands,Copy !req
853. or you place your hands
on their arms.Copy !req
854. You whisper something
in their ear,Copy !req
855. a comforting phrase
uttered with authority.Copy !req
856. For example...Copy !req
857. “In the days to come,Copy !req
858. when a great emptiness
comes over you,Copy !req
859. know that you can
always count on me.”Copy !req
860. The public will wonder...Copy !req
861. “What's Jep Gambardella saying?”Copy !req
862. This is definitely
the right dress.Copy !req
863. You're allowed to retireCopy !req
864. to a corner by yourself,Copy !req
865. as if to contemplate
your own grief.Copy !req
866. But here too
great shrewdness is called for.Copy !req
867. The spot chosen
must be isolatedCopy !req
868. yet clearly visible
to the public.Copy !req
869. Furthermore,
a good performanceCopy !req
870. is devoid
of all extraneous elements.Copy !req
871. Thus the fundamental rule:Copy !req
872. One must never cry
at a funeral...Copy !req
873. for one must never upstage
the family's sorrow.Copy !req
874. That is forbidden...Copy !req
875. because it's immoral.Copy !req
876. Viola.Copy !req
877. In the days to come,Copy !req
878. when a great emptiness
comes over you...Copy !req
879. know that you can always
count on me.Copy !req
880. I now ask Andrea's friends
to come forward...Copy !req
881. so that the coffin
may be carried outside.Copy !req
882. Your back!Copy !req
883. It was nice not making love.Copy !req
884. It was nice loving each other.Copy !req
885. I'd really forgotten
what loving someone was about.Copy !req
886. I spend all my money
on medical treatments.Copy !req
887. Your breakfast.Copy !req
888. Get up. I'm taking you to see
a sea monster today.Copy !req
889. Your breakfast.Copy !req
890. Five more minutes.Copy !req
891. You see the sea?Copy !req
892. Where?Copy !req
893. On the ceiling.Copy !req
894. Yes, I see it.Copy !req
895. Who'll look after you now?Copy !req
896. I'm sorry about your daughter.
My condolences.Copy !req
897. I've spent all my summersCopy !req
898. making plans for September.Copy !req
899. No longer.Copy !req
900. Now I spend the summerCopy !req
901. remembering plans I'd made
that faded awayCopy !req
902. due partly to lazinessCopy !req
903. and partly to carelessness.Copy !req
904. What's wrong
with feeling nostalgic?Copy !req
905. It's the only distraction left for those
who have no faith in the future.Copy !req
906. Without rain...Copy !req
907. August is coming to an end,Copy !req
908. and September isn't yet here.Copy !req
909. And I'm so ordinary.Copy !req
910. But there's no need to worry.Copy !req
911. It's all right. It's okay.Copy !req
912. Thank you.Copy !req
913. Jep!Copy !req
914. What are you doing here?Copy !req
915. Arturo.Copy !req
916. Why are you here?Copy !req
917. Can't you see?
I'm rehearsing my magic show.Copy !req
918. This is tomorrow's special number:
the disappearing giraffe.Copy !req
919. You can make
that giraffe disappear?Copy !req
920. Of course I can.Copy !req
921. Then make me disappear too.Copy !req
922. J9P—'Copy !req
923. if I could really
make people disappear,Copy !req
924. you think I'd still be here at my age
playing these circus games?Copy !req
925. It's just a trick.Copy !req
926. It's just a trick.Copy !req
927. Romano, how did it go?Copy !req
928. It went well.
They clapped.Copy !req
929. I'm glad.Copy !req
930. Why do you look so sad?
- I'm not sad.Copy !req
931. What's with the giraffe?Copy !req
932. For a magic show.
I'll come see your show tomorrow.Copy !req
933. I'm not doing
the show tomorrow.Copy !req
934. Why?
You said it went well.Copy !req
935. I'm leaving.Copy !req
936. I'm going back
to my home town for good.Copy !req
937. I'm not even stopping by my place.
I'm leaving it all.Copy !req
938. I've lived in this city
for 40 years.Copy !req
939. And in the end I thought...Copy !req
940. the only person
who deserved a good-byeCopy !req
941. was you.Copy !req
942. What do you mean,
you're leaving?Copy !req
943. Roma'...
why are you leaving?Copy !req
944. Rome has been
a real disappointment.Copy !req
945. Bye, JED-Copy !req
946. See?Copy !req
947. - Want some coffee?
