Hold Me Tight (2021) - full transcript

A woman one day simply walks out on her family. Or does she?

Let's start again.

Let's start again.

Start again!

...again and again.

HOLD ME TIGHT

Paul, get dressed.

Relax, Dad. School can wait.

I didn't even finish.

Let's get moving.

I want Mom to make my hot chocolate.

She will tomorrow.



Let's go.

- She's running errands?
- Mom doesn't run, she jogs.

Paul!

Put your shirt on.

Sick of being little.

Lucie?

Lulu, we're leaving.

You have chocolate on your hands.

- Move!
- Calm down.

- Lucie?
- Yes?

You seen the time?

Running away or what?

Yes.

Cockcrow.



What?

So, where you going?

Dunno. I'll just drive.
I wanna see the sea.

I'll check the oil and water.

Hasn't been used for a while.

Two months on Friday.

Paul wanted to decorate it.

You know, I see them.

I imagine.

Go on!

Like this.

Show off your breasts.

Voyage, boobs, sea...

Lucie was dying to play this.

Her favorite piece.

You're dawdling.

Clarisse!

- See Mom on Friday?
- Friday?

She tell you anything?

You lied about running errands?

Two coffees, two chocolates.

Lucie!

Had to find something, right?

She left early, you said!

You know why I said that.

Wait.

Stay here!

Yes.

No idea.
I already called.

No, she took mine.

Fine.

Why am I the one who should know?

I don't want to know.

See my lighter?

Move.

Kissed on your lap.

You're busting our ears!

Gonna do scales forever?

Go on, play!

Come on, play!

You know how to play.
I knew you could.

Lulu?

- See Mom on Friday?
- Friday?

She tell you anything?

Yes!

Yes, there you go!

You're great, sweetie!

- You lied about errands.
- Go on!

Good witch or bad witch?

Where are you?

You beat it, okay.
But where are you?

I stopped gym.

I play piano as much as I want.

Even at night.

Shut up!

Dad lets me do what I want.

You could have taken him.

Paul and I get by.

Attack!

Good horse, good horse.

Damn...

You should come up with a story
that we could tell.

That we could tell...

That's what I'm doing, honey.

Shut up!

I'm inventing.

I imagine that I left.

Had to find something, right?

Señora!

Señora! Where are you going?

Hello, Mommy's not here.
What do I say?

Now you say:

You can leave a message

and the machine will call you later.

Now say goodbye.

Goodbye.

Thank you.

Can you come see Paul?

You can leave after.

I won't lock the kitchen door
at night.

Dad won't notice.
I swear I won't say a word.

Understand for the door?
I'll unlock it when Dad's asleep.

Hurry.

He's not doing a thing.

He doesn't call.

Marc.

I wouldn't have taken my phone.

Will he try to explain to the kids?

Maybe.

He'll think I left for a week

or a month, then three months

then six months

and then he'll drop it.

Then...

As for our friends...

he'll calm them.
He'll say: "It happens.

She left...

That's how it is.
It happens.

It's human."

That's exactly what I'd say.

It's human.

It happens.

Marc!

So unfair.

Lucie, you listening?

What?

- What did I say?
- I don't know.

He said it happens and it's human.

I need to practice another hour a day.

What does "human" mean?

Marc, tell them something else.

I said something else.

No, you didn't.

You said going on a trip takes time

you have to go far, very far.

Visit the area. Find a home.

Find work.

Learn the language,
move in, find work.

Make friends?

It takes a while.

It takes a while, years.

The mast you see here...

The hemp rigging totals 21 kilometers.

The black material

is tar which is vegetal.

The foretopmen must often apply it

to keep the rigging waterproof.

What's your problem?

I have no problem.

- Listen to you, he's a child.
- My child.

Not a doll, not a statue!

I see what you're doing!

- This is outrageous.
- Not at all!

He's my son!

So you can treat a child like that?

A child moves, laughs,

a child runs, jumps!

A child does a thousand things,
asshole!

Asshole!

Honey,

you know you'll need braces.

Why don't we leave on Friday?

- I work on Friday.
- Meet us there.

Weather's gonna be great.

Go without me for once.

Marc?

Can you come?

Coming.

Where are you?

Everywhere.

You okay, ma'am?

Doing the prices?

Ma'am, what's wrong?

No!

You broke Mom!

You threw Mom away!

You threw away her perfumes!

You threw Mom away!

Paul...

Señora!

Madam!

Where are you going?

Excuse me!

Señora!

Madam!

Ma'am, please!

You can't be here!

This way!

Come with us. You'll be more helpful.

Ma'am, please...

Come with us, please.

This is my son.

- Were they dressed warm?
- Yes.

My daughter.

The father...

They skied in the morning,
then took a nap.

They took a walk nearby.

- Here's the hotel.
- That's the closest lake?

