"MY BUDDY" "Sign these." "They're urgent." "Yes, ma'am." "You lose weight over vacation?" "3 lbs." "Not much." "No, but it shows." "Good." "Birthday of the Week" "Say, Gigi..." "This meeting will eat up my afternoon." "As usual!" "First you agree to everything, then..." "Okay, but we can cancel?" "We can... but it'd be lousy." "And that's bad?" "Pretty bad." "PENITENTIARY" "Your I.D. card, please." "We'll return it to you." "Based on a true story" "Sylvie Nadeau." "I had your assistant on the phone." "Thanks for coming." "Many cancel at the last minute." "We're going to 308." "I'm a social worker with the prison administration, in charge of inmates' external relations." "I try to find them jobs." "That's the hardest part." "Sometimes, we can invite personalities like you." "Why me?" "Bruno, an inmate, told me about you." "He's a fan of yours." " This your first visit to a prison?" " Yes." "I'd like you to meet Mr. Victor Gallien, founder-director of Auto Magazine." "Thank you for coming." "Bruno, want to start?" "Well, I'm a car nut." "I've read you from way back, from Sport Auto days." "Can we be casual?" "Yeah, sure." "My first question is," "What do you drive?" "A '99 Audi A6." "You're into Germans." "Had any BMs?" "Never." "No way." "Start of the race..." "The German's leading, the Brazilian forces him off the track." "Good for him!" "That's how he became world champ." "There you are." "You have 10 minutes left." "Time flies!" "I've been glad to be here." "So to speak..." "Before I go, can any of you tell me why you're here, for how long, since when..." "My name's Kader." "I got 3 years for drug dealing." "I'm bored shitless." "No remarks, or it's all over." "My name is Sam." "20 years for murder." "I've done two." "Won't be long now!" "I'm Momo." "Armed robbery. 5 years." "Done one." "I'm Bruno." "6 years for car theft and trafficking." "Been here 2 years, 6 months and 2 days." "It was nice of you to come." "Thanks so much." "I hope we meet again." "Who knows?" "Thanks again." "Dear Victor." "I love your magazine." "I love the way you write." "I want to join your team, to work with you." "Give me my chance." "Cars are my passion, too." "I'm a whiz on all the models, the years, the races, the drivers." "Try me out." "I can also use a computer, sweep up, make coffee, photocopies." "Anything you want." "Momo, will you stop it?" "Hire me, and I can get partial release." "I can leave prison from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. to work." "I'm counting on you." "See you real soon." "Bruno" "How's it going, kids?" "What's PlayStation count for in 7th grade?" "Lots." "That's why I gotta work." "I'll chuck it out someday." "That'll teach you." "How's it going?" "What's this?" "A little surprise." "Caviar?" " 500 g!" " There are 4 of us." "Are you crazy?" "Enough surprises!" "To make the mood festive." "We can indulge now and then." "We can't." "We're both overdrawn and you blow a mint on this stuff." "It's not stuff." "You love it." "Come off it, honey." "You know I get it half-price from Thierry's sister." "We haven't had any since New Year's." "I had a weird afternoon." "I was in prison." "Why?" "What did you do?" "Gave a guest lecture, actually." "Dummy!" "You scared me." " How was it?" " Freaky." "Seeing all those kids there, just idling..." "One of them slipped me this." "Poor guy." " What will you answer?" " I don't know." "He has a nice face." "Replacing Cecile with a tyro..." "That's risky." "I'm game." "Especially if he's cute." "A gangster cum layout artist." "Why not, but still..." "Not all inmates are gangsters." "True." "There's Jean Valjean." ""10% surcharge for late payment." Mesmaeker's nuts!" "You wouldn't take his call." "He can hang his 10% on a chain." "For the inmate, we won't debate this forever." "Tell the social worker I want to see him first." "This way he at least gets some air." "This is Mesmaeker's first surcharge stunt." "We've never paid 6 months late." "Why'd we wait if we knew it'd cost us?" "You said a 10% surcharge is better than overdraft fees." "Has he heard of the crisis?" "He has 80% in outstanding payments." "Send him a check, minus the 10%." "You should call him first." "Okay, but you do the calling." "40 lines on Lyon-Charbonnières is short." "I've still got 60." "Put it on my desk." "I'll cut it." "If we drop a photo, it'll fit." "No." "Find a mag with 60 lines on Lyon-my-Balls, the door's wide open." "So much for democratic debate." "A magazine is a dictatorship." "Here's how pissed I am." "I replace your piece with a photo of my dog." "You can't even sue me." " We can't talk." " Not at deadline!" "I asked for this piece 2 weeks ago!" " You got a dog?" " A toy poodle." "Do I look like a dog owner?" "Yeah, what?" "Oh, hi." "Usually I start punching, but I'm limp this morning." "It happens." "Shall we?" "Be right back, Mimi." "You answered fast." "Good timing." "A position just opened up." "Not just a job to tide you over till you get out." "A real job." "That's what I want." "Our layout artist got pregnant." "Her job is open." "You can start on a trial basis, and when she leaves in 3 months the job is yours." "3 months is super." "But I'll be straight." "I have to learn everything." "We prefer to train people on the job." "But it takes time and effort." "He can't go 6 months later." "That makes sense." "What can you tell me about yourself?" "What do you want to know?" "Whatever you want to tell." "I'm from the projects south of Paris." "I'm married, with a son of 11." "I've been too penned up to spend time with him." ""Too penned up...?"" "I've done 8 years." "In 3 stretches." "I want it to stop, I swear." "I need something stable." "I want to watch him grow up." "Problem is, you have to start at the bottom." "That's okay with me." "1,200 euros net a month." "Just fine." "You realize that this job will never buy you a Ferrari." "That's not what I dream of." "What do you dream of?" "Working here." "I hope you don't expect to spend your weekends on F1 circuits drinking with Schumi and Alonso." "No, don't worry." "A layout artist is an office job with regular hours." "Is that okay?" "Can you see yourself glued to your computer all day every day?" "Sure." "If I can't make it here, I never will." "Wanna test me on cars?" "It's not important for a layout artist." "Maybe not, but if I'd been a layout artist, in your editorial, I'd have seen that Hamilton's photo was taken in Imola, not Barcelona, as you wrote." "Oh, the rats." "We often goof up like that?" "Yeah, two