Who You Think I Am (2019) - full transcript

Who You Think I Am

Ms. Millaud?

Ms. Millaud?

Could we reschedule my
next appointment to a later time?

I'm never any good in the mornings because
of the sleeping pills I take at night.

Let's discuss that after this session.

Doctor Zimman saw me after lunch.
He knew I was no good in the mornings.

I understand.

What a terrible time…

What a terrible time for
Zimman to have a stroke.

What do you expect me to do now?



Should I start over from my childhood?
What do you want me to say…?

No, you won't have to start over.

Sometimes a change of perspective allows
us to understand a thing differently.

Who knows, this might be the
start of a breakthrough for you.

I expect you're uncomfortable
knowing so little about me.

No?

I can tell you more about my practice.

“Catherine Bormans,
medically licensed therapist…

“Masters degree in
Psychiatry, summa cum laude…

“Specializing in 'women in
crisis' and in-patient care…

“Joined the Val Dracy Clinic
in 2019 as a replacement…

“For the late Doctor Zimman.”

And that's all I could find on Google.

Though I have to say, I
thought you would be…



Younger.

It's like you know me already.

Where do you want me to start?

Where do you want to start?

Well..

Ludo.

I should start with…

Ludo.

A new project?

A bar. On the beach.

Those photos look good.

Yeah, Alex took them.

Alex?

He's a friend who lives with me.
A photographer.

You told me you didn't
like people in your space.

Yeah, but we've known each other since
we played rugby together in college.

He's going through a break-up.

You look good in this picture.

Oh yeah?

Okay, I'm running late.
I've got an Uber coming.

You're leaving?

Yeah, the guy with the
bar wants to meet me.

But you said we were going to
spend the weekend together?

Right?

You're mad?

Aren't you a bit old for a temper tantrum?

Hey.

We had fun, right?

I don't understand why you're doing this.

Doing what?

Why call me over to fuck

If you don't want to
spend time with me after?

Come on, I love having fun with you.

What?

What am I missing here? Did you
think we would invite over your sons?

Maybe have a tea party?

- Hey, if this isn't working for you anymore…
- No.

No, I didn't say that at all.

You want to stop, we can stop.

Can you drop me off on the corner, please?

Look…

I'll call you later, okay?

What becomes of Laclos

After the publication of his scandalous
novel “Les Liasons dangereuses“?

This great writer
is first and foremost a man of action,

a soldier, an engineer,
a man of genuine principle.

The Revolution is

the opportunity he's been looking for
to make his mark on history.

A supporter of the Duke of Orleans,
Laclos is eventually arrested on…

He was arrested in… in…

He was arrested in...

In 1793?

In 1793, thank you.

Jailed at La Force and
subsequently transferred to Picpus.

And who can tell me who ends up
imprisoned there only a year later?

Hello?

Hello, I…
Who is this?

I'm… um. Ludo's friend, Alex. And you are?

You...
Can you put Ludo on the phone, please?

Um, no, he can't talk;
He's opening the oysters.

This is Claire.

Claire. Claire who?

Ludo, do you know a “Claire”?

I don't know any Claires.

- Excuse me?
- Sorry, I think you have the wrong number.

Um… no. Look, can you just
put him on the phone, please?

Okay, let's start over.
I'm Alex, Ludo's assistant -

No - - And if he knows you,
I'm sure he will call back.

-No, thank you.
Just let me speak to Ludo, please.

He's not here.

I just heard him!

Oh, well… he just left.

- You think you're being funny?
- Enough already!

♪ Ludo has declined your friend request ♪

Are you on social media, doctor?

For a single woman,

it is simultaneously…

The sinking ship and the lifeboat.

We are not what we are on there.

Sometimes we are the spider,
sometimes we are -

the fly.

Clara Antunès.

Born on…

Twenty-four, twenty-five…

Ah…

♪ Add Friend ♪

Alex wasn't important.

Not at first.

I didn't know him and
he didn't matter to me.

