Muse (2019) - full transcript

In all the years that I've
been your literary agent,

this is the first time you've
ever missed a deadline.

Twenty two best
selling crime thrillers

and murder mysteries and
now you've hit the wall.

I know you've suffered
writers block in the past,

but you've always come through it.

And I know that it's
been a terrible year,

it's been hard on
you, I can't imagine.

We'd been divorced ten
years, Richard.

Plus, you know, I've had
time to get used to it.

Three years, she battled it.



Gilda.

Strong woman.

I liked her.

Fierce cow.

You know after twenty
years of being together,

we really didn't like each
other all that much at the end

but we loved each other.

You know what I mean?

Plus, she gave me
Ethel, my princess.

She idolizes you.

She's my world.

Look, about the book, I
don't know what to tell you.

Give me a few weeks, a month maybe?

I mean, it's all up here,



I mean, you know how I work, I just,

this time I just can't
seem to get it out.

Take your time.

But you know how
this business works,

I have to give the
partners something.

Just write it down on
the back of a napkin

and I'll get Tiffany to type it up.

I just need to get in
the right frame of mind.

It's not easy, you know.

Why don't you, why don't you go

to your place in France,
blow away the cobwebs?

I don't think
Ethel's ready for that.

She hasn't been there since we were

last there with Gilda.

She can cope for a
couple of weeks on her own.

I mean, I can always pop round and

you know, make sure that she's okay.

You call me if you need me Harry,

I'm only a phone call away.

Thank you,
you know I appreciate it.

The great Detective Rawle.

How may I be of service?

Can I get you a drink?

Sit down, Harry.

I'm so sorry to have
to tell you this.

I insisted on being
the one to come here

and inform you myself.

It's about Ethel that I'm
here to talk to you about.

Ethel?

Why, what's the matter with Ethel?

Oh, I see.

I have this friend back in
I.A, Dennis, he's an ex cop.

24 years he put in.

Deathograms, that's what
he used to call this.

This is what he calls it, this
is what you're doing, right?

Like I said, I had to be the one

to come here and tell you.

I had to be,
I couldn't ask anyone else.

What happened, David?

She was involved in a car
accident a couple of hours ago.

She was pronounced

she was pronounced
dead at the scene.

I'm really sorry, Harry.

I'm so, so sorry, mate.

It's never easy, things
like this, you know?

What happened?

She was crossing the road
when she was hit by a car.

The driver, he said he
didn't stand a chance

of stopping in time,
she just stepped

right out in front of him.

I want to see her,
I need to see her.

Yeah, of course, of course, yeah.

I'll drive you myself.

Is there someone you
want me to call...

No, no.

No, there's no-one else.

Just me now.

Just me.

Harry, I just
don't know what to say to you.

There's nothing you can say.

There's nothing anyone can say.

I just want to help
you to get through this.

We want to help you
to get through this.

I keep having this nightmare.

I have the same nightmare,
every night ever since she...

My beautiful princess,
my darling and she's,

she's lying there in
the mortuary, all alone.

She's cold and she's alone.

No-one there to tuck her in,

no-one there to kiss her goodnight.

Look, about...

The book?

I can't even think
about that right now.

My mind, the thoughts
are going through there

at a hundred miles an hour.

No, of course.

The partners have already
agreed to delay the launch,

to put back the press
junket and all that.

But this might be a good time to

To what?

Well, the agency was
wondering, you know,

if well, to be very frank,
if you would reconsider

the offer to start on your memoirs.

With your fan base, Harry,
it would fly off the shelves.

I don't know,

I don't know if this is a good
time to be starting anything.

Well, I just wanted
you to think about that.

It might help,

be like therapy, a catharsis.

With everything that's happened,

you know, the emotions are so raw,

but the first thing,
the most important thing

is you, Harry,
you're a friend first.

I'll be fine from here,
je marche d'où je suis.

Daddy.

Louie?