or three an issue." "Two or three are gonna get it." "Okay for the tryout?" "I'm game." "Then you're on." "When can you start?" "In 2 weeks..." "I hope." "First you'll get a summons from the cops." "That's always nice." " What time you have to be back?" " 2 p.m." "They keep a tight leash." "My wife and kid are waiting downstairs in a café." "Get going!" "You sure?" "Then we're on?" "Great." " School not too hard?" " It's okay." "It's not okay, Tom." "But we won't discuss it today." " What'd you skip this morning?" " Math and geography." " At your age, I hated both." " He'll be a journalist anyway." "I won't be a journalist." "I went online." "A layout artist is the same:" "You get a press card." "And it's blue, white and red, like a cop's." "You can get in anywhere." "I'll ask." "How's Roland doing?" "He's in Lyon with Augustin." "He sends love." "Do you have to go back for the night?" "What a pain." "That's how it is." "The lawyer says if you get the job, you get released." "Good news!" " We'll give him a month's tryout." " He's lucky he met you." " And you're not lucky you met me?" " That, too." "And his salary?" "1,200 net and 1,500 if we hire him." "If he doesn't backslide, he has merit." "It's legal to have merit." " Who's the hunk?" " Our first floor neighbor." " How do you know him?" " I run into him sometimes." "We're polite, so we say hello." "How do you know his floor?" "I walk down." "I ran into him on his landing coming home." "And then?" "I went in for a drink." "We fucked our brains out." "He has a huge cock." "I came eight times." "That's not funny." "You asked for it." "Admit it." "Not afraid your jailbird has an idea in mind?" "Trusting someone is always risky." "Even the woman you love." "Thanks for the comparison." " His gangster side appeals to you." " That's what holds me back." "You know I hate that stuff." "Guns and the stupid mindset." "I thought it over." "I have no choice." " Sure you do." " Where's the risk?" "He's a car thief, not Hannibal Lecter." "A guy asks me for a favor that comes easy, and says it could change his life." "I'd be a shit to say no." "Sign this." "Nice of you to be doing this." "But I saw his record." "Heavy." "I can't say more, but I've seen a lot." "I retire next year." "Sad to say:" "Some day he'll go down again." "I hope you're wrong." "So do I." " Blow up the catch line?" " You bet, pet." "It swamps the car." "You're just the man." "Bruno..." "How's the cover?" " Fine." " You see?" "The title's maybe a bit big." "A good start." "Maybe another color." "Purple's not great." "Purple should be banned." "The man of taste is Thierry Beyer, editor in chief." "He's the nice guy, I'm the bad guy." "On good days." "On off days, it's the bad and the ugly." "The humorist is Cecile Tran Vanh, layout artist and mother-to-be." "This is Sami Benouada, aka Mimi, our artistic director." "Never forget:" "In artistic director, there's director and artist." "Especially artist." "Thinks he's Michelangelo." "At first, he couldn't read or write." "I trained him." "Now he earns almost more than me." "Meaning, a lot less." "Don't make me cry." " Coffee before we begin?" " Sure." "That way." "It's fairly calm before 11 a.m." "Except at deadline, when we're all on deck by 9:30." "The rhythm of any monthly: 2 normal weeks, 1 easy week, 1 crazy week." "We're a small outfit, a dozen employees, five or six stringers." "It's a varied sampling of humanity, but no hot-heads." "We only tolerate nice people." " Sheer heaven, then." " So I keep telling them." "The text on 2 columns." "One column is hard to read." "You're right." "Thanks." "So, you have a boy of 11?" "I love kids." "I have 5." "2 with my first wife, 3 with a second." "I love big tables." "Normal." "I had 8 brothers and sisters." "I have 23 nephews and nieces." "For family meals, we rent a restaurant." "Quite a crowd." "Got any brothers or sisters?" "You're no talker." "We needed two copies per page." "I forgot." "I'll finish this first." "Do it now." "It's urgent." " I'll do it." " You sure?" "Goddammit!" "It's not serious." "I don't like to screw up." "Coffee, boys?" "Yes, please." "In the 3 days you've been here, she's made more coffee than in 5 years." "Look, the shakes." "With a new cock in the coop, the hens are all aflutter." "In case you're interested, she's single." "I'm not." " That a problem?" " You bet." "That's cool." "And how's Tom?" "You're all he talks about." "He asked me to remind you about the press card." "Sure." "I'll ask." "Could you take a whole afternoon off?" "I don't know." "It's not easy." "I'll be getting off at 2." "We could meet at home." "Then it's too hard to leave." "It really pisses me off." "6 months of job-hunting, and I find one just when you get out." "I'm not out yet." "All that for 800 euros." "Sure, but we need it." "You weren't going to commute 2 hours a day to see me." "Yes, I was." "Is it true layout artists are entitled to a press card?" "You bet, pet." "Same one." "Take a look." "You apply in December." "You have time." "It's on us." "There's no reason to." "We have meal vouchers." "It bothers me." "But it's our pleasure." "He must not like girls footing the bill." "That's not a major sin." "You forgot the rule under the title." "Then again, it's better without." "Not bad." "What do you think?" " I'm not sure." " Take it out." "Pare it down, down." "The boss will lose his frown." "Nice mood." "All we need is confetti and streamers." "Your page done?" " Just about." " Meaning, no." "In 30 seconds, hence just about." "He's exasperating." "Maybe the most infuriating one here." "But I can't get mad." "Go figure." "That's called a darling." "Spare us the jealousy." "You're dumping us." "Thanks a lot." "Women are ingrates." "That's it, boss." "Finished." "You forgot the rule under the title." "No, Bruno and I took it out." "Took it out?" "I see." "By what right?" ""Pare it down, Mimi."" "Pare, not strip." "You forget." " What?" " Look at it." "The title just hangs there." "It's limp, naked, bored." "Don't you think it hangs?" " Not really." " It doesn't hang at all." "Two peas in a pod!" "A Stevie Wonder and Ray Charles duet!" " It sure does hang." " Your belly doesn't?" "Put the rule back." "Okay." "9-to-5 and back in the can?" "You won't last long... even if you think you will." "Should I be glad for you?" "An office job doesn't turn me on." "And prison half your life turns you on?" "Go on, eat." "Keep the change." "Not eating with the others?" "They keep paying, and it bothers