I only friended him on Facebook

so that I could connect with Ludo.

♪ Friend Request Pending ♪

I didn't have to wait very long.

♪ Like ♪

♪ Like ♪

♪ Thanks for liking my pictures. ♪

♪ They're so amazing. ♪

♪ Wow, thank you! ♪

♪ You are very ♪

♪ You are very talented.
Good night ♪

♪ Hold on!
Which picture did you like best? ♪

♪ All of them, I can't choose ♪

♪ And you, what do you do? ♪

♪ I work in fashion. ♪

♪ As a model? ♪

♪ Don't get too excited… ♪

♪ I just organize events. I'm only
an intern. They pay me pin money. ♪

♪ Never heard that expression before. ♪

♪ My boss is frugal ♪

♪ My boss is very greedy ♪

♪ My boss is a douchebag,
but it looks good on my resume. ♪

♪ I've got time, I'm still young. ♪

Did you have a good time?

It was okay.

Did you do something…

Special?

We went bowling.

Ah.

That sounds good.

Yeah.

And was she there?

Come on, she doesn't bother me anymore.

She does.

Oh yeah?

You know how she is.
They were all over each other, as usual.

She's so annoying.

So, who won?

She won the first game
and papa won the second, I think.

And you?

- Well…
- He finished last, like a loser.

Shut up. [In Italian]

Maybe just speak French
during dinner, okay?

Max, not at the table.

"Children, do not feel envy -

“For our age of pain where the
heart is in turn a slave and a rebel,

“Where laughter is often
sadder than your tears.

"Oh! Do not hurry to ripen your thoughts!

"Enjoy the morning, enjoy the spring;

“Your hours are fragile flowers
the stems intertwined -

“Do not pluck them faster than you must.”

I don't get it.
What's this supposed to mean, anyway?

Well...

You have good scansion and that's a start.

So what would you say about it?

I'm not the one trying to get

a passing grade in this class.
♪ I'm in a meeting ♪

So…

What's the central metaphor?

What can you say about the rhymes?

Well?

They're good?

I want to help you,
but I can't do this all by myself.

Fine.

Well don't get upset about it, come on!

These are alternate rhymes: A-B-A-B.

Spread out over three stanzas.

Do you even know what a metaphor is?

That little green light.

It tells me that he is online.
He is there, just like I am.

In front of his screen.

And how does seeing
that light make you feel?

Comforted.

Like I can breathe easier.

“I am…

“Very ugly…

“And very old.”

Excited.

♪ And very funny too! ♪

To know that he's watching what you do,

Photos you comment on,

Music you listen to.

It's crazy, if you think about it, all
the things we can do from a distance.

♪ Are you on Insta?? ♪

Insta?

Insta.

“A social network,

photo and video sharing service.”

“I'm not an Insta person.”

“I'm not like everybody else.”

Well maybe if you got your
tickets on the internet, you could

Find what you want more easily.

♪ You're beginning to understand
you cannot do without me… ♪

No no no, even on the internet,

- they make you wait there too.
- But it's faster.

We are picking them up in person.

Claire, are you okay over there?

No. Yes, well…

A little. I'm texting with someone.

Oh really? Who is it?

No one! A young man…
who is getting carried away.

- A student?
- He thinks he's being subtle. No, not a student!

Maybe…

Is our Claire playing at being a cougar?

I don't play.

I'm a serious woman.

If a woman is a “cougar”,
what do you call a male “cougar”?

You call them “men,” no?

Guys always think they have the right
to be with younger women,

- and no one ever makes a fuss about that.
- Oh come on, that's not what's happening here.

- Yes.
- It's not what she's doing.

She really wants an argument!

♪ I need to know. What do
you expect will happen now? ♪

♪ Let's just say I'm intrigued ♪

♪ Ah!! Really? And qwhy? ♪

♪ The way you act! ♪

♪ And how is that???? ♪

♪ Intriguing ♪

Oh?

If we were to go back to the start of
the twentieth century, to find

The epitome of the truly
modern woman writer,

We could do no better than
the example of Marguerite Duras.