Come on boy, Louie?

Louie!

Louie, here!

Louie!

Louie, come on.

Come on!

Excuse me.

Can I help you?

Oh, I'm sorry, we were
looking for our dog, Louie,

have you seen him,
he's a King Charles.

No, I haven't, probably
because this is private property.

What's your name?

I'm Sarah, and this
is my sister, Eloise.

I am so sorry, we're staying
next door for a few weeks.

Our dog got in here
a couple of times

but we didn't realize
anyone was living here.

Hang on, you're him, aren't you?

The author.

Well, our dad, he's a writer
too, he's read all your stuff.

Dead Man Walking, Fifteen...

You have to excuse
me, I have to get back.

I hope you find your dog.

The main entrance is back that way,

you can see yourselves out.

Please see to it that you do.

Hey,
you're the man from next door.

Harry, yeah, right.

Right, hello.

Eloise,
that man from next door's here.

What can I get for you?

You work here?

I'm just helping out, my
dad knows the owners, so.

Oh, right, yes.

Uh, well I'll have a
glass of red wine, please.

Thank you, Eloise.

I wanted to thank you.

I wanted to thank you for the food.

Well, a man can't
live on red wine alone.

Well, I've done all right so far.

And I wanted to
apologize for the dog.

Look,
we got off on the wrong foot.

It's fine.

I just hope that you ate.

I did, oh I ate, yes.

I really appreciate it,
you didn't have to do that.

Well, I'm glad.

Look, um,

you don't have a pool at
yours, do you?

No.

Well,
if it's okay with your parents,

you're welcome to come over

and have a swim in mine any time.

What's so funny?

We kind of already did when we

didn't realize that
anyone was living there.

Obviously, we wouldn't
have if we had known.

That's okay,
the offer still stands.

Can we?

We'll ask Dad.

Maybe tomorrow?

Thank you.

Mr Williams, please.

Yes, I'll hold.

Richard, Richard, it's Harry.

Good, yeah, good, how about you?

Oh, it's coming along nicely,
the first chapter anyway.

Much easier to think down here.

Yeah, okay, all right.

Sure.

Yeah, okay.

Right, take care.

Right, bye.

Daddy?

Daddy?

God, I love it down here.

You've been before?

Last year, yeah.

It's a very special place.

So, what do you want to
do with your life, Eloise?

Me?

Let me guess.

An actress.

Well yeah, but probably
not what you're thinking.

Musical theater.

Good for you.

I mean, it's hard work.

Sometimes I just, I think the odds

are just stacked against me.

Youth is wasted on the young.

Have you heard that?

My dad says it all the time.

Well, there's always
someone worse off, Eloise.

You talk about defying odds,

a very good friend of
mine, a fellow author,

about five years ago,
he had it all going on.

And then he had some
crazy obsessed with him.

I mean,
we're talking Play Misty For Me

meets Fatal Attraction.

Long story short, a nut with a crush

completely screwed him,

sold some fake story to the tabloids

and this is in England, mind you,

where they lap that shit up.

They have it for breakfast
on their crumpets.

What happened to him?

Well, you know,
he got on with his life,

he wrote another book.

One day, you know, everyone
thought he was a great guy

and then he woke up and realized

his name and reputation
meant nothing.

Not that that was relevant to
him, it didn't mean anything.

I mean,
he made the decision that getting

another book published
being so much more harder,

this new founded situation,

wasn't a reason to give up on it.

He thought that if people eventually

thought he wasn't such a bad
guy after all well then, great.

But that's nothing that
he had any control over.

And he reminded himself
daily that if that

ever became his aim he'd be
fighting a losing battle.

Where is he now?

Well, we talk every now
and then on the, you know,

the email.

Sorry, I'm old fashioned.

Every book I ever wrote, I
wrote it on my trusty rusty.

Anyway, I digress.

Defying the odds.

Trying to make people
think better of you

that don't like you just keeps them

in your life, Eloise, and
you know what that means.