Must be this,

he took me there often.

Pinpoint the lake.

When did you last speak?

It was... Friday.

9:30 pm, by text.

Your husband had their passports?

No, they don't have passports.

Ready to go look?

A boy, a girl.

We found their car in the sector,

parked at the hotel

and various testimonies lead us
to believe they went in that direction.

Search crew.

We're on site.
2 big avalanches covered the lake.

We barely see the treetops.

The dog loses their tracks.

We got 3 footprints.
2 belong to children.

We're too exposed to stay here.

We'll have to wait till the spring thaw
to remove the bodies.

Where are you taking me?

Where are you?

Once again, I found

cotton balls under the sink.

Creams without lids.

It makes me puke.

Feminine scents, products,
laughter, conversations.

Cigarettes, champagne,
music, love, fuck...

Stop busting my balls, Marc!
Who cares? We can't work!

Over and over! Enough already!

Yeah, cigarettes, fucking, music!
Shut up and go for it!

I'm not the one who left.

Werewolf.

Look here.
Look at these love handles.

Go on.

Come.

Go in, go out...

Wait, no, no!

Dad, can I have my pink scrunchies?

- Your what?
- Pink scrunchies.

- Don't come in!
- Don't worry.

Pink scrunchies...

Here they are.

Here.
See you tonight, sweetie.

How do you do it?

I don't know.

What do I look like?

What do I look like?

What?

- Nice-looking car.
- Thanks.

How about me?

What am I? A stuffed tomato?

No.

I like cars, that's all.

Okay. So see you in another life.

Safe travels.

- Hello.
- Hello, ma'am.

I'm not the one who left.

I made it up.

That way, you're here.

It doesn't work anymore.

It doesn't work.

Careful, do it more straightforward.

Less melodramatic.

One measure before number 2?

Very good.
Now let's try the "Christe".

Hurry up, the bus!

So a guy goes in a bar and he says:

"Hi, it's me." But it wasn't him.

That's supposed to be funny?

Got your card?

It kills your strength.

It kills your strength.

I become light.

You shout into my ears.

Friday...

Clarisse, what'll it be?

Apricot juice.

- Clem?
- Glass of white.

- All well?
- Fine.

I can't work at home.

You're at home here.

Angèle?

They'll wait.
One week won't kill him.

But this...

I can't do it alone.

A German translation for next week.

Fine.

That, I can do.

I didn't take advantage of the sea.

At all.

It did you no good?

I'm tired of waiting.

Waiting for spring.

Sometimes I wanted to leave.

I wanted to...

throw the kids out the window.

- That's normal.
- And Marc was furniture.

Now I turn them into nice little lambs.

It's ridiculous.

Food in the belly can do you good.

Yes!

Especially that croque-monsieur.

Damn heavy!

Here come the musicians.

So, that concert?

We may get some music.

Won't we?

At what age did you play that?

At 4.

This too.

As a child,

I didn't get why my mother
signed so many autographs.

Showering such attention on her fans
bothered me.

One day I bit one of them.

What is this?

She's a pianist, Martha Argerich.

I really like that woman.

Slight ressemblance,

the hair...

That's kind.

What was it like
when you were pregnant?

Was your playing any different?

A little slower.

Not my usual style, you know.

Forging blindly ahead.

When I was pregnant,
it was more like this.

What do you do in life?

I play flute.

In an orchestra.

Staying here long?

Just one night.
A concert a night.

Stop fidgeting!

You'll knock over my coffee.

I spent my childhood
following my mother on tour.

Like her, I stayed up late at night.

I adapted to her rhythm.

When the train stopped,

she always got off
for a sandwich, a cigarette.

And got back on at the last minute.

My daughter...

is Martha Argerich.

I think she enjoyed spooking me,
like a cat playing with a mouse.

Brown or ash?

Who locked the door shut?

Who locked the door shut?

Idiot!

Hey, kiddo.

Why aren't you dressed?
Don't want to go climbing?

Got another idea?

No.

Too bad, it's nice out.

- What you making?
- Crepes.

I like your new pajamas.

They're not pajamas.

It's still nice.

Want some help?

Hello.

I'm here.

Look at me.

Marc?

Let it sit before...

It's not hot.

Say she's doing fine.

- It's not heating.
- No, you're doing fine.

That knife may scratch the pan.

No big deal.

She may scratch it.

You don't always have to say it.

She'll learn.

He's grown.

Yeah, you have grown.

You've grown too.

Noch eine Zigarette.

- Can I taste the coffee?
- You kidding?

Tell him yes.

Go on, say yes.

With sugar?

Milk?

Thanks.

Want a smoke?

- No good?
- No, really not good.

Not bad!

It's not cooked.

It'll cook.

It needs heat to cook.

I'll show you.