"Very early," she writes,

“In my life, it was too late.”

"At eighteen, it was already too late.

"Between eighteen and twenty-five,

“My face took off in a new direction.

“I grew old at eighteen.
My aging was sudden.

“It spread over my features,
leaving great creases in my forehead

“Making the eyes larger,

“The mouth more utterly final

“The expression dark and sad.”

I chose each word so very carefully.

All it would take was one error,

One slip of the tongue and then -

The magic would disappear.

♪ You want to know what
would make me happy? ♪

♪ Tell me! ♪

♪ TO SEE A PHOTO OF YOU!!! ♪

I knew I had to give it to him.

Why?

I'm sure he would have
suspected something otherwise.

By now, there was no going back.

And I think it turned me on.

That moment when…

The spiral begins.

“The spiral”?

It was time to give Clara Antunès a face.

Hello?

It's Clara.

You had to use a private number?

How do I know you're not…

A psychopath?

Fair enough, okay.

- So how do I seem?
Do I sound like Dexter?

No.

Your voice is...

It's weird. Different
from what I had imagined.

Well, I...

I'm sorry.

No, no; Don't be sorry.

You have a very pretty voice.

When I hear my own
voice, it always sounds…

Irritating to listen to, but...

Not to me.

That's nice.

Yeah, you sound…

Very young.

Just how old are you exactly?

You're legal, I hope?

You said you're twenty-four, right?

Almost…

Almost twenty-five now.

You sound younger.

People often say that.

What did you think of my picture?

Did you like it?

Yes. I love it.

So you love me?

Yeah, kinda.

Did you read my comment?

♪ How could anyone not fall for such
a beautiful creature!!! ♪

Thank you.

So.

Do you trust me enough to give me
your phone number now?

Wow! Okay.

So not only are you shy, but -

- You're also speechless?

Clara?

Who was the girl in the picture?

No idea. I picked it at random.

So whenever this boy thought of you,
the image he had in his mind was of…

Shall we say,

Another woman?

No, not really, no.

He liked my voice,

My words, my way of thinking.
That was all me.

If I had showed him…

If I had told the truth and shown him
my real Facebook profile,

Alex wouldn't have friended me
in the first place.

He wouldn't have wanted to know
a woman like me, not intimately.

Ah.

"A woman like me"?

Yes, a woman...

With bags under her eyes;
A faded beauty.

Is it so important to you that others
think of you as beautiful?

It is?

Some pleasures you never want to give up.

I like to be looked at, to be lusted over.
Don't you?

And yet, this man is not looking at you.

He lusts after another woman's picture.

It's true. It's the opposite
of what I really wanted.

Maybe…

Maybe I didn't trust
myself to exist in his eyes.

♪ From now on, call me whenever you want.
Speechless Clara ♪

Baudelaire, in his analysis,

Sees the character of
Marquise de Merteuil as a female Tartuffe,

Always one step ahead of
the fumbling Vicomte de Valmont.

What intrigues Baudelaire most,

Is not so much her
superiority over Valmont,

But her reversal of gender roles,

Her sexual rebellion
against a hypocritical society.

Open your books to page eighty-one.

♪ 9 missed calls ♪

Controlling him like this, I...

I felt alive.

Here, we see Laclos positioning
the Marquise to be her unique self.

More alive than I had been in years.

I wasn't pretending to be young.

I was young.

Have you known a lot of men?

Um… on Facebook?

No, I mean...

Really known a man.

I've only been in love once.

It's okay, you're not even twenty-five;
You'll have time to love again.

Do you still think about him?

Well… I try to...

Only remember the good times, but…

It's hard, you know?

What did you talk about with him?

About…

Concerts, art…

We talked about…

Books.

Wow, okay. So you like nerds.

Yeah!

- Sounds like he was older than you.
- A little.

After him, a guy like me
must be pretty boring to you.

Do I sound bored to you?

I guess not.