That brings them back into your life

in your life, your life, Eloise,

is too short

and too precious to waste on that.

My dad said something
similar but in fewer words.

What expression
does your father have?

If they don't like it, fuck 'em!

I think he would

probably summarize it
better himself now too.

How so?

Well, he would say
to anyone who said no,

you can't do it,
you're not good enough,

it can't be done, he'd simply say

don't get in my way.

But after,
when it's all said and done,

I mean, when everything is
just, you know,

you could be the best actress,

your father could
be the best author,

I could be the best artist,

anybody can be the best whatever
the hell they want to be.

When it's all said and done,

you're only going to
be asked one thing

when you get up there.

Were you good to your kids?

What are you writing?

My memoirs.

This one's not fiction?

Looks like it's coming along nicely.

Remarkably.

For the first draft.

It's all about finding your muse.

Sante.

Sante.

Goodnight, Harry Newman.

Ethel!

Ethel!

Ethel!

Ethel!

Ethel!

Daddy.

Daddy.

Daddy.

Daddy.

Daddy.

Daddy.

Daddy.

Daddy.

Harry.

Harry.

Ethel.

No, Harry, it's Eloise.

Harry.

It's Eloise.

Ethel.

You've had a bump on your
head, Harry.

How long have you been out here for?

Come on, come on,
let's try get you up.

Come on.

Easy, easy.

Easy.

Why don't you take a seat

in the drawing room?

Harry,
you might need to see a doctor.

I'll live to see another day.

Just sit down,
I'll make us some coffee.

Are you sure?

You can barely stand, you're
holding on to the wall.

Yeah, no, I think I'm,

I just need to walk
around a little bit,

get the blood circulating again.

Trust an old man, will you?

Go ahead, go and sit down,
I can get things started.

I'll be there in a few minutes.

Okay, if you're sure.

I'm sure.

I've been through worse.

Okay.

Here we go.

Thank you.

How are you feeling?

I'll be okay.

I wanna thank you for

well, you know.

What was you doing up a
ladder, for goodness sake?

I was just, uh,
there was this ribbon,

it was stuck in the tree.

I don't know how it got there.

It was bothering me.

It shouldn't have been there,

it wasn't supposed to be there.

She...

Hey, hey.

You okay?

Yeah, yeah, I'm fine.

It's just my,
just my head, you know.

I'll be fine.

Harry, I'm sorry you're hurting.

Thank you.

No, I mean,

I'm sorry you're hurting.

My dad, he read about it.

About what happened.

No parent should ever
have to bury a child.

You're an old soul, aren't you?

You miss her, don't you?

So much.

I'll see her again one day.

She was a dancer, a singer.

Just like you.

She got it from her mother.

What a woman!

She did it all; Broadway,
West End, you name it.

I've never known anyone who's,

anyone who's died.

What do you think it's like?

One minute you're there,

then nothing.

After,

there's nothing.

Oh Harry, I'm sorry, he
must have gotten out again.

I hope that gets better.

I'll be back tomorrow
to check on you, okay?

Harry, Harry, it's me.

Now, don't forget that
I'm gonna be on my way

back from that meeting in
Avignon tomorrow morning.

And well,
I just thought that I'd pop by,

and see if the old place
is still standing up.

Look,
we can do lunch in the village.

Well, it's good to hear.

Well, it's finished.

At least the first two chapters.

Hot off the press.

Yeah, well this is all new to
me, this self-portrait but uh,

yeah, yes, good.

Okay, I'll see you then.

Bye.

Daddy.

♪ I see you ♪

♪ For there is no-one else but you ♪

♪ To make me feel this way ♪

♪ Can you remain with me ♪

♪ Through the times ahead ♪

♪ Can you detect
sadness in my heart ♪

♪ When you leave me for a day ♪

♪ Into the light shines
from your heart ♪

♪ I'd walk through the night ♪

♪ To see we don't part ♪

♪ Rain leaves my soul ♪

Daddy!

