Victor and the Secret of Crocodile Mansion (2012) - full transcript

VICTOR AND TTE SECRET
OF CROCODILE MANSION

It was during our summer holidays

that our parents
left us alone for the first time.

We'd just moved
into uncle Gustav's house.

Uncle had to go to an old people's home
so he left his apartment

to Dad. Our parents wanted to get rid

of all the old furniture
and redecorate the apartment.

But I liked it the way it was.

I loved the old stuff.

The pictures on the wall
in the big room, too.

That's where I saw you
for the first time, Cecilia.



That summer I discovered your secret.

Victor?

Victor!

Victor, are you coming?

Victor, we have to go!

Why don't you answer?
- I'm reading. It's really gripping.

Where did you get that weird thing?
- Found it among Uncle's things.

Listen, I've told you,

keep your hands off that old stuff.
It's not ours.

Yeah.

The junk'll be picked up soon, then you
can do what you want. - Anything else?

Mum and I have to be off.

Look after your brother.
- He's in his box all day anyway.

Take him with you.



Victor, want to come to piano class?
- No! - See?

I'll put the food money on the dresser.
If anything comes up, go downstairs

to Mrs. Debisch on the ground floor.
She's your...

What is she again, Peter?
- Some great aunt related by marriage.

And remember uncle Gustav's birthday
the day after tomorrow. Help out.

Right, my darlings...

My Victor.

And get along, OK?

Take care of yourselves!

Did you bring the tickets?

Finally. Freedom!
- So, you will be back by two.

I'll be back at seven, right?
- Right. Just in time for children's TV.

I wanted to go out with friends!
- Bye, Victor.

Ciao, Weirdo.

Bring you friends here.
Victor mustn't be alone for too long.

So they can see my
embarrassing little brother? No, thanks.

I don't want to commit social suicide.
- Cora...

Did you see that? My shot was great!

Yeah, yeah, now play.

Franz, just shoot the ball!

That's a flowerbed.

Yes... I have to go.

God!

Crap.

They're coming!

There's so many of them!

Some of them are armed.

They're keeping a girl prisoner.

Let the girl go, or I'll get you!

So, what's it going to be?

Hello? What's going on here?
- Mama, stop yelling.

I'm Mrs. Debisch from downstairs.

What was all that racket?
- Say hello first. Or hi at least.

Open up.

We heard some noises. You alright?
I'm her son. Friedrich Debisch.

There was a burglar.

I saw a burglar!
- What?

Right here.

I saw him over there!

What's that?

It was the burglar. I ran away...

I hope your parents are well-insured.

Still...

the sentimental value can't be replaced.

It can be fixed.

By who? You?

I know some people who could...
- So what did this burglar look like?

Right, what exactly did he look like?

Well his face...

I didn't see it.

Go on, search the place.

Right.

There's no one here.

Peek-a-boo!
- Oh, God...

So?
- Nothing!

Windows closed?

Yes.

Don't bother!
It was Uncle's office. It's locked.

And it will stay that way!

Until he sends
for his personal belongings.

Nothing's safe here.
- He wasn't after money,

a modest burglar!

Or was it all just your imagination?

No...

I think it was just a diversion,

to distract us from the broken cabinet.

Tow did the burglar get into the
apartment with all the windows closed

and the chain on the door?

Well?

Don't challenge me, boy!

Yes...

You'd better play outside.
She rules over the whole house.

I almost took the stick...

CECILIA LAROCTE'S DIARY

Cecilia Laroche...

It's all these stupid masks
and stuffed animals.

I'll be glad when that junk's gone.
I'm seeing ghosts myself!

It wasn't a ghost!

Only ghosts can go through closed doors.
- Maybe he didn't use the door.

Yeah, maybe he came through the chimney!
It was Santa Claus.

He just picked the wrong season!
- Someone was in our apartment!

What are you doing?
- That's why I didn't recognize him, see?

He was wearing stockings!
- Are those mine?