me." "Share my Thai meal?" "I don't want to impose." "You're not." "I always order too much." " You sure?" " Yeah." "Then, okay." "Could you close the door?" "I'm a stickler about that." "I'm not used to it." "How come?" "In prison there's always a warder to close doors." "Outside, you lose the reflex." "So you like to eat alone?" "It's one of my little habits." "Lunching here in peace when the others go out." "One of my little rituals." "In nice weather," "I go up on the roof, like a little quail in the blue sky." "Then I'm disturbing you?" "Exactly." "No, cut the crap." "Happy with your first week?" "It's going all right." "I'm a bit out of it, but it's okay." "Why out of it?" "I'm used to sleeping 12 hours a day." "I'm not in the routine." "Don't you have activities there?" "Sports?" "Sure." "In the beginning, I stayed in shape." "I practiced combat sports for 20 years." "You wouldn't have known me." "A real powerhouse." "I haven't worked out in a year." "I just lie there, getting fat." "You getting along with Mimi?" "Yeah." "He's an okay guy." "So the job's all right?" "I'm not on top of everything, but it'll come." "What I like best is sitting at my screen alone, making up my page." "It totally absorbs me." "It's great." "We print tomorrow." "Want to come?" "I sure do." "You'll see." "It's moving." "Here, I think I'm Citizen Kane." "With Internet, there's no product." "But the press, even ours, is heavy industry." "You create an object." "150,000 copies, different every time." "Look at this." "The webs. 2 tons." "I need 54 per issue." "700 euros a ton." "Do the math." "We don't fool around." "Don't think we raze a forest." "It's Danish wood, grown for paper." "Plantation wood, if you like." "An important point." "You bet, pet." "The press you'll see now" " correct me if I'm wrong - 330 tons. 11 million euros." "A nice 24-page section in 3 hours." "At dawn, 150,000 copies on pallets will be loaded on semis driven by big, tattooed truckers all over France." "Thursday morning, 20,000 newspaper vendors open their shops, sleepy-eyed, to find before them the latest issue of Auto Magazine." "When you've tasted that..." "He can tell it." "The pleasure is endangered one." "They say paper is dead." "But we have a solid fanbase, so have no fear." "I have no fear." " You're an optimist." "You're right." " Of course." "There's the beast." "Look at this." "Black, blue, magenta, yellow..." "You put it in the oven, you have the cooler, the paper is printed." "Then comes the folding circuit." "Come look." "Magnificent, isn't it?" "Hear that symphony?" "Legendary, isn't it?" "True, it's moving." "Next to this, Beethoven can roll over!" "It's still warm." "From blank web to printed, folded section: 10 seconds." "Look how beautiful it is." "It's you, Mimi, me and the others who are behind this work of art." "Something to be proud of." "Aren't you proud coming here?" "I admit I am." "I understand." "We took him to the printer's." "He was like a kid." "A real fairy tale!" "It's just that he's been with us a week, and it's looking good." "As long as he sleeps in prison, it doesn't mean much." "When he gets out, you'll really know." ""It doesn't mean much"?" "Explain that." "I love it when you tell me about the world, life, men, their complexities." "Very well." "Right now it's layouts or prison." "Naturally, he prefers layouts." "But his choice is harder at his release." "Layouts at 1,500 a month, or a quick little heist at 10,000 an hour." "That changes the givens." "Put yourself in his shoes." "I am." "And I choose the office, not to risk going back to prison." "You overlook the good side of being an outlaw." "It's more exciting than a layout artist's life." "Look at Sami." "He's not Indiana Jones." "If that's what you want," "I'll get granddad's shotgun and we'll rob banks." "All right." ""First one to move gets it." "The dough!"" "It's more fun than teaching or car magazines." "Sorry to disappoint you, I don't find it more fun." "I wouldn't like to live in hiding, taking money that's not mine." "Sorry, not my dream." "You're so bourgeois, darling." "But that's all right." "Why did you go down the last time?" "Ten BMWs. 5 Series." "Brand new." "What do 10 brand new, 5 series BMWs sell for?" "5,000 a piece." " With a gang?" " Just my bro'-in-law." "I see the appeal of your schemes." "In fact, to earn 5,000 net a month each, you only have to steal..." "You don't get it." "Think I'd risk a 3-year stretch to make 5,000 a month?" "Why not?" "That's what I earn." "Excuse me?" "But you're the CEO!" "It depends what you're CEO of." "5,000 net a month is fine." "Not many people make that." "Shit." "How'd you get caught?" "It went without a hitch." "But later, the client got caught and squealed." "Six years for 10 BMWs is a lot." "I had 2 years' suspended sentence." "I wouldn't finger my brother-in-law." "They fixed my wagon." "But you rarely do them all." "Okay, but even half, even three days..." "I gambled and lost." "You screw up, you pay for it." "Like, Sami told me if you blow a cover, it's 20,000 sales less." "It costs you 30,000 euros." "There's no connection." "At most, our screw-up costs us 0.5% of our annual turnover." "It's nothing, figures in a computer." "But as for you, it's 3 years of your life." "It's disproportionate." "Nothing is worth 3 years." "You're right." "But once you've tasted easy money..." "What did your folks do?" "Dunno." "I don't know who they were." "You weren't raised in the woods by a family of boars!" "What happened?" "The usual route." "Homes, foster families..." "But skip the sob story." "I didn't come across any sickos." "But others were less lucky." "If you're proud of Paris SG clap your hands" "Paris is... magical!" "Sorry to tell you this..." "You'd rather spend the weekend with your wife than me but..." "Sure." "But I like it better when you're here with me." "This a declaration?" "I'm bored all by myself." "Find something to keep occupied." "Think your tryout will work?" "It's off to a good start, bro." "They gonna keep you?" "Probably." "Look for a replacement." "Here it is." "Hot off the press." "75 issues in the bag." "Number 100 is coming up." "Let's think of no. 76 first." "Very interesting." "My next-to-last one." "To your next-to-last!" "A toast." "Here's to you." "What?" "Say you're sorry." "Lay off me." "Wanna act big with me?" "Clown!" "Are you crazy!" "Let go of me!" "Bruno, stop!" "Beat it, prick!" "Stop that!" "The guy's a sicko!" " Did he hurt you?" " I'm all right." "What was that?" " I'm