There you are!

Ethel!

You're here.

I couldn't sleep.

The wolves are fighting again.

No, I mean

you're here.

Oh shush.

Come.

Come sit with me.

What are you listening to?

Some of your old records.

Do you remember this one?

You and Mom used to...

I remember.

Oh, Ethel.

My princess.

I love you so much.

So very much.

I'm so sorry
to have to tell you this.

I insisted on being
the one to come here

and inform you myself.

It's about Ethel that I'm
here to talk to you about.

Ethel?

Why, what's the matter with
Ethel, what?

Oh, I see.

I have this friend back in
I.A, Dennis, he's an ex cop.

24 years he put in.

Deathograms, that's what
he used to call this,

this is what he called it,
this is what you do, right?

Like I said, I had to

be the one to come
here and tell you.

I had to be,
I couldn't ask anyone else.

What happened, David?

She was involved

in a car accident a
couple of hours ago.

She was pronounced,

she was pronounced
dead at the scene.

Bonjour.

Bonjour.

The girl, Eloise?

Monsieur?

There was a young
girl here the other day.

Blonde, young?

Eloise?

Eloise?

Yes, Eloise.

I'm sorry, monsieur,
there's no Eloise here.

Eloise!

Oui.

I do not understand.

But I think I'm only
here a few weeks.

I'm new so maybe I do not meet
all of the other girls yet?

No, no, no.

Harry.

Harry, it's me, Richard.

I'm, uh, I'm about 20 minutes
out, according to the GPS.

Just passed St. Saturnin.

I can't wait to see you.

Anyway, I've left you 15 messages

but I haven't heard
anything from you.

But either way, well I'll
be with you in a few.

And then we can get that rose open.

Call me back when you get this.

I think this is the magnum
opus you've been hoping for.

Louie!

Come on, boy.

Louie?

Harry?

Harry?

What are you doing with that?

I'm sorry, I was just.

You were just what?

Put it down.

Put it down!

Didn't your father ever tell you

not to touch things that
don't belong to you?

That's mine!

My finest work.

Do you know how long that took?

It's a masterpiece.

I made a terrible
mistake, I need to go.

My dad's expecting me home.

What are you going to do with that?

What needs to be done.

Harry, stop!

You're hurting yourself!

You don't know what pain is!

You have no idea.

Dad?

Daddy, I don't have time to
explain but I'm at Harry's.

He's gone crazy.

Please, just come as soon
as you get this message.

I had it all.

I had it all.

You've no idea.

The pain will never leave me, Ethel.

Every time I close my
eyes, princess.

Stop, stop, wait.

Stop, wait.

Harry?

Harry?

You inspired me.

Everything you did.

You built me up.

You were my everything!

Everything you did.

You were my world.

Oh shit.

I'm not her, Harry,
I'm not your daughter.

You built me up!

Ethel, the thing of it is

I don't want to forget you.

Harry!

Stop!

I'm afraid I'll forget you.

It'll be okay.

Love.

True love.

True love is the only thing
that surpasses all of time.

Daddy.

"My grief lies all within

"and these external
manners of laments

"are merely shadows
to the unseen grief

"that swells with silence
in the tortur'd soul."

It isn't easy to contemplate

the death of one's own children.

Eloise.

She

she was never really there

was she?

But your love for Ethel was.

Eloise was a manifestation
of your love for her.

You yearned to be
reunited with her so much,

so strong was your
love for your daughter,

the one person who made you
happier than anyone else,

the one person no-one could
ever hold a candle to.

Grief poises man midway
between destroyer and creator.

One's mind carves a fairytale
when one can't accept

the harsh realities
of the real world.

Down here in the muck,
scavenging and grasping

for well, for hope,

you created your very own fairytale

right here in your gingerbread house

and you stayed here
to be with your child.

Love is merely a madness.

Daddy.