7 Women and a Murder (2021) - full transcript

Look, it’s up ahead there.

Yes, the first street
you see up on the right.

And your bags, signorina?

Take them up to the front door, please.

Good morning.

- Good morning.
- Signorina Susanna?

Yes. You are?

Maria, the new maid.

I'm delighted
to make your acquaintance, Signorina.

Oh, yes. He mentioned you.

- Who?
- My father.



Did he?

Yes. In his letters.

You can leave them here,

I’ll take them in later.

Ah, thank you.

- And Merry Christmas.
- Merry Christmas to you too.

We expected you to come later.

Yes, I know, but I managed
to catch an earlier train so…

here I am.

May I enter?

Please.

Rachele…

Mrs. Rachele…

I'm here for your taxes.



Oh, you idiot!

- Hi, Nonna.
- Hi.

When you were little,

we already knew you were an idiot, idiot.

How are things?

How do you think I'm doing? I'm here…

I watch and wait for…

- For death, I remember.
- Yes.

Keep teasing me.

I want to see you at my age.

Are your legs still bothering you?

No, it's not only my legs,
I’m a burden to everyone, you know.

I have to ask for everything, I have to…

I can’t do anything.

Uh, Maria,

I’d like my pills, hmm?

- Thank you.
- Yes, signora.

How’s it going here?

- Fine.
- Mm, nothing ever changes, huh?

Never.

Mm?

- Mamma!
- Susanna. What are you doing here?

Wasn't your train due in at noon?

Well, yes, but I came early.

And who brought you?

I took a cab from the station.

Mm.

You seem different.

Mamma, it's been six months
since we saw each other.

Yes, I know, but you're different.

Maybe it's Milan.

Ah, yes. Maybe it's Milan…

Mm.

You've been smoking.

- No!
- Yes. You smell like smoke.

- Like smoke?
- Yes.

Ah… Uh, maybe it’s the cab driver, who
smoked his cigarettes all the way here.

Mm-hmm.

Well…

Papa? He's in the garden?

No, what garden?

He hasn’t left the house in days.

Why? Is he sick?

No, no, not really.

No. He got lazy.

Go wake him, if you want.

Okay.

He sleeps up there.

Up in the guest room?

Yes, we've gotten used to it.

That's right.

He snores so loudly,
I… I thought I was going crazy.

- Here, signora.
- Thank you.

Have you met Maria?

Yes, yes. She opened the door for me.

She's been here three months so far.

Eh, signora, shall I make
breakfast for signor Marcello?

No. No, no, no. Why don't we let him rest?
Thank you.

Oh, I… I haven't had anything all morning.

Could you make me something?

- Of course.
- Thank you.

How is she?

Well, considering
we brought her in at the last minute,

because Adele wasn't here…

not bad. Pretty good.

Her cooking…

Too much salt, and too…
Too much oil, too much garlic...

- Mamma, she's from the south.
- Yes.

Doesn’t it bother you
to be around someone like that?

From the south?

No, Mamma.

- She's pretty, yes?
- So what?

Well, so, I don't know. You wake up
and she’s right in front of your face.

And Adele was pretty too, right?

Yes, but Adele was 70.

- Oh, yes?
- By the way, what happened to her?

Ah, lately, she had been obsessed
with washing windows.

- Windows?
- Yes.

And we were shouting,

"Careful, you’re going to fall out.
You’re going to fall out…"

- And…?
- She fell.

- And she fell?
- Breakfast is ready.

Ah.

- What are we having?
- Oh! Am I not having breakfast?

Mmm.

- Did you make this?
- Yes, obviously.

Mm. A woman of many skills.

You have to see her when she peels apples.

Two centimeters, she takes off.

And there's hardly any apple.
She's not paying for them, is she?

Who is paying, Mamma?

Are you implying something, darling?

Mm, no.

Not one bit.

- Bonjour, maman.
- Aunt Agostina!

Hi, Susanna dear. Welcome back.

- Sister, good morning.
- Good morning.

Hmm. How are you?

Your Caterina left her lamp on
late into the evening,

- and I couldn’t sleep a wink.
- Mm.

Those lies damn you to hell, Auntie.

Caterina!

You are the devil.

- How are you already here?
- Mm.

I took the earlier train.
I wanted to be with you.

Hmm. I missed you.

By the way, Auntie, if you slept at night,
you wouldn’t be so worried about me.

If you turned off the lamp at night,
dear Caterina, I could sleep.

If you didn’t go to the bathroom 25 times,
you might fall asleep sooner.

Thanks, Mamma.

You can't even go
to the toilette in this house?

Come on, Auntie. Don’t be upset.

It’s this little girl.

She enjoys tormenting me.
The devil's in her.

Well, that’s normal. It’s Christmas Eve.

I can’t wait for midnight.

Good.

It’s time to wake up your father.

Maria, can you bring him his coffee?
And let him know that I'm with Susanna.

Yes, signora.

Signor Marcello?

I see that Auntie
hasn’t gotten much better.

Ah, no. Just bitter as a lemon.

- Mm.
- He’s not answering.

- Signora, he's not answering.
- Maria just go in. He’s hard of hearing.

Huh.

- Maria?
- Oh.

- What's going on?
- What happened?

Signor Marcello…

- He's…
- He's…?

He's murdered.

So what are you saying?

There's a knife…

stuck in his back.

Oh!

- Oh! Auntie!
- No…

What...

Oh, God.

This isn't happening.

Calm down.

It's impossible…

Oh, Mamma.

My God…

Margherita…

It’s bolted shut.

I locked it.

No one can go into that room
until we get in touch with the police.

Are you insane?

- We can't contaminate the crime scene.
- Caterina…

Give me the key.