Yeah, they stink!
- Are you crazy? - Tot, hot! Break it up!

Do you expect us to eat this?
- Absolutely.

And next time you do the cooking.

The door to Uncle's room was open.

There was mud on the floor from shoes or
something. - You were in Uncle's room?

He searched the desk but found nothing.

But there was a secret compartment.
My ninja sweater led me to it.

Ninja sweater? You're such a baby.

Dad told you not to go into that room.

I'll never cook for you again.
- Can I have that in writing?

I know what the burglar was looking for.

Cecilia Laroche's Diary?

I found it in the secret compartment.
- Cecilia was Uncle's daughter.

Was?

She died when she was eleven.

Tow?

Nobody really knows.

Uncle never talked about it.

They say she...
tripped in the staircase.

Maybe the burglar's involved with
her death. - That was 40 years ago!

Come on, forget I mentioned it.
Right, let's eat!

Victor?

I fell out of bed!

Go to sleep already!

CECILIA LAROCTE - SUMMER 1971

These crocodiles are everywhere!

"Time's running out.

The eyes, how they spark!

Let the crocodile lead you

To my secret in the dark."

What is your secret, Cecilia?

"Let the crocodile lead you."

"Water damage."

Crap.

What are you doing down here?

I'm really sorry.

Don't be. It's to be expected when
parents leave their kids by themselves.

It won't work.

I'm 21. It's okay.

You haven't been living here long enough

to understand how old
and dangerous this house is.

The cellar's flooded.

If something were to happen
to your brother, you wouldn't be able

to here him scream up here.

You're right, of course.
I'll speak to him.

Thank you for bringing him to me.

Your tea's very good.

Thank you.

What's that all about?
- She's evil!

Nonsense, maybe she's a little strange.

She just worries.
You can't scramble about down there.

If anything happens, no one'll hear you.

What did you want down there?

I look awful!

I found it in the cellar.
It's Cecilia's. - Cecilia's?

She wanted me to find it.
There're more clues hidden in her diary.

It's like a riddle.
Maybe I'll find out her secret.

What secret?
- Tow she died.

I shouldn't have told you.

Stop imagining things.
- But the diary...

That's enough! Can't you
go outside and play with other kids?

Can't you do what normal boys do?
Break some windows!

Steal some road signs!

I can hardly cope with my studies let
alone look after some weird brother!

Hey, I'm sorry. I'm on night shift
at the clinic and I really hate it.

Do you see people die there?

What?

At the hospital?

Yes, but they're all very old.

Cecilia was eleven when she died.

Why does it matter so much to you?
It was 40 years ago.

Can't you think of something beautiful?

I only have to leave at 9:30.

Let's all play a board game, okay?

As long as you don't cook!
- As long as you have a shower first!

Are you coming? What'll we play?

What have you got?
- Let's see... Scotland Yard?

There's a Mister X
and the detectives have to find him...

Ti, Laroche, speaking.
We'd like to order three pizzas.

One Margherita, one Salami and...

Here's 20. Thank you.

I want the salami pizza!
- It's this one.

And this one's Victor's...
- Hey, it's your turn!

Really, Victor, it's no fun this way.

I followed your lead, Cecilia.

I was in the cellar
and found your mirror.

But what do I do with it?

Does the mirror lead to the next clue?

Will it lead me to your secret?

The mirror!

I've seen it somewhere before!

Here!

Mirror, mirror...

mirror!

A treasure!

Louise.

Louise!

What's wrong, Victor?

Where's Louise?
- At the clinic. What's wrong?

The burglar!

I you ask me,

that's not evidence, it's muck.
- It's not muck!

It's the burglar's footprint!

I found it in Uncle's apartment
on the carpet.

What did he look like? - He saw him.
I only heard my brother's shouting.

So? What did he look like?

Yesterday I saw him in the mirror,
but he was wearing stockings. And today

I only heard him. He was at my door.

Maybe someone wants to kidnap him!

We can't rule out anything.