Honestly, it's been a long time since…

I've wanted to be with someone this badly.

Wow. I didn't know you felt that way.

- Clara?
- Yes.

Yes?

I feel the same way you do.

Can you fall in love
with someone like this…

In only a few days?

Sometimes you can.

We're proof.

- Hey Gilles, how are you?
- Hi, fine.

- Your hair looks great.
- Thank you.

You look amazing.

You too.

Yeah. I'm trying real hard.

On the 11th, I'm in Caluire;
The 12th, Lausanne; On the 14th, Geneva -

- Gilles, stop. I don't
care about your tour.

Just for the kids, Claire. I'll catch up
with them on these weeks later in the year.

No, no way are we
changing the schedule again.

If it's a problem, they
can stay with your little girl.

She doesn't work; She can look after them.

My “little girl”?
What kind of feminist are you?

- You said you didn't want them alone with her.
- I changed my mind.

By god, I'm prioritizing what I want.

It took me twenty years,
going crazy over you and the boys..

To finally figure it out.

Why not make myself happy?

You're seeing someone.

- Wouldn't you like to know!
- I care about who you're with.

Yeah, I did meet someone,
if you have to know.

He's handsome, he's…

He's tender.

Everything we do together…

Everything is fun.

Congratulations.

At long last, I think I am moving on.

And it's about goddamn time!

How was the party?

It was horrible.

Why was it horrible?

Everybody there was so old…

- Oh yeah?
- Almost fifty!

- Seriously?
Oh yes.

You sound kind of drunk.

Ha ha ha. Maybe.

Okay, but you got home safe?

Yeah. Already in bed.

What are you wearing?

Well…

A flannel sweatshirt...

Panties.

Are you naked under your sweatshirt?

Yeah.

Take it off.

I'm going to put my hand on
your belly now; Can you feel me?

Yes, I can feel it.

Now my hands are moving up..

On to your breasts.

Yes.

They feel so good in my hands.

Soft.

Firm.

- Can I kiss them?
- Please, kiss them.

Can you feel me sucking on them?

Can you feel me sucking on your nipples?

Do you know what I want you to do
while I suck on your tits?

I want you to put your
fingers in your panties.

Oh, yes.

I want that too.

- You want to do it?
- Yes.

Say it.

I want to…

To put my fingers in my panties.

Do it.

How does it feel?

It's hot.

Is it wet?

It's hot and very, very wet.

Is your finger in your pussy?

Oh, yes…

Then start to rub your clit.

- I love hearing you touch yourself.
Keep going.

Keep making that sound, keep doing that.

I'm so hard.

I'm fucking you.

I'm fucking you!

I'm fucking…

Oh, that was good.

Oh, very...

Alex.

I love you.

Oh, Alex…

My love.

I had missed making love.

Not so much the act…

But the kissing, the caressing…

Touching.

Being touched.

What is love without passion?

Why don't we talk about
you for a little while?

You know everything about me and I…

Don't know you.

As your therapist, I can't
claim to truly know you.

What you say here isn't for me.
It's for you.

So I don't get to know you at all?

I'm a doctor. Your doctor.

Not your friend.

You never fucked a patient?

I'm sure it happens.

Some patients come to
desire their therapists, right?

It's true. We say that

It is sometimes part of…

Part of the process.

The process of…?

The healing process.

That's all good for the patient,
but what about the doctor?

We learn something about ourselves

From each of our patients.

Sometimes it's intellectual…

A theory that we see proven.

Sometimes it's personal.

Did it turn you on?

That scene in the car on the
phone with Alex, did it excite you?

There are boundaries, Claire,

Which are defined by the
ethics of my profession.

What do you mean you can't see me?

Next week, I can't.
I have to take care of my little niece.

- But you promised!
- I just don't have time.

I'm sorry, I...

Clara, I can't take this anymore.

I need to see you.

I want to see you too, but
it's not as easy as all that.

I swear, I'm trying to be patient

But I don't think you are

Taking this as seriously as I am.