No.

Give me that key now!

- Caterina…
- Give me the key!

We might be able to help your father.

Papa doesn’t need anyone anymore.

Papa isn't there anymore.

No…

Oh.

Do you think the killer’s still here?

Auntie!

Auntie! Auntie!

Auntie.

Aunt Agostina?

Agostina, we need you.

So this should work.

Ah.

No, no. She's not waking up.

Eh! Oh my word! What's going on?

- It's smelling salts, they help.
- Ah, the room is spinning.

- Maria…
- No, this is Susanna.

Ah, pardon.

Maria… please,
can you telephone the doctor?

I’m afraid I blacked out for a moment.

- Yes.
- No, enough of the drama.

You don’t think we’ll keep focusing on you
when we just found Marcello dead?

Mon dieu.

Marcello is dead!

- Ugh.
- Oh my God.

Leave her be.
This'll shut her up at least.

Poor Marcello.
Lately his business was doing very poorly.

But I would never have believed
he'd take it this far.

Yes, sticking a knife in his back?

- I don’t think he acted alone, Mamma.
- I have read,

somewhere, that depression can, uh…

Signora,
I know you don’t want to hear this…

But signor Marcello was in fact murdered.

We must call the police.

Oh yes, Maria.

Maria, wonderful. I'm glad you're here.
At least you're still thinking clearly.

Good. Yes, yes.

Mamma stop drinking!

What's the matter?

I've just lost my son-in-law.

I'm going to call the police.

- Someone's cut the line.
- What did you say?

- Listen…
- What's that noise?

The shutters in Caterina’s room,
those always make that sound.

- I'll close them.
- No, no, no. Caterina, wait.

It's dangerous.
The killer may be in the house with us.

Heart attack!

Heart… Heart attack…

I'm going to be
absolutely frightened to death…

So, someone has to go upstairs.

Ah… eh… To close her own shutters!

Uh-huh!

- You mean, you're sending up the youngest?
- I've only just arrived.

So what?

Eh, I… I’d love to go, but…

Ah.

Uhh…

Oh, fine then, I'll go.

Maria.

That's a one-of-a-kind piece.

- So only if it's absolutely necessary.
- Mamma!

What?

Uh…

Well, it's a Ming

Come now, Mamma, that's enough.

Mamma…

Come on, let's see.

Signora, don't worry.

There's no one here.

Did you also check the armoires?

Yes. Under the beds, the closets…

- Behind every door?
- Yes.

Inside the armoires?

Signora, would you like
to come up and check?

Just asking.

Actually, signora, I was thinking…
The dogs.

Huh? What dogs?

The dogs. Our dogs.

- They didn’t bark all night.
- Oh.

- Why's that?
- They bark at absolutely everything.

And if they didn’t happen to bark,
it means…

no strangers came into this house.

Ahhh.

So the killer
must have known this house well.

- Precisely.
- Eh, Maria, please.

- What?
- The Ming.

Ah.

- Here.
- God.

- Shall we have tea?
- Yes.

I'll make some right away, signora.

What happened yesterday evening?

Well, nothing special. As usual.

I wouldn't say "as usual,"
given what happened to Papa.

Please try to focus.
Every detail is important.

Who was the last one to use the phone?

Well, I think that was me.

We were low on wood, so I called the wood
store this morning to place a new order.

And the firewood arrived when?

No, they never brought it.
Worried about the snow.

- So the phone was still working at 7:00.
- Yes.

Which means the killer
was still somewhere in the house.

My God, the anguish.

Who were his enemies?

Who has Papa been doing business with?

I don’t know.

He never talked about work.

- Nonna.
- Yes! What?

Previously, you said
his work wasn't going well.

- Yes, yes. He was cleaned out.
- No.

Oh, "No"! He was penniless.

He was even asking for my stocks.

He was asking you for your stocks, really?

He asked me, yes!

And then he became furious.

Because I wouldn't give them to him, huh.

Ah.

Why wouldn't you want him to have them,
huh? Since he was so desperate.

Instead of keeping them
under your mattress.

And you…

- How do you know where they are?
- It's quite original, eh?

You’re talking about these stocks
like they’re worth millions.

Maybe they're not millions.

But…

it’s a nice amount.

Ah yes. So why not give them to
the family, which hosts and supports you?

Are you really bringing up
your hospitality now?

One week is hospitality.

- Ten years is squatter's rights!
- Mamma!

- What?
- Forgive her, Auntie.

You know she doesn’t mean that.

Ah.

Yes, I'm sorry.

I’m a little shaken.

Was he having
trouble with suppliers?

From what he was telling us, no.

He was on good terms with everyone,
even his new associate.

His new associate?

Yes.

The omnipresent Sir Giannutri.

Why omnipresent?

Well, he never misses
a chance to show up at dinner.

Especially if he knew it was Maria's.

Don't be silly.

He would often drop by
when I was cooking, even.

When have you cooked?

Caterina, please.

Did he ever have a reason to resent Papa?

Well… I would rule that out.

Sir Giannutri has
quite a few cats at his house

and every time he comes here,
the dogs bark like crazy.

They would have smelled
if it was him, right?

That's true.
Good, Maria, well done. Well done.

So he wouldn't benefit from Papa's murder?

No. No, no.

Huh. So who benefits?

Who inherits the estate from Papa?

Uh, me, I suppose.

Uh, yes. We…
Well, half to the spouse, and half…

to the children. Heh.

But I don’t know, I’m not an attorney.

Unless the will
happens to mention Veronica.

Who's Veronica?

Veronica. The love of Papa's life

We all know they’re very close.

- They were seeing each other again?
- They're seeing each other?