Shut your eyes.

There.

Thanks.

It's strange.

- It doesn't matter.
- I like it.

So do I.

I like looking at you, eyes shut.

I feel you breathing.

I miss you.

I miss you a lot.

Me too.

You too.

- Talking to yourself?
- To who?

- No one.
- But you're talking.

Take off your T-shirt.

- What you laughing at?
- Do it.

Because I'm hot.

It made me laugh.

You have a new tattoo.

A new tattoo.
Can you draw it on me?

- Same one?
- Yes.

Can you show me how to do perspective?

When something seems farther behind?

Yeah. And your work on the train,
why not draw the train?

Why don't we draw the train?
We'd see nothing, no rails.

But no train either.

Why should we see it?
We build rails, not trains.

Thanks.

The phone will ring.

I'm covered in flour.

Friends will drop by.

Stow it!

Shut up!

What's their attitude?

Can Chloé come for dinner?

By 4, we'll be hungry.

We'll have a huge snack.

Show me the pictures.

The Eiffel tower.

Remember this?

It was in Paris.

Listen to him!

"It was in Paris."

And tonight we'll get pizza.

They'll need to bathe

and pick out clothes
for school tomorrow.

We'll hang out in the kitchen

one last glass of milk

then night will fall

and the kids will go to bed.

Are you lost?

Winter is over, miss.

You slept too much, princesa?

We catch shit.

May I?

Can I clear the table?

Do you need anything?

- No thank you.
- All right.

Where are you going, little boy?

I'm going to school.

When will you come back?

Never.

Pain in the ass!

Of course, since he's a boy,
he gets his manhouse.

When do I get my piano?

- When?
- It's coming!

Coming my ass!

Must I wait for the thaw?

What a dummy.

Get my night table too!

Careful.

Get that out of here!

You're sluggish!

Raus!

This is my room now.

Dad?

My teacher wants me to try out
for the Paris Conservatory.

She says I'm 15
and won't be a child forever.

I'm scared.

My piano!

Gentle, gentle!

It's so beautiful!

Another swing?
They never use it.

They grow up so fast.

- What'll you do?
- Take it down.

"It kills your strength.

I become light.

- You shout in my ears..."
- Give it back!

"In my mouth. Everywhere."

What the hell?

- "I play louder than you!"
- Stop!

"I rise."

Seriously?

- Stop!
- "You disappear, you die."

Shut the fuck up!

"So I stop banging the keys.

I play very softly."

See your drawings? Look!

Asshole!

Where's Marc?

He's not working today.

- Tomorrow?
- Nope.

He left. He started a new life.

- What does he do?
- Whatever you want.

You decide. You tell me.

We are arriving at Paris-Montparnasse.

Paris-Montparnasse, last stop.

Please make sure
you leave nothing behind.

I wish you an excellent day.

Arrival at Paris-Montparnasse.

You may begin.

Is something wrong, miss?

Come and play.

Leave me alone.

You have to play. Come.

Ma'am, I don't even know you!

- You can't stay a...
- Stop!

Who the hell are you?

You'll grow up.

It'll be fine. Come.

- You won't stay a child forever.
- Juliette?

Mom...

My child, what's wrong?

Honey, are you okay?
What happened?

Juliette?

I got scared.

She keeps following me.

Ma'am,

enough already.

Go away, please.

I did nothing to you!

Beat it!

Leave!
Or we'll call the police.

You've been harassing her for months!

Have to do it all alone.

The Paris Conservatory, for her,
was over with.

And the piano stayed shut.

Skinny as a rail.

She lost interest in playing.

She lost interest in everything.

Go on, sweetie, skate.

I'm good.

I can do it myself, Mom!

Aurèle, the straps!

Yes, I read you loud and clear.

What's the problem, Pat?

I contacted the Spanish rescue crew
for something else.

They said
they found some surface elements.

Snow melted. It's the thaw...

Silence on the emergency channel,
please.

Hello, Cuca. How are you?

Fine.

Hello, ma'am.

How are you? Was the trip okay?

Yes.

Here you go. Second floor.

- Our nicest room.
- Can I have the big one?

The big one?

- Here.
- Thank you.

And for breakfast?

2 coffees and 2 hot chocolates.

And... in bowls.

Goodbye, Cuca.

May I?
Can I clear the table?

No, thank you.

Do you need anything?

The gate will need to be repainted.

What's the year?

1722.

No, the car.

17...

78, 79?

I forgot.

I'll have to ask.

The living room is spacious.

I'll sign up for Literature.

Are you disappointed, Dad?

Why disappointed?

Because I won't become a famous pianist.

Never.

How about changing houses?

What if Mom comes back?

She won't come back.

Been too long.

Changing houses is good.

Let's start again.

Subtitles: Andrew Litvack

Subtitling TITRAFILM