sorry." " You're sorry?" "We're sorry, too." "You okay, man?" "Leave me alone, Claude." "I don't feel like talking." "It's been a week since you mentioned your prison buddy." "It's crazy to be so jealous." "The pot calling the kettle black!" "You're worse than me." "If I just like someone, you get annoyed." "You want to be the only person whose name I remember." "You can also remember the children's names." "You're allowed." "You hiring him?" "We have to discuss it." " What happened?" " Nothing." "I'm no fool." "A week ago, it was Nono this and Nono that." "Now it's "We have to discuss it."" " It's normal." " Since when?" "You decide alone." "They call you Louis XIV." "It's a dumb joke of Thierry's." "If you don't hire him, he goes back inside?" "I suppose so." "Swell." "Then make up your mind." "It's lousy to let him stew like this." "See you tomorrow." " Going back to prison?" " I'd better." "I'll take you back." " Want to drive?" " Sure." "Drive slowly." "I'm a pain about speeding." " That's amazing." " That's how it is." "Go 5 miles below the speed limit." "And it's still too fast." "It kills you to go 75 mph!" "No, it's okay." "I used to drive like a lunatic." "Even raced when I was younger, in a Quattro." "Really?" "When I had my first kid, I called it quits." "I was no longer allowed to die stupidly." "You're right." "Of course I'm right." "I did some racing, too." "Just once, actually." "With my bro'-in-law." "A day course at Monthléry in a Ford Formula and Porsche GT." "I swear!" "Talk about sensations!" "Even at this speed, we'll be early." "Slow down." "Shift into first." "My bus goes by this wood every day." "I wondered if it was as pretty from the inside." "As a kid, I was placed with a family near Chantilly." "I met Anna and her brother there." "Once, we hid in the woods for 3 days." "I loved it." "If I can ever afford a house, I want trees and a big yard." "That's doable." "How about you?" "Where you from?" "Paris." " Brothers and sisters?" " No." "What do your parents do?" "My father was a doctor." "They both died." "Cancer." " Sorry." " No need to be." "You like to talk, but not about yourself." "Listen to you!" " You're virtually autistic." " Bull." "Know what they call you at work?" " What?" " Rain Man." "Cut the shit!" "I talk a lot with you!" "How come you never had... a "normal" job?" "I don't know." "As a kid, I dreamed of stealing the classiest cars." "Aston-Martin." "Bentley." "Maserati." "That was what I wanted to be good at." "Making bucks was all I thought of." "So I'd lift Sport Auto and read your articles." "It'll be my fault soon." "I pinched all the car mags I could find." "I knew some of your articles by heart." "Like your piece on Senna's death..." "I'm not kissing ass, but you almost had me in tears." "I'm proud that my flamboyant style inspired your brilliant career." "No, just my own stupidity." "Ever knock anyone off?" "What do you think?" "If I had, could you hire me?" " No." " Understandable." "Some guys on the inside might say the opposite." " But I have no blood on my hands." " Why the opposite?" "That's how it is in the can." "You embellish." "You start to fabulate." ""You embellish." You've got a long way to go, man." "But I'll get there fast, don't worry." "I just wanted to tell you, we're keeping you." "Everybody agrees." "Great." "That was a nice little outing." "Don't ask me in, I have a dinner." "Look..." "I never told you, and it's pointless to repeat," "but I wanted to thank you for everything." "You forgot your T-shirts." " You can have 'em." " Honest?" "This is so cool." "And it's the Run DMC." "I know you dig that one." "Awesome!" "It's terrific!" "And it fits me better." "It's a kid size." "Bastard!" "It's dumb to say, but I'll miss you." "But I'm happy for you." "So it's the big day?" "Good." "You deserve it." "Thanks." "Watch out for yourself." "Work on your abs." "Don't worry." "Like you taught me." "Keep your chin up." "Don't forget me." " You crazy!" " Never?" " Never, brother." " Until the end." "Come here, fella." "It's great to see you." "Everything okay?" "Let's not stand here." "Hey, that's Victor's car!" "He lent it to you?" "Nice!" "You met him?" "No, he called me." "When I went for the keys, he was out." "This is a wonderful day." "I can't wait to get home." " I'm scared." " Don't worry." "Let's get out of here." "I'll tell my pals to watch the car." "Nothing's changed." "It's as ugly as ever." "To me it's beautiful." "Really?" "I'm out." "Who cares?" "I'm fucking out!" "It's great!" "It's really neat." "I don't get it." "What's the problem?" "It's a great place." "Show you around?" " It will be quick." " Cut it out." "This is your room." "It's perfect." "The bed is ideal." "And here's my room." "Really nice." "You do that?" "All by yourself?" "The kid's got talent." "Yo papi!" "It's been so long." "I missed you, man." "What'd they get?" "He got 2 years." "Sayid, 18 months." "That's the going rate." "Hearing that, I know I gotta to stop." "It's great to see you." "How are the girls?" "Just great." "Their mom works and leaves them with me." "It's a blast." "Like your job?" "It's really going well." "It's easygoing." "Nobody gets on your back." "You're just glad to sit at your computer." "You make yourself coffee when you like." "Meal vouchers for lunch..." "Everyone's polite to you, no hassles, no tensions." "Except when the boss throws a fit." "But I think he likes me." "That's cool." "Bruno," "I'll never forget what you did." "Skip it." "You'd have done the same for me." "I won't lie to you." "Business is tough without you." "Lucky there's Augustin." " How's he?" " Fine." "Tell him what I'm doing?" "Yeah." "He thought it was a hoot." "He says, wait till you hear a 500-euro note crinkle." "That's why I don't want to know." "I'm counting on you." "You can." "Hi." "You Tommy's dad?" "Why?" "There a problem?" "No." "He's terrific." "We know who you are." "We respect you." "Yeah, respect." "If you need anything, we're here." "We'll be okay." "I regret moving us back here." "No, it's fine." "We managed to get out, and I bring you back." "I know you." "You won't last." "It's bad mostly for Tom." "He'll wind up in trouble." "In 6 weeks, Cecile leaves and I get a contract." "Then we can start looking." "Back in Paris?" "I want a little house in the country." "Not too far from Paris." "I never heard you talk this way." "It's weird, but I like it." "I don't want to go back." "This time it was too rough." "You know what I'd like?" "I'd like that, too." "You