He was looking for the book.
The burglar knows I have it.

What book are you talking about?

Now I see!

Victor found my second cousin's diary.
She died here 40 years ago,

and he's trying to find out why.
- Are you joking? - Let the boy explain.

The diary is the key

to Cecilia's secret. The burglar
doesn't want me to reveal it.

Maybe he killed her.

40 years ago?
- You don't believe me. - Yes, we do.

I'd say the evidence is pretty clear.

We're looking for a burglar,
appearance unknown,

theft-object: An old book

of children's drawings,
there's no damage,

he stole nothing... and the only proof

for his burglary is this muck.

We'll start a nation-wide search.
Airports, train stations,

freeways... close them all off!

"Close them off!"

Hello, Interpol? We're looking for an
internationally wanted criminal. Help us!

You've been imagining things.
The chain was on,

the windows were closed...
Tow would he get in?

That's just it! I think there's a secret
passage. - Sit down! - Secret passage?

And how would the burglar know about it?

It's secret, this passage,
that's why it's called a secret passage.

But of course!

It must be someone from the house.
Only they could know of it!

Sorry. And thank you for coming.
- No problem.

It's our job after all.

It has to be Debisch, Cora.
She knows the house inside out.

She lived here when Cecilia died!

You're so embarrassing. Good night!

And thanks again.

I really don't need this!

So it's Mrs. Debisch...

Mr. Strichninsky!

I wanted to ask you
if you got round to it yet.

Not yet, but I'm working on it.

It's really very, very important.
- Yes, yes. - Wait.

There.

Will you be coming to Uncle's birthday
party, too? - Oh, I don't know yet.

I'm not one for crowds.

I can understand that.

Hello, Mr. Strichninsky!

That's mine.
- Sorry.

Bye!

I think she knows I've got your diary.

And she's probably
paying Strichninsky to get it.

I think he's the burglar!

But how's he getting into our apartment?

Where's the secret passage?

Cora?

Victor?

Hello?

Give me a hand.
The guests will be here soon.

Answer me!

Yes, I'm coming!

Come and give me a hand.
The guests'll be here any minute.

Louise, just a moment!

I just want to go over the music.

They're driving me crazy!

An old dinner lift! So that's it!

Why do I always have to organize
everything by myself? Am I a manager?

You could've asked me beforehand.
Am I a clairvoyant?

Why the fuss anyway?
It's not our birthday.

And we hardly know uncle Gustav...

I'd pay you back, of course.
It wouldn't be for long. A year or so.

Mama?

Aren't you talking to me now? Mama?

You're not telling me the truth!
You're in debt again.

I have money, but I can't touch it,
it's in investments.

It's frozen, they said.

On Uncle's birthday of all times!

Victor! Where are you?

That's it, I'm coming to get you!
- Damn.

Victor, come and help us!

I'm coming into your room!

Victor, come and...

Are you there?

Are you in there?

Why don't you answer?
- I'm coming.

What happened to you?
- Why? - You've been acting

very secretively of late.

Now leave, I'm coming.

Why are you photographing the neighbors?
Is that Mrs. Debisch? - Butt out! Leave!

You're nuts!
- Just leave me alone!

Cecilia!
- It belongs to Cecilia!

Give me the book, it's Cecilia's!
You're so mean!

"Time's running out. The eyes, how they
spark! Let the crocodile lead you..."

It's Cecilia's, you stupid cow!
- Stop this detective crap

and grow up!
- Are you crazy?

Uncle is downstairs already!
Get a grip! It's still his house, okay?

And what happened to you?

Go and wash up!
I put out some clothes for you.

Okay? There.

Tappy birthday, Uncle.

We're Peter's children.
- Who isn't here today for your birthday.

Unfortunately Mum and Dad can't be here.
They're at a trade fair.

Whose hair?

A fair!

To have fun?
- No, to work!

On a Sunday.

Your birthday.

The fair's important and...
- He doesn't understand you anyway.