Yes, but not really. Just as friends.

- But she lives in Paris, doesn't she?
- She's been living in town as of late.

She bought a house.

Is that the truth, Margherita?

- I didn't tell you?
- No.

Well, now I told you.

Yes, she bought a house by the lake.

They meet up, they go on walks together,
they go riding.

But since I detest horses,
I'm happy to stay away.

- They go horseback riding together.
- Mm.

But you're not jealous, are you?

Jealous, no.
Of Veronica? Please, that's impossible.

She's entirely common.

So, it's… insignificant.

Insignificant?

Well, then it's odd that Papa liked her.

Yes, it's just the mistakes
of her youth, of course.

I'm simply not sure
what he saw in Veronica.

To each his own.

Hm. And last night,
what time did Papa go to sleep?

You're asking me?

- Yes.
- I don't know.

I think that you'd know
if you slept together.

If you had slept with him,
you would know.

- What are you insinuating, Margherita?
- Agostina, don’t make a scene.

You’ve been in love with him
for many years now.

- "For many years now."
- Yes.

Oh my God. I've been nothing but honest.

Honest because no one wants you, Agostina.

Well, that's true.

- Thank you, Mamma.
- Sorry.

Margherita, what do you know about it?

You don't see me… You don't see
my suffering, what it feels like…

Comprehending that,
among billions of people in the world,

your one true soulmate
lives in your own home

and is married to your sister!

And to repress, to repress,
to repress everything.

Oh, we had Leopardi in the house
and we didn’t notice.

You have a rock in place of your heart.

You're lifeless, Margherita.

And we wonder why Marcello passed on?

He was alone!

You, who could, were not with him, and I,
who wanted that so much, could not!

Auntie, do you realize what you’re saying?

Mamma lets you stay here all these years,
and this is how you repay her generosity?

By flirting with Papa?

You brat!

Why, I never flirted or was inappropriate
with your father, you snake!

My feelings were simply platonic.

Are you finished?

Yes.

How did you find her?
Did she have references?

She’s the sister
of Giannutri’s housekeeper.

She was at a house in the village,
but she didn't care for it,

and when we lost Adele…

she stayed here with us.

Are you all speculating about me?

I’m speculating about everyone.

And you, of course,
cared the least about Papa.

I wouldn’t swear to that.

Why would I want to murder him?

Dissatisfied servants
are always the prime suspects.

What makes you believe I was dissatisfied?

You were too sure about the dogs.

How could you know
they didn’t bark all night?

I didn't get much sleep last night,
honestly.

I had bad feelings about things.

Why's that?

Signor Marcello appeared
to be extremely nervous.

When I went to bring him his tea...

You brought some tea to him?

Well, yes, around midnight.

How do we know the killer isn't you?

You were apparently
the last person to see Papa alive.

Why are you laughing?

- Was there anyone who saw him after you?
- No.

I wouldn't have a motive
to kill him anyway.

And perhaps I'm the only one.

Maria!

I won't put up
with this kind of impertinence.

Oh, God!

They stole my stocks.

My stocks!

- Maman!
- Nonna, what are you saying?

They stole my stocks from me!

- It was my life savings.
- Oh my goodness.

- The stocks.
- Not only is there a horrible murderer…

- Auntie.
- …but there is a thief. A rotten thief.

- No.
- Mamma.

Do you want a drink, Nonna?

Yes, a Negroni, please.

I’ll make it right away, signora.

Curse them. Curse them. Curse them!

Well, Nonna, you did keep them
under the mattress.

So what?

It’s the first place
a thief would want to look.

Maybe maman wanted them
to get stolen on purpose.

What are you saying?

That you made them disappear.

Because you wanted to sell them behind my
back and leave me out of the inheritance.

Mm, what inheritance?
I'm still alive, you know.

Do you believe Mamma would
make up this song and dance?

She cared so much about her stocks.

Uh huh. That's why I sleep on them.

All night long.
I never leave my room for a second.

You liar.
I hear you moving around all the time.

Oh, please, shut up. Do you ever sleep?

Your Negroni, signora.

Thank you.

- Mm.
- My nerves are fragile.

- I'll bet.
- And I'm a light sleeper.

Strange for a woman of your heaviness.

Life is full of ironies…

What do you mean, Margherita?
Tell me what you meant by that.

Nothing! Calm down, please.

Let's… God…

Was it you?

Who did what?

Who stole from maman.

Ah, good.
I thought you meant if I killed Marcello.

Shame on you.

Robbing the stocks from maman so you can
sell them and keep the money for yourself.

Look, Agostina.

I'll pay attention to you this one time,
but then I'm done. Hmm?

Everyone knows you married Marcello
for his vast fortune.

- You wanted to squeeze him like a lemon.
- What everyone knew was he was a miser!

Not my experience.

Oh, it isn't? That's because
you're a bigger miser than him.

Mamma…

do you see the house that I know?

What's wrong with the house?

Oh, God…

I had to wait for Marcello's murder before
I could change this god-awful wallpaper?

- Mamma, you're overreacting.
- Of course, because you live in Milan.

- That doesn't matter.
- It does!

Because I live in a museum of a house.

Oh God…

Twenty-five years with a man
who constantly snored like a tractor.

I give him two daughters,
and what do I ask?

To grow old, to live together.
But for nothing.

It's the same, all the same. Just barren.
Immobile. One day after another.

And you tell me,

all I wanted was Marcello's money?

Shame on you!

Ah, I’m going to the police station.

Listen. If the police end up arresting
one of us, it will be totally justified.

- Mamma, but...
- I think we're done.

Your hat…

Shall we take a trip
to the nice liquor cart?

Yes.

- The car won’t start.
- What...