What's she doing?

Maybe she's gone senile?

I love you. Alex, I adore you.

You make me feel incredible.

If you only knew how much I
want to see you, to feel you,

To be with you. Nothing else matters.
But I'm in the car right now,

So I have to call you back, okay?

Ugh, fine.

Your father wouldn't stop talking. Sorry!

Go Blue!

- Go Red!
- Post him up!

Get him!

That's a foul!

Thirteen fouled!

Hey!

What game are you watching, ref?
You want to borrow my glasses!

Calm down.

I'd calm down if he did his job right.
Make the call, ref!

Do you have children, doctor?

I bet you've been married a long time.

Or not!

Doesn't it get tiring in these sessions
to never give your opinion?

If you knew half of what was
going through my head sometimes.

You would fall off your chair!

You were talking about your children.

Yes, my sons.

My sons.

The days they are with their father,

Those are more difficult.

Difficult in what way?

I get smaller.

Until?

Until…

Until I feel like I'm
more Clara than Claire.

You think I'm like
all the other girls you know.

Clara.

You don't really know me.

I know you're special.

Sure.

I have to take this slow.

Even though it's hard for both of us.

You're going to drive me crazy.

Okay, I have something special
for my impatient man.

You never told me

Where Clara's photo came from.

And the video.

I did tell you; You
should keep better notes.

I found it on Google, randomly.

“Randomly,” you say.

What are you getting at?
Why would I lie to you?

The face he grew to love,
was a picture of some “random” young girl?

And you didn't…

That doesn't fit.

That picture meant nothing to you?

She was nobody.

Alright…

But how did you get access to
her pictures and videos so easily?

Have you never been online?
Of course it's easy!

Facebook, Instagram… Everyone's life is
on the web. You just have to pluck it up.

Claire, this isn't an accusation.

But I can't help you
if you won't tell me the truth.

Fine. Enough.

Aren't you clever, then.

The photo was of my niece Katia, okay?

That what you wanted?

Is everything crystal clear now?

Your niece?

She's pretty and blonde.

I guessed Alex liked blondes; That's all.

- That's all?
- Yes, that's all!

Could you tell me more about your niece?

Sure. There's not much to say.

Katia is my brother's daughter.

He had a helicopter accident
with his wife on board,

So she was an orphan and we
adopted her for awhile. The end.

I'm not sure if you're
being serious with me.

I briefly adopted my niece Katia.

For some months, I looked
after her like my own daughter,

But before the adoption,
we barely knew each other.

Did she give you permission to

Use her photo?

Of course not, Katia doesn't know anything.
Anyway, we don't see each other anymore.

As soon as the inheritance and the
paperwork was all settled…

Katia went to live in Norway.

You took ownership of your niece.

Her face, her age, her history...

What were you hoping would happen?

Did you want her life?

No, not her life. My life!

Finally!

- Yesterday, I didn't go outside.
It rained all day.

Same here.

I was hoping, "Maybe she'll call me?"

I have to go to sleep now.

You want me to hang up?

I can't keep my eyes open.

Sometimes you sound like an old lady.

Will you still love me when...

When I am old?

How old?

Fifty or -

- Fifty! Even older!

Forever!

You waited for me?

Yeah.

That's cute. What are you doing now?

Preparing for my trip.

What trip?

I'm leaving to Goa in India in a week.

Ah? By yourself?

No, with my roommate.

Ludo? I told you about him.

How long will you be gone?

- Two months.
You think you can last without me?

Clara?

Clara?

How long did you have this planned?

It's been a long time.

But you're only telling me about it now?

It was from before we even met.

I'll tell you what: Come with us.

I can't do that.

Just quit your internship and…

Look, we only have one life.

Anyway, what's the
difference if I'm in India or here?

It frightens me to imagine
you so far away from me.

So far.

Shhhh!

We never see each other anyway.

Would that… would that change it?

I mean, do you want to see me?

Of course I do.

Of course I do! Don't you?

I do, but…

I'm scared.