That's Louise.

And this is...

Cora.

Four letters, hard to remember.

And this is Victor.

We brought you this.

That's alright.

Can't you just be nice for once?

It's okay for you, she knew your name!
- God, a gabby sister and a dumb brother!

I'll be right back. I forgot something.

Tappy birthday, Uncle.

I found this in your desk.

Cecilia drew the pictures.
- Cecilia?

Maybe you can help me.

Where's this?

What are you doing?
What's that? Give it to me!

Right now! You leave Uncle in peace.

Everything alright?

Yes, dear, dear Uncle,

for your nineteenth birthday...

Nonsense!

For your ninetieth birthday

I wish you all the best
from up here on stage...

...but we continued
to do business after war.

Let's go.
- The things we smuggled across...

You have no idea...

Never mind!

Knuckleheads.

What are you looking at?
Never seen an old man swipe rum before?

I see, you're a Ioner, too.

Maybe we should get together.
Helmut Opitz.

Come on, I like kids!

I even had a goddaughter once,
about your age.

But that's already... 40 years ago.

Want a swig, too?
- No...

Very sensible.
All the same, you keep this.

When I drink too much, I start talking

of things I shouldn't talk about.

Know what this is made of?

I had it made from a dynamite cap.

They used them

to blast the diamond mines in Angola.

Those were wild times back then.

And we got rich!

Well...

I drank it all away.

And Gustav bought this place.

Didn't make him happy, though.

Is your goddaughter here today?

No, no...

Why not?

She...

She died.

Cecilia.

Tow do you know?

She loved hiding things.

Nothing was safe from her.

But why did she die?
- I was in Africa at the time.

I couldn't bear to watch it anymore.

Nobody was allowed to discuss it.

Sure, he wanted to protect her,

but you can't lock up
a ten-year old girl because she's sick.

Cecilia was sick?
- She was an epileptic. She had seizures.

They kept it from her,
and that was a mistake.

Gustav sent for his sister-in-law.

She was supposed
to watch her every move.

Mrs. Debisch.

She wasn't always the shrew she is now.

They eyes!
- What?

Cecilia felt watched.

That's why she drew the eyes. See?

She was a clever girl.

She probably sensed something was wrong.

She hid a riddle in her diary.
- A riddle?

These drawings are a set.
- It looks like a treasure chest.

But where's that?
Was Cecilia ever in Africa?

Goodness, no.

Did uncle Gustav shoot animals like that?

He shot at everything that moved.

And to what end? Now the poor stuffed
animals gather dust in the attic.

The attic!

God!

Careful.

Well then...

Why do you keep stirring up the past?
All you do is upset him.

Uncle had a heart attack.

Tow could it have happened?
We have to stay with him, accompany him.

You can't drive, you're drunk.
- Mrs. Debisch? - Yes?

I can drive you.
- Good.

Victor, where were you?
I've been looking everywhere for you.

Don't worry, Uncle will make it.

I'm going with him to the hospital.

Victor, are you coming?
- In a minute!

What do you want now?
- Get something back.

Tave you gone crazy?

What is this? What are you doing
in my apartment under my bed?

Spit it out!
- I just wanted to get my box!

Your box?

For that you climb across the roof?
And risk breaking your little neck?

You could've asked me for it!

I really should call the police...
if they weren't here already.

We haven't been introduced yet.

Jakob Strichninsky, Burglary Department.

And you managed
to break into my place!

Don't ever tell my boss, okay?

But you work for Mrs. Debisch.

Where did you get that idea?
- She gave you money.

You know more about me
than my ex-wife!

I've been trying to fix the stupid water
mains in the cellar, but I need a pump.

Mrs. Debisch offered to pay for it,

after all, it isn't my house.
Here it is.

So what's in it?
Tas to be something important.

Rhinestones?

Rhinestones!

I don't believe it! That's your secret?

I'm so stupid!
I'm the dumbest detective ever!

Louise called.
Uncle Gustav's doing better.