Someone's cut the engine wires.

- Holy smokes.
- Yes.

Well,

you’ll agree this rules out a lot of us.

And how's that?

I wouldn't know where the engine is,
for example.

It’s one of those sentences
you read in novels.

"They cut the engine wires."

But how do you do that?

- For example, maman…
- Mm?

Can you imagine her?

She wouldn't even
be able to reach the car.

What does this have to do with me?

So, what are you getting at?

Nothing in particular.

But maybe you and your sister

know your way around that kind of thing.

Of course.

- Do they look like mechanics to you?
- I don’t even have a license.

Auntie, if I have to say I’m stupid
to get off your list of suspects,

I won’t say it.

Yes, I can open a hood.
But that doesn’t mean I'm the one.

Someone's there.

Where? Oh! Oh, God!

Maybe the killer’s returned.

- Let’s hide upstairs.
- Maria, bring the Ming.

- Quickly. Quickly. Quiet!
- Are you leaving me here?

Yes!

The vase. We’ll break it over his head.

Help.

Uh, come in.

Veronica.

Did I frighten you?

I didn’t mean to frighten all of you.

Why are you here?

What do you want from us?

- Who sent you here?
- Hm.

Did I come at a bad time?

Insignificant’s the first word you think
when you see her, huh?

The second is common.

I know it seems in bad taste to say, but…

an hour ago I received a strange call.

It said that Marcello was murdered.

Last night.

Who would make a joke like that?

It's morbid.

And at Christmas.

I'm distraught.

I tried calling so many times, but…

the line was always disconnected.

So…

I came here directly to see what happened.

Where's Marcello?

Look, the game is best when it’s brief.

And this is testing my patience.

Excuse me.

Marcello.

It's me, Veronica.

Marcello…

open up.

He locked the door?

Open this door, please.

I want to see how he's feeling.

Marcello is dead.

Marcello…

So then…

on the phone call…

who was it?

Was it a man or a woman?

A woman.

How was he murdered?

With a knife in his back.

Uh, wait, how did you know that
his room was there?

- Yes. Exactly.
- Right?

I want to see him with my own eyes.

Open this door, please.

I’m not leaving until you let me in.

Well, if you insist.

The key's over there on top of the piano.

I know the way.

It won’t turn.

It's not the right key.

May I?

Please.

Someone has put out a fake key.

Who?

Maybe you.

I'm curious as to why
you didn't answer Mamma?

How did you know
that's where father was staying?

Because I shared it
with Marcello most nights.

I know that he took
the room upstairs with you…

but I also know that he'd been
sleeping in here for a while.

That's a lie.

Marcello bought this house
when the two of us were still engaged.

I was there that day at the notary.

He bought it from my nonna.

What's that?

This house belonged to you?

Ooh, for generations.

This wallpaper was chosen
by my great-grandfather.

You know, I've been hearing
lately that the fantasy motif

is coming back in fashion.

Well, I must say,
I'm not convinced.

I was so young.

Your father was my riding instructor.

He was?

He… He was your riding instructor?

Mm-hmm.

Well, now this house belongs to me,
not you.

- It doesn't belong to you.
- Why?

Because when the police arrest you…

you'll no longer be able enjoy it.

Assuming that you…

ever appreciated it.

Veronica…

have you been
coming to the house very frequently?

No. Never.

That's not the truth.

The dogs didn't bark at you.

Enough with the dogs.

They’re bastards,
they’re not two bloodhounds.

We can’t rely on them anymore.

Dogs are dogs.

And they know you.

I assume you're Aunt Agostina.

Why is it that because Margherita made
two daughters, that now I,

for the rest of my life, for everyone,
must be Aunt Agostina.

Agostina, please. This is not the time
for this kind of discussion.

Maman.

Marcello told me a lot about you.

Really?

Mm-hmm.

And what did he tell you?

Do you remember?

Lots of things.

Well, did he happen to tell you

that we shared many common interests?

- We gave each other many books, you see.
- Actually…

it was you

who gave him the books.

I just don’t believe
in this phone call story.

And why would I lie about that?

To have some sort of excuse to come over.

Who do I have the pleasure of speaking to?

Esposito Maria Concetta.

She's the new chambermaid.

And here, do the maids…

receive any visitors?

Well, on a day like today,
we drop the traditional formalities.

Signora, it’s been a pleasure.

I wish we could have met
on another occasion, but…

I’ll see you at the funeral.

Hey, you can’t leave now.

Why not?

- Because you’re a suspect now too.
- Mm-hmm.

How cute.

The suspect remains.

Remaining till the storm ends.

- I'll go prepare the lunch.
- Give me the Ming.

Who is the killer?

The not-at-all-heartbroken wife?

The baby rebel?

The devoted firstborn?

Or the mother-in-law, drunk and miserly.

I'm not a miser.

Mm.

Or the sister-in-law. Spinster?

Or the old flame?

Or the newly-hired maid?

Or the newly-hired maid…

You’re also a suspect, Veronica.

Same as all the others.

You're forgetting I've just shown up here.

What does it matter?

You could have come back
just to mislead us.

Anyway, no doubt about it,

the killer is one of you.

Inspector, you're forgetting one person.

Who?

You.

How so?

I know it's so difficult for you
to put yourself on the same level as us.

In fact, you've been
interrogating us for hours.

But if we’re suspects, you’re no better.

I only arrived this morning.

Mm.

You might have come back to mislead us.

Because you were here last night,
weren’t you, sis?

In Dad’s room.

No, what are you saying, I...

I heard you. It was early morning.

It was around 3:00.

- Susanna, is this true?
- Mm-hmm.

Yes. Yes, it's true. I was here.