I'm afraid I'll disappoint you.

You won't.

I am sure you won't.

But, I worry that maybe you'll be
a little disappointed in me.

Clara…

What are you doing here?

Can we talk outside today?
I need fresh air.

Alright. Let's go.

I can't stop thinking about...

What can't you stop thinking about?

He became the center of my universe.

During his trip to Goa,
we talked every day.

Three, four times a day.

It was absolutely perfect.

But after he came back,

Alex wanted more.
And it became…

Harder to keep him at a distance.

♪ Surprise!!!
Just returned from Goa this morning! ♪

♪ ALEX is connected to CLARA♪ ♪Alex is en route to
Clara♪ ♪He will join you in approximately 3 minutes. ♪

I came to find you.

I know you were there.

I couldn't... I just couldn't.

Okay, I've had enough of this.

Are you messing with me?

Is this some kind of joke to you?

Do you not care about me?

No…

Hello?

What are you doing here?

It's Sunday.

Oh, right, right. Why didn't you call me?
I was starting to get worried.

Sure you were.

- What's going on over there?
- I'm going to set the table.

Hello?

Who were you just talking to?

A friend, who showed up unexpectedly.

- Why are you whispering?
What's really going on?

I have to go. I'll call you back.

You're hanging up on me?

You think I'm going to
keep putting up with this shit?

That I'll just call whenever you want?

- There's nothing to eat.
- Wait, I'll make pancakes.

We don't have any eggs.

What is this?

Alex...

I have to tell you something.

What.

There is someone here and…

It's a guy. We live together.

How long has this been going on?

It was a few months before I met you...
I don't even know anymore.

And this is how you chose to tell me?

Why didn't you say something before?

I tried.

Does he know about us?

No.

No, Gilles is very jealous
and very paranoid…

And it's not really working
with us anymore, so I thought…

Alright.

I understand why you
don't want to see me now.

I've been waiting
around like a fool for weeks.

I'm so sorry Alex.

I feel pretty stupid.

Forgive me.

- I'm going to...
I'm going to hang up now.

- I have to think about this.
- Forgive me.

Hi Clara…

Um…

I don't know what you've
decided to do about us.

But I just feel so lost.

I don't think you understand
how much I love you.

I... I can't take this anymore.

I'm going crazy.

I'm coming to Paris next Thursday.

My train arrives in
Montparnasse at three o'clock.

Please don't try to call
or message anymore.

If you care about me…

Just be there.

I don't want anything more than
the chance to finally meet you.

It was all out of control now and

There was no saving it.

My heart was breaking.

But seeing him like this:
Young, vulnerable.

I knew that letting him go…

Was the right thing to do.

Alex, something I couldn't
have predicted has happened..

Yesterday…

Gilles asked me to marry him.

And I said yes.

Next week, we leave to Brazil.

He has a job waiting for him there.

This wasn't an easy choice.

My time with you was like a dream.

A beautiful, unforgettable dream.

I have no regrets, but…

It's time to wake up.

I want you to be happy, Alex.

You'll always have a
special place in my heart.

Returning to my old life felt
like re-reading a terrible book.

Resigned.

Devastated.

Old.

By the time I couldn't take it any longer,
it was too late.

He had erased his profile.

In the end, he proved himself more
mature and loyal than I ever was.

Stronger, too.

Hello, you.

It's been a busy few months.

Certainly.

You know how I am.

But still, I couldn't leave it alone.

There was only one way I knew
to find out what had happened to Alex.

You look wonderful.

Nice of you to say.

It's been a madhouse between
my publications and teaching courses.

And your work?
Is it going good for you right now?

I guess so.

- Just “I guess so”?
- I'm okay. I'm okay.

I'm dealing with some
difficult shit right now.

Difficult how?

Do you remember my roommate Alex?

The photographer?

Yes, yes. I think so.

He got into a bad accident.

He drove his car off a cliff.

Can you imagine?

All over some psychopath
who found him on Facebook

That he never even met.