- No, thanks. I won't take up your time.Copy !req
948. I came to ask you something.Copy !req
949. Go ahead.Copy !req
950. Why did Elisa leave me?Copy !req
951. I don't know.Copy !req
952. Didn't she say anything
about it in her diary?Copy !req
953. No, I don't think so.Copy !req
954. Would you be offended
if I asked to read it?Copy !req
955. No, I wouldn't be offended.Copy !req
956. In fact, I'd understand
very well.Copy !req
957. But I'm afraid I can't.
- Why not?Copy !req
958. I threw it away
a few days after the funeral.Copy !req
959. May I introduce my girlfriend?Copy !req
960. Nice to meet you.
My name's Polina.Copy !req
961. Like Polina in Dostoyevsky's
The Gambler.Copy !req
962. What will you two do tonight?Copy !req
963. Nothing.Copy !req
964. Polina's going
to finish ironing.Copy !req
965. Then we'll have
a glass of red wine,Copy !req
966. watch a little TV,Copy !req
967. and go to bed.Copy !req
968. What about you?Copy !req
969. I'll have quite a few drinks,Copy !req
970. but not enough
to become a nuisance.Copy !req
971. And then...Copy !req
972. when you two are getting up,Copy !req
973. I'll be going to bed.Copy !req
974. What lovely people you are!Copy !req
975. I love conga lines!Copy !req
976. I'll fuck you!Copy !req
977. “Who am I?”Copy !req
978. That's how
one of Breton's novels began.Copy !req
979. And of course in the book
there's no reply.Copy !req
980. Did you hear about Viola?
- What?Copy !req
981. She's donating everything
to the church.Copy !req
982. She helps out at the parish
and is going to volunteer in Africa.Copy !req
983. The conga lines
at our partiesCopy !req
984. are the best in Rome.Copy !req
985. - The best?
- That's right.Copy !req
986. Because
they don't go anywhere.Copy !req
987. - How is it?
- Really great, Jep.Copy !req
988. Come on, it's all gone.Copy !req
989. Why did you leave me?Copy !req
990. Please,
I want an explanation.Copy !req
991. Go away! Get out!Copy !req
992. You see all these people?Copy !req
993. They can't do anything.Copy !req
994. But there's something
I do well.Copy !req
995. Something we do well.Copy !req
996. How sweet!Copy !req
997. For years people
have been asking why I don't writeCopy !req
998. another novel.Copy !req
999. But look at these people.Copy !req
1000. This Wildlife.Copy !req
1001. This is my life...Copy !req
1002. and it's nothing.Copy !req
1003. Flaubert wanted to write a book
about nothing but failed,Copy !req
1004. so how am I supposed to?Copy !req
1005. It's good.
Thanks, rascal.Copy !req
1006. What inspired this exhibit?Copy !req
1007. Honestly,
the idea wasn't mine.Copy !req
1008. My father came up with it.Copy !req
1009. When I was born, he started
taking pictures of me every day.Copy !req
1010. One picture per day.Copy !req
1011. He never forgot,
not even once.Copy !req
1012. From the age of 14 on,
I kept it up.Copy !req
1013. I took pictures
of myself every day.Copy !req
1014. Have a look.Copy !req
1015. - Cardinal.
- Your Eminence.Copy !req
1016. Cardinal, when will
the saint arrive in Rome?Copy !req
1017. On Thursday, but please
don't call her the saint.Copy !req
1018. She is a saint,Copy !req
1019. but not technically.Copy !req
1020. Tell me something:
Who's that cardinal?Copy !req
1021. - That's Bellucci.
- Bellucci?Copy !req
1022. The one in line to be -
- Exactly.Copy !req
1023. The papal throne awaits him.Copy !req
1024. I met him at Giada Ricci's
carnival party.Copy !req
1025. It's said that as a young man
he was Europe's best exorcist.Copy !req
1026. - You pulling my leg?