But I didn’t kill him,
how can you believe that?

How could you be here?

Tell me why.

And why would you pretend to come back?

I don’t know. I don’t know. I'm…
It seemed like a good plan.

To kill him?

Get off scot-free, huh?

No, Auntie.

So I could speak with Papa quietly,
without you knowing about it.

This is totally insane!

It’s not crazy, Mamma! You know
how hard it is to have some privacy here.

But we are family,
and very close, aren't we, no?

And families that are really close
confide totally in each other.

This family?

If each of us could just

keep to ourselves,
without spilling secrets everywhere…

well, then this family
would be in a better place.

Well…

What did you want to tell him?

- I needed to confide in him a little.
- Mm.

And find a way to say it to you.

- He didn't already tell you?
- No, he didn't say a word.

He was murdered.

Ah.

So, Susanna, are you gonna tell me or not?

Yes.

One second.

I don't know…

- Open it.
- But it’s not yet midnight.

Auntie.

Well, it's understandable to say…

we’re doing Christmas Eve
with a dead body,

it’s not the time to "observe traditions."

Marcello's having a baby.

Not with me.

And not with me.

- With who?
- Mamma.

- With me?
- No, Mamma…

- No.
- I'm having a baby.

You're having a baby?

Yes.

Oh no.

What a fucking day.

I've prepared the lunch, shall I serve it?

Maria,

it’s not Christmas yet.

And there’s absolutely nothing
to celebrate.

But we’re not celebrating.

We’re remembering Mr. Marcello
with the lunch he asked me for tomorrow.

Since Marcello is dead,
it's clear we're celebrating today.

Shall we start?

All right, let’s start.

Here's the Russian salad.

- Mmm.
- Hmm.

It’s good, but… Mmm. It's a bit too heavy.

Good.

Delicate.

Mm.

The freshly-caught shrimp cocktail.

The pumpkin ravioli.

Good!

Mmm.

Good, right? Mmm?

- Mmm…
- Sublime.

Quail that has been baked,
served with Mostarda di Cremona.

Mm…

Mm.

- Oh my God.
- This one is mine!

Mm, let's toast.

Superb.

My compliments.

Thank you, signora.

Tell me where you learned to cook.

My nonna. And the books.

It relaxes me.

Isn't it hard for you to be here,
away from everyone,

all caged up?

No.

It doesn't bother me.

I'm sure.

"I'm sure"? But what are you sure about?

That clearly
she's not working here for you.

She had other motivations.

Yes, that's true.

I was there for him always.

And since Marcello isn't here now…

I'm able to leave.

Pardon me, please.

I'm not understanding this completely.

So then, she and Marcello…?

Pfft.

Oh my God, she's fainted again.

What a pain.

I would've
never imagined, really.

You’ve done well.

One thing surprises me.

You're so very ordinary.

Maybe he was getting tired of great women.

I would imagine…

he paid you.

You never have a thought
that isn't related to money.

But no.

You’d be amazed,
but I liked sleeping with him.

Good.

I’ll to have to tell the police

that you were seeing someone at night
and that everyone knew.

I'll have to tell the police
you are seeing someone at night as well,

and everyone ignores it.

You must stop fighting me.

After all, it was convenient for you.

In what sense?

I did what you didn’t want to do anymore.

At least with Marcello.

Why did you let her leave?

She might have been the killer.

Where do you think she'll go?

There’s a terrible blizzard outside.

She’s coming back I'm sure.

Who is it?

Gently.

Ah. Maria.

The gate.

Someone has locked the gate with a chain.

We've become prisoners.

- Mamma.
- Good god.

It's precisely the same as in mysteries.

There is a killer among us.

But what's helping her hide is that
one of us is not telling the truth.

Hm.

And for reasons that have
nothing to do with the crime.

If we really want to unmask the culprit…

we need everyone to confess their secrets.

Who's up first?

I confessed my secrets, didn't I?

- As did I.
- As did I.

Why don't I do the talking?

But this secret isn't mine.

It belongs to Agostina.

I'm sorry?

This must be yours.

Or rather…

you meant it for Marcello.

She left it in a book she had given him.

As if Marcello would read it.

In fact, he gave it to me
without opening it.

And he never knew
there was a letter inside.

So Marcello never read my letter?

Oh, you bet he did.

I gave it to him,
and he couldn't stop laughing.

He laughed?

Sweetheart,

Marcello was a handsome man.

Fascinating,

attractive…

and he had
the sensitivity of a gynecologist.

You see, Auntie…

It wasn't so much platonic love.

How could you, Auntie?

You wanted to take away Papa.

Not me.

No.

I went into his room last night…

to say that I was quite ashamed
of what I had written to him.

You went into his room last night?

Yes.

To ask him to forgive words
that were a bit…

too inappropriate.

And when?

Before or after the herbal tea?

Uh, the tray?

It was before.

I didn’t see the tray.

Mm. We should believe that?

Yes.

I'm telling the truth.

I can't breathe.

- What do we do?
- My pills.

Where's her medication?

On her bedside table,
it's always there, in a big box.

Hurry.

Come on.

- Marg...
- Yes?

- Forgive me.
- Don't worry about it. It's fine.

If I pass, I...

You won't die, trust me. You'll have
a lot more time to make life difficult.

So will these pills be coming or not?

They’re not on the nightstand.

What do you mean,
they've always been there.

No sign of them anywhere. I don’t know.

- What a damn mess.
- Calm down.

I'll get it.

Mamma!

A Christmas miracle.

- Here they are!
- Oh!

Nonna!

Yes, I walk.

But now I'm tired…

Where did you find them?

I searched everyone’s rooms.

I found them in Mamma's room,
under her bed.