The doctors said that he died instantly.

Suicide.

Only 28…

Excuse me.

Hello?

When we die,

What happens to our online persona?

Is it left as is? Is it deleted?

Who gets to decide?

Doctor, wait!

I fixed it… I made it right.

It's the story of our lives.

Corrected.

I want to ask you to read it and give me
your honest opinion. It's important.

I will read it.

♪ THE TRUE CONFESSIONS
of Claire Millaud ♪

Ours was a dream love,
so why not dream it back and

Grant us both a second chance?

To end the way we did
would be like giving up on living.

Our love was undeniably real.

So why give up?

What did either of us have to lose?

My fear of not meeting
his impossible expectations?

Alex couldn't live without her?

Then I would give him
another reason to go on.

Excuse me. I know you.

Sorry?

I think I know you.

Are you friends with Ludo?

Ludovic, yes.

That's what I thought it was.

I used to…
Well, we're old friends.

You don't remember me?

The oysters…

You know, over the phone.

Oh, yes!

Right.

Are you still living with him?

He hasn't tossed me out.
Yet.

You must be easy to get along with.

You're a photographer, right?

Yeah, more or less.

I'm working on an exhibition.

Ludo told me that you…

He showed me his photos.
Well, the pictures you took.

They were really very good!

Thanks.

My stop is next.

Do you do portraits?

I mean posed work,
seated portraits for prints or…

Sure, I do portraits. I do art photos.

I do just about everything.
Except weddings.

Good, because I need a portrait
for the back of my book.

The press always sends me
the worst photographer, so perhaps…

If you're interested,
maybe we could...

Yeah, sure! I mean…

I'm always looking for work, so...

That would be great. Super.

Can I get your phone number?

If you want.

I never got your name.

Clara. Claire! My name is Claire.

Claire? Okay.

Thanks!

Who is this Nora

Who lives in Ibsen's Doll House?
Is she the doll,

The good wife,

the responsible mother?

That's her!

Her story is a measured and
meaningful awakening,

An emancipation from the predestined role
that she refused to perform.

In that way, we can understand her conflict
as central to our own existence.

And just as she refused to comply,

We too can aim to elevate
above our circumstances.

What did you see in him?

What? Who?

Ludo.

How did he ever meet a
beautiful woman like you?

You're super photogenic.

Very good.

Could I ask you to…

Unbutton your shirt?

- My blouse?
- Yes.

This is a book for academics,
I don't really know if

This is appropriate…

Everything's better with sex appeal.

You look good.

Great.

Can you get a little more comfortable?

- Relaxed, like this?
- Yes.

- Sorry, I keep moving.
- It's okay.

So…

Have you ever been married?
Do you have children? Divorced?

All on the first try.

A trifecta!

In the right order, even.

All that and you still look so young?

What's your secret Claire?

I'd like to…

I'm going to try something.

- Do you need to take a break?
- No, no. Not at all. Let's continue.

I have no secrets.

I was married for twenty years to a
man who meant everything to me.

There were surely other men before him,

But it's been such a long time that
I don't even remember their names.

I've been a mother

To two boys.

People said breast feeding
was healthier but afterward,

My tits and my belly
never really looked the same.

My husband left me for a girl
young enough to be my daughter.

When it happened, I thought...

I don't want to live anymore.

But I lived. It was
miserable, but I survived.

I still believe

I can be happy again.

That's everything.

All of my secrets.

Amazing.

What is?

Everything.

Nothing. The way we met.

It's amazing.

This is in landscape, but
if you crop it sharper, it's a portrait.

I like this one. You look beautiful.

Or this one with the big smile.
That's my favorite.

- No?
- Yes.

We made love day and night.

Like we were making up for lost time!

Almost immediately, we moved in together…

Which is to say, he moved in with me.

“Put out my eyes,
and I can see you still;

“Slam my ears to,
and I can hear you yet.

“Without any feet, I will come to you,

“And tongueless,
I can conjure you at will.”

Your turn.