- No.Copy !req
1027. I never joke about the devil.Copy !req
1028. I am very, very bored.Copy !req
1029. We're having
a very, very good time.Copy !req
1030. You cut up the duckCopy !req
1031. and brown it over a high flame
for 15 minutes.Copy !req
1032. At that point -Copy !req
1033. Cardinal, do you remember me?
Lello Cava.Copy !req
1034. We met
at Giada Ricci's party.Copy !req
1035. I was dressed as a hooker.Copy !req
1036. Come, everyone.
They're serving lunch.Copy !req
1037. I'd like you meet
my writer friend,Copy !req
1038. Jep Gambardella.
- A writer!Copy !req
1039. This country needs writers.Copy !req
1040. Actually I thought
it needed priests more.Copy !req
1041. Help...Copy !req
1042. - May I ask you a question?
- Of course, my dear man.Copy !req
1043. For some time now...Copy !req
1044. from a spiritual point of view -Copy !req
1045. - Shall we see the skunks later?
- Absolutely! I'll lead the way!Copy !req
1046. I know the grounds well.Copy !req
1047. Jep Gambardella,
king of socialites, you're losing it.Copy !req
1048. I've been losing it for 4O years.
It's a steady decline.Copy !req
1049. Tell me something, Stefa'.Copy !req
1050. Have we ever slept together?Copy !req
1051. Of course not.Copy !req
1052. That's a crying shame.Copy !req
1053. We have to rectify that.Copy !req
1054. Idiot!Copy !req
1055. Thank goodness.Copy !req
1056. There's something wonderful left
for us to enjoy together.Copy !req
1057. The future is
a marvelous thing, Stefa'.Copy !req
1058. To be honest, Catellani hasn't had
much worsted fabric in recent years.Copy !req
1059. In my opinion, Rebecchfs still
the best tailor in Rome.Copy !req
1060. - Who are you?
- A hard-working manCopy !req
1061. who, while you play
the artist,Copy !req
1062. and have fun with your friends,Copy !req
1063. keeps this country going.Copy !req
1064. I keep this country going,Copy !req
1065. but many people
don't yet understand that.Copy !req
1066. Imagine that, Dadina.Copy !req
1067. My neighbor was Giulio Moneta,
one of the world'sCopy !req
1068. 10 most-wanted men,Copy !req
1069. and I never realized it.Copy !req
1070. You've changed.
You're always thinking.Copy !req
1071. Maybe I should do
what Romano did.Copy !req
1072. I'm not fit for this life
or this city anymore.Copy !req
1073. No one's fit for shit, Jep.
Take it from the queen of misfits.Copy !req
1074. Everything around me is dying.Copy !req
1075. People who are younger
than me, things.Copy !req
1076. Right before my eyes,
and I -Copy !req
1077. And you're suffering,
and you don't understand.Copy !req
1078. How's the soup, Jeppino?Copy !req
1079. The soup's good.Copy !req
1080. Why did you call me Jeppino?
No one's called me that in ages.Copy !req
1081. Because every now and then,Copy !req
1082. a friend should help a friend feel
like he did as a child.Copy !req
1083. How can I make you feel
like a little girl?Copy !req
1084. No need for that.
I feel like that every day.Copy !req
1085. I've been blessed to see the world
from that perspective for 60 years.Copy !req
1086. You know of Sister Maria,
the African missionary,Copy !req
1087. the one they call the saint?Copy !req
1088. Sure, she's coming to Rome
to receive some honor.Copy !req
1089. Exactly. She's only granted
three interviews in all her life.Copy !req
1090. Yours will be memorable.
- Look how I did with Giulio Moneta!Copy !req
1091. This is different.Copy !req
1092. She studied in Italy as a girl
and speaks Italian.Copy !req
1093. She read your novel
back then and loved it.Copy !req
1094. She wants to meet you. I organized
a dinner at your house tomorrow.Copy !req
1095. Did I do well?
- Very well.Copy !req
1096. Tomorrow I'll have the honor
of dining with her.Copy !req
1097. - At the Holy Father's?
- No.Copy !req
1098. At Jep Gambardella's.Copy !req
1099. You see?
The pope even hadCopy !req
1100. the cloistered nuns come.Copy !req
1101. Sisters, sisters, sisters!Copy !req
1102. Sisters, sisters.
Perfect.Copy !req
1103. The Red Cross nurses!Copy !req
1104. What robust women!Copy !req
1105. Handsome young men!Copy !req
1106. Very nice.Copy !req
1107. Let's go.Copy !req
1108. The saint's assistant called.Copy !req
1109. The saint would like Count and
Countess Odescalchi to come too.Copy !req
1110. They treated her like a sister
when she lived here.Copy !req
1111. - You know them?