can't know." "You sure?" "Not only am I sure, but it could be on its way." "See the bottom line?" "I brought my eyes along." "If you're grouchy..." "I'm not." "Moments ago I was happy as a lark." "Now..." "I suppose we should have expected it." "Our associates are a pain." "Let's hear your solutions." "There aren't many." "To save 150,000 a year... 100,000 will do." "We're not under orders." "Either pare down everywhere:" "Reduce the pagination, the staff." "We move." "I checked suburban rents..." "No suburbs." "No damned glass tower out in Issy-les-Moulineaux." "Then there's one solution left." "Change paper." "70g paper is 640 a ton, saving 100,000 a year." "I call that toilet paper." "There's 80g paper, not as nice as ours, at 680..." "Barroso'll let us have it for 660." "I'm the last not to relocate." "He has no choice." "If you say so." "Do a new budget on that basis." "Cut 8 pages, less work for everyone, and you'll have your 100,000." "They're not "mine."" "And no more Issy." "I didn't start it." "You did!" "It's flashing in your eyes!" ""Issy-les-Moulineaux!"" "Birthday of the Week" "You forgot my chocolate sundae." "You didn't order one." "As it is, I eat junk to make you happy." "If I don't even get dessert..." "After meals, I feel bushed." "Take a nap." "I can't." "The first days outside, I can't sleep." "I wake up every hour." "But you've been out for over a month." "42 days." "But it takes more time to erase over 2 years." "You've got freedom-fright!" "Go ahead and laugh." "It's not easy dealing with the pressure outside." "What pressure?" "The pressure of making a living." "Work." "Being a good husband and dad." "Not crossing on red." "Being a sheep in the flock." "What flock?" "Guys like me in the train commuting 2 hours a day to earn peanuts." "That's not the flock." "That's called people." "They're just people." "Honest or not, rich, poor, thieves, whatever." "Just human beings who work." "Not "sheep in a flock." There's no such thing." "I'm going to the racetrack Thursday." "A new Renault F1 tryout." "The boss is a friend of mine." "He invited me down." "Come along." "It may not be captivating." "You kidding?" "Sure I'll come." "If it's not too "sheep in the flock."" "Cut the crap." "The F1 is more like an old Williams." "You've got an eye." "I'll call you "Mr. Bruno."" "Remember, I work for Auto Magazine." "This is the circuit manager, Richard." "I taught him everything, except women." "Women, too." "Monsieur Paul." "Paul's a champion elbow-bender and top mechanic." "He got the rocket ready for you." "Say that again, I didn't get it." "It's very clear." "If you don't want to drive it, don't." "Sure, I do." "But still..." "Happy birthday!" " No!" " Yes." "Really?" "It's Ralph Schumacher's Williams." "2nd place in 2001 here." "It's yours for 5 laps." " Holy shit!" " Of course it's reined in." "This is incredible!" "You're something!" "I didn't see it coming." "Victor told me you've driven a Formula Ford." " Ages ago." " The F1 is another planet." " You're in for a shakeup." " You better time me!" "The opening record is 1m36s." "If you beat 1m42s, you're good." "You've already had a go?" "Once, with Thierry." "I was obliged to humiliate him." "What did you do?" "1m40s." "Holy shit." "The pressure's on." "I'm gonna have to beat you, I guess." "C'mon, Nono, my champ!" "He's trying not to go too fast." "He's not showing off." "He's braking..." "Easy does it!" "Here comes a spin." "No, it's okay." "Caught up nicely." " Your buddy's good." " Thanks." "Watch it!" "He's coming fast." " He's going off..." " He's not going off..." "He didn't go off!" "1m45s on the third lap." "Very good." "He might beat you." "I hope so." "It's his birthday." "Go wave the checkered flag." "1m37s22." "Second best first-time record." " Beat you by 3 seconds." " Sonofabitch!" "Holy shit!" "It's wild!" "What a machine!" "It's incredible!" "Hey, guys!" "Thanks!" "I won't forget this." "Honestly..." "It was great." "Thanks, buddy." "That was a childhood dream." "I can't believe you didn't want to drive." "I've been driving 2 mph for 10 years now." "The desire's gone." "You look young, but you're an old fart." "You set a decent time, but don't get cocky." "Decent?" "For second-best time?" "How much did I beat you by?" "Three seconds!" "Had I known I'd shame you, I would have lightened up." ""Lightened up." Listen to him crow!" "Seriously, you don't realize what you're doing for me." "You're changing my life, man." "We're not gonna smooch, Nono." "Quit calling me Nono." "I hate it." "I'll call you what I like." "If you don't like it, I'll whack you one to warm your cheeks." "Just try." "I've had 3 great years with you." "As this baby shows." "Dear Cecile, you've been our good fairy." "Some only braved the harsh work conditions here to get a whiff of your heady scent and laugh at your hysterical jokes." "But luckily," ""God never closes a door without opening another,"" "and Bruno walked in." "With a very different style..." "Bruno rode in" "Taking his time" "The great Bruno..." "Thank you." "I'm not used to speeches." "I think I'm lucky to have met you, and I hope it'll go well." "That'll be your brother." "Hey, big man." "You lock the door now?" " Protecting your Picassos?" " The kid's asleep." "Hey, little sis." "How are you?" "And you?" "Want some coffee?" "A beer?" "Yeah, a beer." "I saw Augustin yesterday." "He hasn't forgotten that last job." "He wants to pay you back." "Tell him thanks, but no thanks." "What'd I ask you?" "Why mention it to me?" "He insisted." "He doesn't like owing you one." "I can't send him packing." "You're avoiding him, so he sent me." "It's 10 days away." "Time to think." "Just him and me." "Know how much we get?" "100,000 each." "A real bundle." "We never got that much." "I couldn't not tell you." "What're you doing?" "Going for a walk." "Bothering you?" "Not at all." "You okay?" "Where are you?" "In Paris." "My wife and I had a fight." "Could I sleep at the office?" "I need the keys." "Come by. 80, ave. de la République." "Call when you arrive." "There's a code." "Okay, be right there." "Bruno's coming by." "I'm not deaf." "Come on in." "Hello." "Agathe." "Nice to meet you." "Sorry it's so late." "I'm off to bed." "I have an 8 a.m. class." " Glad to meet you." " Me, too." "Victor told me a lot about you." "Good things." " Good night." " Be right in." "Have a seat." "What're you drinking?" "Scotch, vodka, wine?" "A scotch, thanks." " Ice?" " No ice." "That suits me." "Your wife's nice." "I'm