- No, you.
- Please.

- Come on.
- You come on.

"Break off my arms, I'll take hold of you
with my heart as if it were a hand."

“Stop my heart and my brain will
start to beat. And if you burn my brain,

“You will burn in my very blood”

I love you.

- I love you so much.
- I love you too.

Do you know what I love most about you?

You'd never guess.

It's your voice.

Claire's voice was Clara's voice

He hadn't stopped thinking of her.

How naive I was to believe that
I could replace my doppelgänger.

How stupid I was to think

I was anything but a substitute

For the Clara he had lost.

Even worse…

Whatever love he gave me
rightly belonged to her.

How could I ever live up

To the perfection of a dream?

♪ Alex, I could never forget you.
It's over with Gilles, I'm in Paris. ♪

♪ I miss you so much. ♪

♪ I don't know where you are,
but if you love me, ♪

♪ Meet me today at the Café Français
between six and eight o'clock. ♪

♪ Don't call me. If you don't come, ♪

♪ I promise you'll never
hear from me again. ♪

♪ Your Clara ♪

Are you ready?

Sure.

Can we go?

Yes.

You wouldn't rather stay here?

I prefer to have lunch outside.
It's lovely.

I'd rather eat you.

Would you like to go and see a movie?

Definitely!

Check to see what's playing?

I'm going back to get a sweater.

It got cold.

♪ Welcome back Clara.
We missed you! ♪

♪ We hear screams, the screeching of brakes,
the shock of impact. And finally, silence. END ♪

If it were a movie,
that's how it would end.

Alright, but in reality?

Don't you deserve a happy ending?

Even in a fantasy,
you deny yourself happiness.

It only ends with pain.

Over.

And over again.

Who did this to you, Claire?

Who hurt you?

The girl in the picture.
My niece Katia.

Once I brought her into our home,

Katia acted strange around Gilles.

She grew more and more hostile,

To me.

Gilles is…

Only her uncle by marriage.

He always said
“Family must come first.“

“We'll make it through as a family.”

“Love will see us through,”
that was his favorite thing to say to me.

But -

He chose a twenty-four year old girl
over our twenty year marriage.

Katia did not go to Norway.

She eloped with my husband.

How could I have told you?

I can't even think it.

They betrayed me. She destroyed me.

Then…

The reason you used her picture

Was to reclaim what you had lost?

Yes.

I wanted her beauty, her youth.

I wanted her happiness.
She stole mine!

I was jealous, I...

You are

Trapped in your past.

Fleeing from who you really are.

You pretend to be young again,

The glamour of eternal youth, sure. Sure.

But living in your past,

Is just another kind of death.

I can live with dying.

But I can't live with dying alone.

I'll never be the younger woman again.

The only time I'm chosen
is when it's an illusion.

How long has she been there?

She checked into the clinic about…

Almost 9 months ago.

She took it too far.

Alex was completely brainwashed.

Until one day...

He made me listen to her message.

I recognized her voice immediately.

At first, I couldn't believe it.

I thought she was playing with me.

Some sort of perverted game.

I never told Alex the truth but
I tried to steer him away from her

From this bitch, this Clara,

Who was just a little too perfect.

She destroyed him.

And when she finally let him go,
he deleted his Facebook profile.

A few months later, Claire calls me.

So I told her he died and
that it was her fault.

That he killed himself for her.

I had to watch him going crazy and I…

I was so sick of her bullshit and…

I lied to her.

I don't understand.

Alex didn't die in a car accident?

No.

No…

In fact, he just became a father.

He's in the South of France.

He got married.

He just had a child last month.

A little girl.

As innocent as you are.

I wanted to say goodbye.

Sometimes,

A patient comes to us and reminds us
what we've lost and what we've gained.

I want you to know that I took your advice.

I went back to the manuscript and…

Reading it again, it felt like
anything was possible.

There isn't only one ending.

No.

No.

Goodbye, Claire.

Goodbye, doctor.

Subtitles: BB4d + forks