- Of course, but they're not here.Copy !req
1112. The nobility are all in London,
at Philip's granddaughter's wedding.Copy !req
1113. Let's call the Colonnas of Reggie!Copy !req
1114. The nobility for hire?
They're dead.Copy !req
1115. Nonsense.
They're immortal.Copy !req
1116. The saint won't even notice.
It's been 70 years.Copy !req
1117. Count Colonna speaking.Copy !req
1118. Yes, we're available.Copy !req
1119. Ah, for tonight.Copy !req
1120. Our rate is 250 euros
per person for the evening,Copy !req
1121. plus the cost of a rental car.Copy !req
1122. What you suggest would be
a bit humiliating for us.Copy !req
1123. We're willing to be hired
as the Colonnas of Reggio.Copy !req
1124. But passing ourselves off
as the Odescalchis...Copy !req
1125. I don't know.Copy !req
1126. We were at war
for two centuries.Copy !req
1127. It feels immoral.Copy !req
1128. Cut at least
12 pieces of rabbit,Copy !req
1129. leaving aside
the kidneys, liver, and head.Copy !req
1130. Gently brown.Copy !req
1131. Don't forget thyme,
bay leaves, and rosemary.Copy !req
1132. Then add red wine,
Ligurian olives, and pine nuts.Copy !req
1133. And in one hour you have
Ligurian-style rabbit.Copy !req
1134. Sister Maria, what convent
are you staying at?Copy !req
1135. Actually,
we're at the Hassler HotelCopy !req
1136. near the Spanish Steps,Copy !req
1137. but Sister Maria
finds it uncomfortable.Copy !req
1138. I've never heard the Hassler
called “uncomfortable.”Copy !req
1139. Oh, it's very comfortable...Copy !req
1140. but Sister Maria isn't used
to sleeping in a bed.Copy !req
1141. She sleeps on a cardboard pallet
on the floor.Copy !req
1142. Do you have any visits planned?Copy !req
1143. Sister Maria
will of course climbCopy !req
1144. the Scala Sancta
at St. John's on her knees.Copy !req
1145. Have you done that?
- I'd have liked to,Copy !req
1146. but I have a bad knee.Copy !req
1147. Orthopedic problems
are negligibleCopy !req
1148. in the light of
the partial indulgence affordedCopy !req
1149. by the Scam Sancta.Copy !req
1150. That's true.Copy !req
1151. Now, another specialty
of mine is lamb with -Copy !req
1152. Does Sister Maria
still work with the sick?Copy !req
1153. Twenty-two hours a day,Copy !req
1154. every day-Copy !req
1155. She washes them, feeds them.
You ought to see her.Copy !req
1156. Despite her age,
she doesn't walk, she runs.Copy !req
1157. She's tired now,Copy !req
1158. but only because
she's not with her patients.Copy !req
1159. How old is she?Copy !req
1160. She'll be 104 in October.Copy !req
1161. - That's a lot.
- I thought she was much older.Copy !req
1162. Longevity, like everything else,Copy !req
1163. is no accident.Copy !req
1164. About Sister Maria's
interview with Jep -Copy !req
1165. Interview?Copy !req
1166. There must be
some misunderstanding.Copy !req
1167. Sister Maria hasn't granted
interviews since 1971,Copy !req
1168. after certain people
misunderstoodCopy !req
1169. the reason
for her mission in Chad.Copy !req
1170. Of course, but considering
her admiration for Jep's work -Copy !req
1171. You told rne she enjoyed
The Human Apparatus.Copy !req
1172. She found it
beautiful and fierce...Copy !req
1173. like the world of men.Copy !req
1174. Great! There would be no risk
of any misunderstanding,Copy !req
1175. Sister Maria can review the text -Copy !req
1176. - No, I'm sorry.