What? My bed?

Margherita. Sister of mine.

I understand you.

If you really hoped to murder me,
it would make sense...

Stop it now!

Ah, so I believe
that someone is trying to…

To frame me.

Why are you looking at me?

Well, I don’t think
one of my daughters, or my mother,

would put dear Agostina’s life into danger

to simply try to frame me.

We’re family. Right?

Despite everything.

And Maria, I mean,

she took my husband. I don’t think
she wants to cause more damage.

Not at all, signora.

So…

it's six to one.

Yes, it's just you.

And I think you're aware that Marcello
wanted to include you in his will.

No.

I wasn't aware of that.

But you did know.

Last night I heard you.
You were with Marcello.

You were talking about it.

When I went to pick up his cup of tea,

I heard them talking
and so I decided not to enter.

I’m so sorry,

but the last person to see
Marcello still alive was you.

That's true.

I was here.

But I didn't kill him.

You have a lot to gain if I go to jail.

In my opinion,

precisely because Marcello wanted
to include me in the family will,

you stopped him,

before the man could sign it.

No. No, that's not true.

I didn't know whether
he'd actually gone to the attorney or not.

Then if he made a change,
suspicion falls on me.

But if it's unchanged…

suspicion falls on you.

Mm.

Who, who, who might know about it?

I know.

Huh?

He told me last night.

He hadn't made up his mind.

When I brought up the baby,
he told me I was right to tell him because

today he was meeting the attorney
to talk about his grandchild.

Oh, very nice.

You find Aunt Agostina’s medicine
under my bed instantly.

You know about the attorney.

Is this all an effort to get back at me?

No, Mamma,
I'm only telling the absolute truth.

I don't believe it.

What's more, it's an elegant method
of avoiding suspicion,

to bring up that your father
was going to raise your inheritance today.

- No, Mamma, the money's not important!
- Ah, the money's not important?

So who's paying for your baby?

I don’t notice a man anywhere.

Or maybe he's hiding, and I don’t see him?

Stop blaming her.

The same thing happened to you too.

Mamma, what are you saying?
Are you drunk again?

Don’t you remember
when you met the tall one, who...

Maman!

All right.

I don't know how
to keep her away from the bar anymore.

She said she was so tired.

Very nice.

- Mamma.
- Yes?

What did Nonna mean by that?

No, it doesn’t mean anything. Nothing.

Oh, gosh.

You shouldn't pay attention to Mamma when
she’s sober, much less when she's drunk.

Mamma.

There’s nothing to talk about.

The question

is not when you were conceived…

but with who.

Caterina, what are you saying?

Sorry?

It's not true?

Papa…

wasn't my Papa?

Did he know about this?

Of course he did.

We met when I was three months pregnant.

And then we got married, not long after.

Why did he do it?

Because I suppose I was pretty.

Well…

your nonna had
a decent fortune at the time,

and Papa was in need of a pretty
good dowry to get his ideal dream house.

But he was a very good father.

He loved you like a daughter.

He treated you and Caterina
no differently.

Maybe that's why
I always did what he wanted.

And…

my real father…

who is he?

My first love.

Umberto.

He passed in an accident.

Not a day goes by I don’t think of him.

Especially when I look at your face.

When you're smiling,
you look just like Umberto.

So…

So looking at me makes you sad?

No.

No, no. Absolutely not.

You're proof that we were in love.

When you were in my room, looking,

- and searched under the bed…
- Yes.

- Yes, I saw the bags.
- Mm.

Are you going to go?

Well, I was waiting for the right moment.

But I wanted to let the holidays pass.

- You'll break them like that.
- Mon dieu!

Good.

It's like straw, Maria.

Straw.

Straw, straw, straw!

I feel so alone now.

You're not alone.

You have your family.

Ah, what a perfect family!

It would be better not to have a heart
at all. At least I wouldn't suffer.

Even Susanna, the oldest,
has lived more than me.

Now only Caterina is left.

The only virgins in this house
will be me and the virgin olive oil.

About attracting men,
I really want to know.

How does it work?

Teach me, will you?

The difficult thing
isn't conquering a man.

It’s avoiding having
your whole life revolve around him.

Eh. Absolutely.

But I'd think about that
later on you know.

What I want to do is solve the problem at…

At the base of it all.

You have to go out.

You're cooped up in this house.

That's a fact.

But where should I go?

Take a walk.

Sign up for a course.
For French, or dance.

One of those courses
where you can meet someone.

Right? Where else will you find a guy?

- Here?
- Exactly.

- And it’s not okay.
- No, it's not okay. It's not okay.

Mm.

But no one looks at me.

I don’t possess any of that
indescribable charm called grace.

I don't agree.

You just don’t know how to sell yourself.

- Really?
- Mm.

I suppose you're right.

It’s not like in romances,

where when they take
the glasses off the ugly girl,

and she's suddenly transformed
into a beautiful woman.

If I take off my glasses…

Glasses or no glasses…

It's more…

It’s more to do with smiling, huh?

Smiling and your posture…

Conviction.

- You must feel beautiful, you must.
- I must.

You must.

I must.

Even when I attend the Holy Mass?

Especially when you attend Holy Mass.

You think people go there to do what?

Hmm?

To hear the priest? No.

No.

They go there to watch.

Well, actually…

I’ve also allowed myself to peek.

Do you see?

We must look elegant
in the divine presence of the Lord.

Elegant.

Show me whatever it is
you have in your armoire.

And so…

Do you think that I, within myself…

may have some unexpressed potential?

Yes, very much.

Very much.

Very much.

Where's Veronica?

I don’t know.

I haven’t seen her in a while.

But wasn’t she up with you?

No.