pleased with her." "So, what's up?" "I was chilling out at home with Anna." "Her brother came by about a heist." "I'd asked him never to do that." "So I split, because if I stayed, he'd tell me about it, it'd seem easy," "I'd start thinking about the money, and that's bad." "Tempting, I bet, since sometimes you get caught, but lots of times you don't." "Especially for this sort of job." "It's not cars..." "My bro'-in-law's buddy does gems." "He's onto a heist." "I bet that's riskier than cars." "Yeah." "But I'm just the driver." "Meaning?" "I wait in the car, they grab the stuff, jump in, and I take off." "I haven't done it often, but it's always gone well." "The cops don't even know about it." "Well, well..." "You were right not to hear him out." "Cheers." "What pisses me off is, Anna had to know." "She and her brother talk." "If she'd told him to shut up, he would have." "That's what really gets me." "When I met Anna, she was 8," "Roland 7 and me 10." "12 kids in the foster home." "It was us 3 against the others." "As soon as we could," "Anna and I were like married." "I've never had another woman." "That's sweet." "I dunno." "I can't see myself..." "I think I'd be scared." "I'm myself only with her." "You know when you've found it." "There's nothing finer." "Nothing." "I won't bore you all night." "Gimme the keys?" "Stay here, it's easier." "There's a spare bed in the study." " I don't want to impose." " You're not." "I'm done." "Can I watch TV?" "Nothing's on yet." "They don't work this early." "Do they?" "Cartoons are asleep at this hour." " Who is it?" " I don't know." "Victor Gallien?" "Laurent Crouzet, tax collector." "May I come in?" "Please do." "The Treasury has appointed me to collect a debt of 49,801 .24 euros." "Can you pay it?" "Obviously not." "Then I will have to proceed with seizing all your belongings." "Proceed, then." "Be my guest." "He can't unless the cops accompany him." "Don't let that twit bug you." "Watch what you say." "Why should I, pighead?" "Do you?" "It's okay." "Do what you have to do." "If I throw him out, which I've done before, he'll be back with a locksmith and a cop and break down the door." "Let him do what he wants." "But he has no right." "Look who's the legalist!" "What's "seize" mean?" "A seizure's really nothing." "The man will just list all our belongings, and we can't sell them or move." "But were we planning to move?" "There you are." " You can go to jail?" " Of course not." "Okay?" "Let's finish breakfast." "What's wrong?" "I don't want you to go to jail." "I'm not going to jail!" "Everything's fine." "If everyone with debts went to jail, there'd be more jails than houses." "Promise?" "I promise." "Let me tell your mother about this." "Damn tax collector!" "They never come so early." "I bet it was so the kids would know." "You seem used to it." "What d'you do at tax time when your account's empty?" "You're not so straight after all." "Tax fraud's a racket." "Don't be ridiculous." "I always cough up in the end." "And you, what do you do?" "You can't report income, so how do you justify it?" "I don't." "When you haul in big, you launder the cash at the races." "I had connections." "Got a solution for the 49,000 euros?" "I can sell 1 or 2% of my magazine shares." "It won't change much." "Got any buyers?" "Sure, my partners, the Belgian publishers." "Those vultures would love to swallow my 2%." "I'm in no hurry." "Time's on my side." "We're riding a wave right now." " When's deadline?" " Next Tuesday." "My favorite moment." "Everyone's on edge, hyper." "I love it." "Welcome to the club." "How many shares does Victor own?" "51 %." "I thought he had more." "He used to." "At first it was 65%." "But after selling 5% here, 5% there, he's down to 51." "He lives too high." "We owe money all over." "Last year he owed back rent." "Sure, we've had bill collectors." "If he keeps it up, he'll go below 50%, and when the Belgians have a majority," "Victor won't get his way." "How's it going?" "The kids aren't home?" "Studying in their rooms for once." "Am I crazy or are you upset?" "I'm sick of this pointless job!" "I lecture on passion and poetry, and they're bored." "Eluard is beautiful." ""I was so close to you that I'm cold close to others."" "Not one of them cried." "They don't give a shit." "That doesn't mean they don't care." "It made me cry at their age." "That's why you're unique." "Otherwise I wouldn't be here." " And you, what's wrong?" " Who said anything's wrong?" "But I can tell." "You're acting weird." "A tax collector came this morning." "What didn't you pay?" "Late on taxes, no big deal." "How much this time?" "24,000." "24,000!" "What'll we do?" "Don't worry, it's only money." "We'll manage." "I can sell shares." "Someday there'll be nothing left and they'll throw us out!" "What'll we do?" "And on my salary..." "Relax, it hasn't come to that." " Think it's funny?" " No, it's not funny." "You're so irresponsible!" "Jerk!" "We don't tell your sister." "Don't worry." "You sure about this?" "You think it over?" "Sure I have." "What's your game?" "You're the one holding me back now?" "Giving half to your buddy is a bad reason, it'll jinx us." "You don't owe him that much." "I'll also take 50,000 to move and get Tom in a good school." "Two good reasons." "You'll see, it'll bring us luck." "After that, I quit." "Hey, Augustin!" "Classy as ever." "How goes it?" "Why are you always so young?" "You know it bugs me." "I love to bug you, you know that." "You didn't want to see me anymore?" "I'm seeing you now." "High time." "I almost took it bad." "Don't get huffy." "How's life at the office?" "You oughta try it." "First I gotta learn to read." "I'm glad you're on." "Me, too." "You'll see, it's a cinch." " The title on 2 columns..." " Don't explain, do it." "Julien called to say he can't finish." "Doesn't he know we're putting it to bed?" "Not great." "No, it looks like my ass." "It's hilarious." "We've wasted ages on it." " You finished?" " I think I should..." "Don't think, do it!" "What's with you?" " Answering machine." " Give it to me." "Go check the Le Mans article." "How gutsy not to answer!" "Gigi's calculating your severance pay in case I don't get it by 6 p.m." "A letter for Victor Gallien." "That's me." "Thanks." "With 2 years' seniority, forget the house on the Riviera." " You okay?" " Goddammit!" "Shit!" "Rollerblading in an office!" " You okay?" " He fucked up my wrist." "Do I call the emergency squad?" "Get the doctor downstairs, it's faster." " Will you be