- Don't insist.Copy !req
1177. I'm sorry if certain
false hopes were aroused,Copy !req
1178. but there's absolutely
no question of any interview.Copy !req
1179. Why do you do all the talking?Copy !req
1180. Why not let Sister Maria talk?Copy !req
1181. Ma'am...Copy !req
1182. I took a vow of poverty.Copy !req
1183. And you don't talkCopy !req
1184. about poverty.Copy !req
1185. You live it.Copy !req
1186. Such true and righteous
and powerful words!Copy !req
1187. Do you need anything,
ma'am?Copy !req
1188. - She needs the bathroom.
- It's on the left.Copy !req
1189. The change of diet
isn't good for her.Copy !req
1190. In Mali
Sister Maria only eatsCopy !req
1191. 11/2 ounces
of plant roots a day.Copy !req
1192. Me too sometimes,
in the evening, as a light meal,Copy !req
1193. I fix some splendid
bitter roots with lemon.Copy !req
1194. You scrape the roots clean
with a knifeCopy !req
1195. and cut them
into small chunks -Copy !req
1196. Cardinal, remember
when we met at that wedding?Copy !req
1197. You were there too.Copy !req
1198. I felt the need to ask youCopy !req
1199. about matters
close to my heartCopy !req
1200. involving faithCopy !req
1201. and the depths of spirituality.Copy !req
1202. But then you got distracted.Copy !req
1203. You can ask me now.Copy !req
1204. - No, there's no point.
- Why?Copy !req
1205. I'd be very disappointed
to discoverCopy !req
1206. you actually had no answers.Copy !req
1207. I'm just saying it's a possibility,Copy !req
1208. and I think -Copy !req
1209. Anyway—Copy !req
1210. I apologize for earlier.Copy !req
1211. There is one question
I'd really like to ask you.Copy !req
1212. Are the rumors true?Copy !req
1213. That you were a truly great...Copy !req
1214. exorcist?Copy !req
1215. Sister Maria!Copy !req
1216. Sister Maria!Copy !req
1217. Saint.Copy !req
1218. Stop saying “saint”!
Her name is Sister Maria.Copy !req
1219. Sister Maria.Copy !req
1220. Where's that bitch hiding?Copy !req
1221. Sister Maria!Copy !req
1222. Come, Elisabetta.
Let's go to bed.Copy !req
1223. You go ahead.
I'm going upstairs for a moment.Copy !req
1224. Don't be too late.Copy !req
1225. In this room, in 1930,Copy !req
1226. Princess Antonietta gave birth
to her only daughter,Copy !req
1227. Elisabetta Colonna of Reggie.Copy !req
1228. The princess died
after giving birth.Copy !req
1229. Young Elisabetta,
in these opulent rooms,Copy !req
1230. led a happy
and carefree childhood.Copy !req
1231. But a few years later,Copy !req
1232. Prince Erminio's
financial hardshipsCopy !req
1233. forced him
to sell the property.Copy !req
1234. They're migrating west,Copy !req
1235. but now they're resting.Copy !req
1236. Did you knowCopy !req
1237. that I know
the Christian namesCopy !req
1238. of all of these birds?Copy !req
1239. Why...Copy !req
1240. did you never write
another book?Copy !req
1241. I was looking
for the great beauty...Copy !req
1242. but...Copy !req
1243. I never found it.Copy !req
1244. Do you know...Copy !req
1245. why...Copy !req
1246. I only eat roots?Copy !req
1247. No, why?Copy !req
1248. Because roots are important.Copy !req
1249. Now there's something
I want to show you.Copy !req
1250. This is how it always ends:Copy !req
1251. in death.Copy !req
1252. But first there was life...Copy !req
1253. hidden beneath
the blah, blah, blah.Copy !req
1254. Everything's settled
to the bottomCopy !req
1255. beneath all the hubbub
and noise.Copy !req
1256. The silence and the emotion...Copy !req
1257. the excitement and the fear...Copy !req
1258. the fleeting and sporadic
flashes of beauty...Copy !req
1259. amid the wretched squalor
and human misery -Copy !req
1260. all buried beneath
the awkward predicamentCopy !req
1261. of existing in this world,
blah, blah, blah.Copy !req
1262. What lies beyond lies beyond.Copy !req
1263. That is not my concern.Copy !req
1264. Therefore...Copy !req
1265. let this novel begin.Copy !req
1266. After all...Copy !req
1267. it's just a trick.Copy !req
1268. Yes...Copy !req
1269. it's just a trick.Copy !req
1270. THE GREAT BEAUTYCopy !req