- Oh God, did she run away?
- Ah.

- I knew it was Veronica.
- Eh?

Mamma.

I think that's Veronica's purse.

It is.

Wait. Uh.

Open it.

See if there’s the key to the room.

- Ah, yes, yes. Go on.
- All right.

Quiet.

- Ah.
- Put it back. Don’t touch it.

- There might be fingerprints on the gun.
- What are you saying?

- I don't know, it just came to me.
- Oh my…

- Did you see?
- Yes.

Huh? Aunt Agostina?

Aunt Agostina?

Shhh…

You may call me…

Tina.

Ah!

Ooh.

My, you look splendid. What did you do?

Women work miracles.

Yes, that's obvious.

I did a good job, didn’t I?

- Mm.
- Yes.

Very.

Ah.

So you're here.

You didn't leave.

I was in the toilette.

You left your purse on the table.

I suppose I trust you.

We looked inside of it.

Oh! How is it possible?

How long did I keep your attention,
half a minute or so?

Oh, please.

And what did you find?

A pistol.

A pistol?

Mm.

And then who would I shoot?

Marcello, for example.

If you hadn’t found a knife.

I haven't touched
a pistol in my entire life.

They won’t find
any of my fingerprints on it.

Hmm.

First…

the medicine in your room.

And now…

the pistol in my purse.

The killer’s trying to frame us.

One at a time.

The killer is playing a game
with all of us.

- Oh God!
- Parbleu!

- Mamma!
- Take the Ming.

- Quickly.
- Can someone help me find the Ming?

Signore.

That's it.

As it stands,
we no longer have phones, no car,

no way to reach the police,
and no more lights.

We've had our fun, but we have to leave.

But how will we get away?

Didn't you say the gate was bolted shut?

We can try to climb over it, right?

Oh Jesus, and how?

Well, let’s go, then we'll see.

Yes. Yes, let's go.

I’ll come too. I’ll take a stole.

I'll stay here.

Stay here too, and keep a close watch.

Mm…

Want one?

Perfectly safe.

Hm.

Thank you.

That’s not the actual reason
why you ought to thank me.

Then what?

For example…

for revealing Agostina’s secret
and not yours.

What do you mean?

You have an admirer.

Hm.

- I have an admirer?
- Yes.

I don't know who he is, but I'm convinced.

That's why you think I killed Marcello?
For him?

I didn't say that.

Tell me why you said it.

I wanted to see if you'd admit it.

It's blackmail.

Curiosity.

You don’t look like an inconsolable widow.

You're wrong.

I deeply loved Marcello.

I know you did.

But he wasn't the love of your life.

Maybe I wasn’t his either.

I had my bags packed.

I was going to leave him
before New Year's.

I told him last night.

Funny, right?

And you’re leaving for your lover?

Course not.

Well, yes,

I have a man.

I feel good.

But I’m leaving to be on my own.

My biggest dream…

is to come home at night and…

And find no one.

Huh.

I don’t know how you lasted 25 years.

I wasn't a woman who wanted to be married.

When things started to get serious…

I packed

- and left.
- Paris?

Et tout le monde.

And now?

Do you have a man?

I have… a liaison

with this guy, I…

Um.
I’d love to say who he is, but…

maybe I shouldn't.

Why don't you tell me yours?

Do I know him?

Yes.

- It's not Marcello, is it?
- Oh, no, no.

Mm.

Do I know yours?

Yes, I believe you do.

Ah.

Please tell me yours first.

No, tell me yours first.

At the same time?

- Yes, all right.
- On the count of three?

One…

two…

three…

It's Sir Giannutri.

How 'bout that.

Damn you.

Damn you.

Help...

- Do you always have to take my men?
- Oh, really?

With Marcello, I was there first.
Let me go! Ah!

I'm sure we can climb that.

I think so too.

Shall we give it a try?

Let's climb over.

Want to go in front of me?

I'll go.

- Be careful!
- Okay.

I hurt my hand.

- Come down, signorina. Come down.
- Come down.

- Come down. Come down.
- Okay.

This is ridiculous, it's snowing too hard.
We’ll never make it.

Let's try tomorrow morning.

All right.

Shall we go inside?

Yes. It's so very cold.

Was that Mamma?

My God.

Maybe the killer has returned.

Time to go back.

I think we should stop waging this war.

Why?

Because apparently
we have the same tastes.

I'm so surprised, you know?

We seem so different.

Mm.

Kiss me.

What?

Have you ever kissed a woman?

No.

Me neither.

So why don't you kiss me.

But why?

Because I want to know
what it’s like to kiss you.

I'm game.

Mamma.

Ah…

Oh, Margherita.

Caterina, go get your nonna.

Huh?

In the pantry.

- Wait, is she still there?
- Yes, I think so.

Mm.

Shall we?

Nonna, everything okay?

. Uh… a little sore here.

Mm.

- Is there anything left to drink?
- We'll take a look.

Listen, your mother is a killer.

I've figured it out.

- You have?
- Yes.

I don’t want to be the one
to tell you all what happened.

It’s up to you…

it's time to tell the truth.

Okay.

A Christmas tale.

Once upon a time…

there was a man surrounded by seven women.

Last night,
that poor, tired man went to bed.

And the terrible dance
of his women commenced.

Maybe every night.

But this time,

his daughter Caterina,

hiding behind a curtain…

saw and heard everything.

Here's the story.

At ten o'clock…

Scene one.

Mine. They're not yours. Mine.

His mother-in-law

who has been staying at his house
for more than ten years,

refuses to give him her stocks.

Scene two.

Ah.

- Marcello.
- At half past ten…

Were you waiting for me?

…his sister-in-law Agostina comes in
to beg him to forget what she had written.