I know how you feel.

It's upset me, too.

I thought he was going to die.

Are you alright?

Yes, I've solved the riddle.

What?

She hid two rhinestones.

Who?
- It was all just a game.

A stupid paper chase.
- What are you talking about?

Cecilia! I'm talking about Cecilia!

You're kidding, right?

Cecilia's dead. Get it into your head!
- I know. And I know you don't care.

It was 40 years ago!

You don't even know her. I'm starting
to think this thing's driving you crazy!

So what? What's it to you?
Just leave me alone!

Go away, I don't need you.
I don't need anyone!

Do you want to be like the Ioners in
the schoolyard that everyone ignores?

Yes, I do.

Then stay by yourself.

You'll be happy to know
I now care as little as you do!

My God, the things we smuggled across!

They used them
to blast the diamond mines in Angola.

She loved hiding things.

Nothingwas safe from her.

The eyes!

Those were wild times back then.

And we got rich!

The sun isn't a sun at all!

I know who you are...

Friedrich Debisch!

Son,

all I want is the book.

Give me the book!

I'll get you!

Oh, crap!

The book!
- I don't have it anymore!

What? You're lying!

I'm gonna get you, you little...

Stay here!

Stay here I say!

See? I've got you now!

Little devil!

I know what happened!

What?
- Cecilia!

I know everything! - Stop blabbing.
Just tell me where the book is.

I don't want to hurt you.
Just tell me where the stupid book is!

Here's your book!

He's the burglar?
- Yes.

Victor? Cora?

Friedrich!
- Mama!

Well, my boy,
how's the investigation going?

You seem to have had
a "crashing" break-through.

He's the burglar I told you about.

And I know what happened to Cecilia.

He broke in here? Friedrich Debisch?
- No, this is all

a huge misunderstanding.

I just wanted to pack up some of Uncle's
old books and take them to the hospital.

At midnight?

I couldn't sleep.
I was too upset about Uncle.

The door was open,
and I didn't want to wake the kids.

You left the door open?

I was mad and stormed out.

Maybe I didn't lock up, but he threatened
Victor with a spear! - In self-defense.

He attacked me and then she came.

What? Victor, say something!

He...
- People, no harm done.

It's only a scratch.
No hard feelings. It's no big deal.

Let's just forget all about it.

I'm a little tired. Right...

Goodnight!

Just a moment!

May I?

Are these my stockings?

They must've slipped
into my pocket in the wash.

He pulled it over his head
when he broke in here.

That's just ridiculous!

Can anyone see traces of a burglary?

You came here through the dinner lift.

It's not being used anymore, but
Friedrich knew it from his childhood.

That's absurd! Why would I break into
a strange apartment using a dinner lift?

You're in debt

and need money.

You're in debt again. - I have money.
I can't touch it, it's in investments.

That's why you've been searching
Uncle's apartment for something.

Something very valuable.

It took me a long time
to figure out what it is.

But Cecilia helped me solve it.

"Time's running out.
The eyes, how they spark!

Let the crocodile lead you
To my secret in the dark."

That's what Cecilia wrote in her diary.

"The eyes, how they spark!" Why?

After the war Uncle Gustav and Mr. Opitz
shipped African things to Germany.

For instance... stuffed crocodiles.

Nothing special.

But the eyes of the crocodiles...

were diamonds!

Not bad, eh? It was my idea.

Souvenirs from the Black Continent were
very fashionable back then. Diamonds...

disguised as crocodile's eyes.

No one noticed.

Maybe someone could explain to me
what that's got to do with my son.

Friedrich and Cecilia stole one
such crocodile with its valuable eyes.

She used to hide everything!

The diamonds, too.

Then she wrote this stupid riddle.
I just didn't get it!

And these geeky drawings. You'd have to
be an arts student to figure them out!

You gave up your search back then,
but with Uncle in the old-people's home

and my parents wanting to redecorate,

it became...
- It was my last chance to find them!