okay?" " No, I'm not okay." " Shit, watch out!" " Sorry." "This'll kill the pain for an hour." "But get yourself to the hospital." "An X-ray will show if it's sprained or broken." "You can't just let it go." "Give them this at the ER, it'll speed things up." "Thanks." "What do I owe you?" "Nothing." "As neighbors." "Hurry up." "We can be there in 10 minutes." "After my meeting." "I won't be long." "What meeting?" "A sprained wrist is a good excuse to cancel." "I'll be all right." "It's okay." "What's this meeting?" "It's complicated." "I just have to go." "A half-hour of pain's no big deal." "It's work-related, I'm responsible." "So we're off to the ER." "No." "I'm already late." " I gotta go." " Late for what?" "I can't say." "Trust me." " You trust me." "What is it?" " I can't say." "Keep your secrets, I don't care." " To the ER and..." " I'm not going!" "After, if you kick me out, I'll understand." "But I'm going." "I can hear anything." "Shoot." "Not that." "That's enough!" "What's this meeting?" "You're thick!" "Hurry, I'm on deadline." "Will you let up?" "Go on!" "Okay..." "Remember the heist I mentioned?" "I finally had to agree." "A debt to pay, I had no choice." "It's in an hour." "So fate sent the messenger to keep you out of trouble." "Hang on." "You don't get it." "They expect me there at 1:15." "I gave my word." "If I don't show up, I'm dead." "You mean dead?" "The guy behind the heist is vicious." "If I blow it, I'll end up with a bullet in my head." "Besides, my 2 buddies come out with the diamonds." "I'm the driver." "If I'm not there, do they call a cab?" "They're already there, cell phones off." "I can't cancel, I can't call." "So let me by!" "Let me say this:" "You're a real big asshole." "A big asshole!" "And how will you drive with your wrist?" "I may be dumb, but I doubt the getaway car is an automatic." "I can change gears!" "You can?" "Here, hold this." "Take it!" "Goddamn!" "I don't have time for games." "I'm not robbing the Bank of France." "It's an easy job." "An easy job?" "There's no such thing as an easy job!" "Damn your fits!" "You're not my father!" "No, I'm not." "I'll just go down with you and see how you drive." "Stay here, I'm going." "We'll both go." "Try and stop me." "I'd like to see that..." "Unless you've got a gun." "No gun." "Then let's go." "You're a fucking pain!" "Yeah, I'm the pain!" " What's the car?" " A Renault Modus." " Great for a heist." " Discreet." "That one?" "Show me." "I don't need a nursemaid." "You want reassurance?" "There." "Great." "First gear." "First." "Second." "Third." "Goddammit!" " Come on." " What?" "I'm taking you." "I'll split after." "One of your pals must have a license." "I don't want you involved." "Any better idea?" " I'll manage." " How?" "You can't change gears!" "Move over." "You piss me off." "You bet." "Shit!" "When it's over, you're in for it." "As soon as they come out, we go change cars at a nearby garage." "If the Dutchman won't open his safe?" "He will." "He has six kids." "And Augustin looks mean with a gun." "But they have to hurry." "If the safe's open more than 3 min, the goons come." "How much time do you need?" "30-40 seconds." "That leaves 2m20sec to empty the safe and go down 2 flights." "I told you it was a cinch." "I'm not nuts." "You idiot." "What?" "Don't overdo it." "That a threat?" "Not a threat, a request." "That's better." "Here." "Park on the right." "You can split now." "Thanks." "Shit!" "Goddammit." ""A cinch."" "Move." "That's an exit." "We're just waiting for friends." "Spare me the sob story." "My boss is leaving." "He won't like this heap blocking the exit." "So don't wait, beat it." "We're going, mister." "We're just having a chat." "Don't get huffy." "Relax, doll." "I'm not your doll." "Be polite." "Our friends!" "Bye." " What's this shit?" " We're off." "Step on it!" "Nice going." "There." "Straight ahead." "What's this shit?" "Who's he?" "I got hurt just before coming." "Had to call Jacky in a hurry." "Turn right." "Don't worry, I cased it out." "You deserve a medal." "Straight." "Straight ahead." "All the way down." "Hit it!" "Left at the light." "What a head butt!" "You know, don't fuck with me." "Shit!" "What're you doing?" "Drive!" "Stroller." "Drive!" "There he is!" "Right at the light." "He'll be blocked at the light." "Straight ahead, then that garage." "How'd you do it?" "A messenger on rollerblades ran into me." "A bad fall and a sprain." "Office work is dangerous." "You'll never catch me in an office!" "Straight ahead." "Left, all the way down." "Straight ahead." "Left, then park right after the turn." " What're you doing?" " Hang on." "There he is!" "Go straight." "What're you doing?" "Having fun." "That crab won't let go." "That's not the exit." "Shut up, asshole!" "You're going the wrong way." "Shut up!" "You can be sure a guy who honks is a jerk." "9 out of 10 times, 999 out of 1000, the jerk who honks knows it's pointless." "But he honks anyway." "Why?" "Knowing it's pointless?" "Because he's a jerk." " Okay, Jacky?" " Just fine." "Nice work." "He's back!" "Shit!" "The asshole's there!" "He'll butcher us." "Shit, Jacky, I'm impressed!" "Listen to those jerks!" "We've lost him, he's stuck!" "I love this job!" "Don't count on dough before a month." "This isn't flea market material." "So long, Jacky." "Great job." "Since my favorite driver's retiring, I might have work for you." "Sure, great." "Nono knows where to find me." "That was wild." "Great." "Thanks, guys." " We'll talk." " Right, bro'." "So long." "I imagine the car's hot." "What now?" "Leave it anywhere." "Park when you can." " For the dough..." " Forget about that." "No dough, nothing." "Forget it all." "You never got hurt, and I never came along." "Can't say I don't feel let down." "Then don't." "What's the stupid laugh?" "What's with you?" "You wanna play tough now?" "Just because you were a driver once in your life on an easy job." "Don't let it go to your head." "An easy job..." "What's a hard job, then?" "When you gotta pull this out." "I get it." "You're really dangerous." "It's not even loaded." "I just took it in case." "What're you doing?" "You're reckless!" "I'm running around with an armed guy." "Quit flipping out, you'll jinx us." "Me, jinx you?" "I've never jinxed anyone." "I didn't sprain my arm on the wrong day." "If there's a screw-up..." "It can't now." "It's over." "Relax." "Really over?" "Last time you pulled a job, you got caught 2 months later." "This is different." "The Dutchman didn't shop at Cartier." "He's