…that I wrote to you.

As if he would even care.

He has another problem.

He just wants to get rid of her.

Marcello, I just wanted… Marcello!

And at eleven,

the offensive begins.

His wife tells him she's leaving.

She's waiting,
out of respect for her daughters.

I'll wait for a few days,
but I'll leave before New Year's.

I've packed my luggage.

I have to leave. I can't take it anymore.

I'm sorry.

Nice Christmas present, Mamma.

At midnight comes the tea.

And with it, Maria.

At one o'clock,

after yet another visit
to the bathroom, Agostina tries again.

Marcello.

But this time,
Papa doesn't even let her in.

At half past one we have Veronica,

who comes when she likes
because she has keys.

She needs money.
She wants to go back to Paris.

But I’ll pay you back.
You know I will, Marcello.

They talk about the will.

And finally, at three…

the icing on the cake.

Susanna with her wonderful news.

"I’m having a baby, Papa."

"And it's not the Holy Spirit."

I’m sorry, Papa.

I’m so sorry.

And then I'm the only one left.

And I walk out…

and tell him everything I heard.

And they will pay.

Who will?

You will.

You all are witches.

Hey.

Papa was exhausted.

He couldn’t take it anymore.

Want to know what he said?

"It'd be so peaceful to be dead."

He actually said that?

He actually did.

And he repeated it and repeated it,

and I said, "Okay, Papa,
if that’s what you want, I’ll help you."

Oh my God.

It's you who murdered Marcello.

No one killed Marcello.

Because Marcello wasn't murdered.

- We simply faked his death. It was fun.
- What?

He was behind the door,
eavesdropping on you.

To hear what you really think of him.

He wanted to know who would cry the most.

Who would talk about money…

About love.

Because he had to go
to the attorney today.

And he wanted
a clear idea for the new will.

And the only way to know…

Was to die.

And you helped him, didn't you?

I'm always so bored.

I used Mercurochrome for the blood,
and a knife with a broken blade.

Then I called Veronica.

I cut the phone line.

And the wires in the car.

I locked up the gate.

I also hid Aunt Agostina’s medicines
under Mamma’s bed.

I stole Nonna's stocks.

And I put a fake gun in Veronica's purse.

Ah.

I even switched the room key…

so Papa didn’t have to be
lying on his face all day.

Ah. You apparently
have thought it through.

Except that someone
could see him through the window.

But Marcello is alive, though.

He's alive.

Yes, he's alive.

But now I’m really gonna
murder that piece of shit.

And I'm gonna help you.

Open up, bastard!

Laugh at me, will you?

- You bastard! You were laughing at me.
- Open up!

Like hell! My stocks?

Give me that key.

You little prude.

These sad kids.

- Open the fucking door, Margherita!
- Yes…

Aren't we getting
just a little bit vulgar?

You shut up!

Painted harlot!

You don’t even know who the father is.

Where is he?

That way.

He’s on the terrace!

Careful.

Papa?

Oh, Jesus…

did he die again?

We all tried to save Marcello,
but we were too late.

Uh…

He threw himself down the stairs.

And do you have
any idea why he would commit suicide?

Ah, well, everyone knows he had
quite a number of financial problems.

In fact, he never proved that he had
much of a business sense to me.

Just imagine,

he took the liberty of asking for money.

Hmm. A poor old lady.

Oh. Horrible.

Very well.

So, in case you remember anything more…

this is my number.

Thank you.

Inspector Giovanni Rigoldi.

Giovanni Ripoldi, yes.

Ah, Ripoldi.

So if I were to remember
something important…

could I call you, Giovanni?

If you remember
something important absolutely.

- You should call me.
- I should?

Agostina Caccia.

Enchantée.

Hm!

So you must live…

nearby the water, I imagine?

Yes, I live down in the village.

Oh, so it's not that far then.

- Then, I believe I'll go.
- Yes.

Signore.

- Signora.
- Signorina.

Signorina.

Excuse me. Mm.

Uh, excuse me.

What is she doing?

Move.

He'll run you over.

Well?

Auntie.

- Auntie?
- Aun… Auntie…

Come over here.

Caterina.

You've behaved badly.

So women should help one another,
they do not wage war.

Not even if a man asks you to?

Especially if a man asks you to.

Especially if a man asks you to.

Well, of course I would,

if a man asks me to…

Look at you, huh?

I believe I raised a slut.

Sorry, Mamma.

- Sorry, everyone. Mm?
- Mm.

Anyway, he was beautiful, you know.

Who?

The inspector.

If you touch him, I’ll skin you alive
and make you into beauty cases!

And I'll help her, you know.

Susanna, I was thinking…

could that baby be Sir Giannutri's?

Are you kidding? What are you thinking?

- I mean she...
- Veronica, what do you mean?

Uh…

Uh…

- No?
- No! No!

I'll never be that desperate.

Eh.

Do you think I’m gonna
be grounded for a long time?

Yes!

What are we gonna do now?

What do you mean?

Well, we could use a drink, right?

Us… the house…

What do we do now that papa's gone?

I think I’m going back to Paris.

I don’t have much to do here.

I don’t know. I have to think.

Me too.

I’ve been thinking.

I want to see the inspector again.

We could all just stay here.

I know this is not my house
and I’m just the maid.

But it would be nice to be together.

I like cooking, you like eating.

And drinking.

After all, we have
the inheritance from Marcello, and…

And this house.

If you put it like that…

I might decide to stay a while.

Take back my room.

Oh, yes. Oh, yes!

Let's pour some life into this old dump.

We have the inheritance,
we have my stocks, right?

And… and pretty soon,
we’ll have a beautiful baby.

Shall we toast?