The diamonds?

No, no.

These are rhinestones.
- Cecilia wanted them to be found.

But it's only part of her riddle.

This is the solution.

A page from Cecilia's diary.

Here she drew a sun. And next to it
a grandfather clock. This one here.

So the sun must be in this room.
- The sun's in this room?

Sorry, I don't get it!

The diamonds were here all the time.
For forty years.

Right above our heads!

She exchanged the diamonds
for the rhinestones.

The little minx!

You fought over the diamonds.

We stole them together, one of them
was mine! - You were really angry!

Sure I was. - You had a fight
and Cecilia fell down the stairway.

What?
- Admit it!

But I...
- Victor, you're going too far.

Cecilia died because of your fight!
- I wasn't even there that day!

Okay, the boy's right.

Yes, I broke into this place
searching for the diamonds,

but I had nothing to do with her death!

I was with relatives in the country
that day. There are witnesses!

Mr. Debisch, you're under arrest.

Burglary, false pretenses,

assault on a minor...
- Bite me!

...and insulting an official.

Hey, at least you got wise to me
after forty years!

That counts for something,
so don't hang your detective head!

Then who was here when it happened?

Cecilia was alone...

with my mother.

Here, enjoy it.

Hey listen, I want to apologize to you.

That's okay.

I should've believed you.

Go on, eat your pudding.

Don't worry. Even Louise should manage
to stir it with milk. - With milk?

I stirred it with water!
- You're joking!

What do you mean? It said so!
- Is says "with milk".

In bold letters, too.
- Give it to me!

What's the matter?

I still don't know
what happened to Cecilia.

Why did she die and why doesn't
Mrs. Debisch want to talk about it?

Didn't you see her just now? She knows
something but she keeps silent!

There must be a reason.

I need your help.

"Time's running out."

"The eyes, how they spark!"
- "Let the crocodile lead you..."

"To my secret in the dark."

The eyes were the diamonds.

The crocodile led me down
into the dark cellar.

Yes, I get all of that, too.

But why, "Time is running out"?

Cecilia was an epileptic.
Maybe that's why.

She knew she was dying?

But no one told her she was sick.
- Besides, you don't die of epilepsy.

The spasms can be suppressed

with tablets, and then you're okay.
- Time's running out...

Time's running out...

The clock!

It stopped again.

The grandfather clock, that's it!

Not Cecilia's time,
the clock's time is running out.

No wonder it goes wrong. This weight

is much lighter than the other.

C. L.

Cecilia Laroche.

She loved hiding things.

Shouldn't I come with you?
- No.

You sure?

Mrs. Debisch?

Mrs. Debisch?

What do you want?

Cecilia was sick...
- It's all none of your business.

You had to keep an eye on her,
that's why Uncle sent for you.

Get out of my kitchen!

You didn't tell her the truth.

She didn't know she was sick.

Uncle threatened to throw
Friedrich and me out, if we told her.

Cecilia sensed something was wrong.

She always felt watched by me.

She thought I wanted
to lock her up and check on her.

She hated me.

The day it happened...

did you remember to give her the tablets?
- I always gave her the tablets. Always!

There was so much going on that day...
It was New Year's Eve.

Uncle was expecting
a large evening party,

and I was busy
doing the preparations while Cecilia

was drawing in her diary beside me.

Cecilia!

Suddenly she was before me.

Her seizure took me by surprise.

I gave her the tablets.
I know I did. I gave them to her.

There was a lot going on that day,
but I gave them to her.

I must've forgotten.

I forgot.

You did give her the tablets.

But Cecilia didn't swallow them.

I found these in the grandfather clock.

She hid them.

She loved hiding things.
- She was always hiding everything! Yes.

I don't believe it.

Cecilia drew this.

All this time I thought she was being
pushed down, and that this is you.

But it's nothing to do with her death.

I held it upside down.

You catch her.

She knew you'd always be there for her.
She didn't hate you.

Subtitles: Adrian Byrne

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