a fence." "It's stolen." "He won't call the cops or hit men because he doesn't know who we are." "So relax." "Then move it, let's get a cab." "We should be at the ER." "If they check, we're screwed." "What'll they check?" "Look, you piss me off!" "I mean, how can I ever trust you?" "Look, I told you I took this job to pay off a debt." "Now that it's done, it's settled." "If you won't believe me, I understand." "I swear it's my last." "You've already done enough for me." "Don't feel obliged." "I can quit tomorrow." "Don't talk nonsense." "If you ever screw up and get caught, I won't have helped much." "Right." "How's your wrist?" "It hurts like hell, I swear." "A real cream puff." "I'll tell you something that I'll never repeat." "Actually, that was some fucking moment for me." "A real experience." "Having done it once in my life," "I feel a little less stupid." " Really?" " Enough!" "If you repeat it, I'll deny it." "How are you?" "I'm beat." "Sorry, but I'm not used to working so late." "How'd your day go?" "Okay." "Why finish so late?" "A crazy day." "What happened?" "This afternoon during a rush, a messenger arrived on rollerblades." "Marco pushed back his chair, the messenger ran into Bruno, who fell backwards." "Result:" "sprained wrist, ER, 3 hours wasted." "You took him to the ER?" "I sure did." "On a deadline day?" "Sure." "He's my buddy." "Right, I forgot." "He's your buddy." "Here, Victor." "Thank you, sir." "I saw Augustin." "What happened?" "Nothing." "Don't panic." "I'm not." "What happened?" "He delivered the cash." "What?" "Here's your share." "50,000." "It's all there." "You jerk!" "You outta your mind?" "You didn't even listen to what I said." "You said to act like you weren't there, right?" "Exactly." "That's what I'm doing." "You know nothing. 50,000 is your share." "The other half is for Anna and me, so we can move." "That was my plan." "From the start." "What, "from the start"?" "When I said yes to Augustin, after your tax collector came." "I had a chance to help you out." "I owed you." "The debt I had to pay off was to you." "The debt?" "You don't owe me." "That's nonsense!" "It's not nonsense." "I want my place in the magazine." "I need you to keep your shares and remain boss." "That's why I took the job." "And it may seem completely dumb, but since half was for you," "I figured it was a good deed." "So it couldn't fail." "What?" "Look..." "It's very nice of you..." "Look," "I'm touched, but I can't take the money." "Take it, you need it more." "Forget about my overdue bills, I don't lose sleep over them." "5 years' salary in one shot is not good for me." "So keep the money." "You deserve it." "You did the work." "You took a risk to save my skin." "Part of your story doesn't jibe." "Look, let's say the messenger didn't trip, you had a normal day, I know nothing." "You hand me the dough and say what?" "That I won big at the races and some is for you." "And I take the money and say, "Gee, thanks, Nono."" "What else can you do?" "The money's there." "Do what you like, it's yours." "Burn it, give it to charity, or pay your taxes." "Stop it!" "It's not mine." "What else can I say?" "I don't want it." "It's not the money you don't want, it's the trouble." "But there's no trouble." "Lots of jobs come off, or there'd be no thieves." "If it gives you the jitters," "I can turn the cash into a nice legal gift certificate." "But it'll take time, and cost you 10%." "I'll explain." "It's amusing." "I can tell I'll be in stitches." "I know guys in the betting office." "When a client wins big, they offer cash instead of a check." "Clients almost always agree." "So my pal gives them our cash, and we have a nice clean winning ticket." "What a wonderful world!" "You can come in now." "Easy, kids." "I know you hate surprises, but this is a good one." "Why surprise me if you know I don't like it?" "The MC!" "We'll start with the smallest for a change." "Open the beige envelope." "Read it out loud." ""Dear Mr. Gallien," ""Please find a racetrack check" ""for 44,714 euros" ""in payment for your win in race no. 345." ""With our compliments."" "Since when do you bet on horses?" "You're nuts!" "I don't bet, I win." "Forty-four thousand what?" ""44,714 euros" ""in payment for your win in race no. 345." ""Michel Buquet, manager."" "Here's to Michel!" "I don't get it." "There's nothing to get." "Victor and I won 45,000 euros." "For our house in the country." "A house for 45,000 euros?" "We'll borrow the rest and make monthly payments." "The advantage of a regular job." "Exactly." "It'll be our country house, big guy" "No sweat, that ain't no lie" "Think you're going to sleep?" "Why not?" "I don't buy your horse race story." "Don't forget I know the trick." "I knew it." "That you wouldn't believe me." "What do you want?" "For me to tear up the check?" "Why not tell the truth?" "I am telling the truth." "Victor placed a bet, I did the same, and we won." "That's all." "Beginner's luck exists." "You've never pulled that one on me." "Pulled what?" "What nerve!" "Just ask Victor." "That's too easy." "You know I won't." "Some day you'll meet him, you see him, and he'll confirm it." "I swear." "You really won't tell me." "Tell you what?" "Honestly!" "It's beautiful." "It suits you." "Beauty suits everybody." "I know you, Victor." "I know when you're lying." "I never lie." "No, you rarely lie." "The rare times you lie, I know it." "Why say that?" "Your horse race story with your buddy Nono..." "Bruno." "I knew you were lying." "Why would I lie?" "What's the point?" "How should I know?" "I just know the story is a lie." "You saw the envelope." "The check." "The winning ticket." "And I'm lying?" "I know you are." "Tell me the truth." "We won a bet." "You're lying." " I swear..." " Lying again!" "You can't fool me." "The trouble with marrying a woman in love is, nothing escapes her." "You're in love?" "Swear you'll tell me before I die." "You insist on dying before me?" "Swear you'll tell me before death do us part." "I swear." "You'll be 105, I'll be 114." "You'll come asking, "Was it true about that horse race?"" "And you'll hear me answer, "Yes, we won."" "You won't dare lie on your deathbed." "And I hope you won't cough like that." "Merry Christmas!" "Money makes you merry!" "Not money, love." "Where are you?" "At my in-laws in Burgundy." "But I can only take the country 3 days." "How'd your Christmas go?" "Great." "The check under the tree was a real hit." "Same here." "I even went on a spending spree." "Nothing for the IRS?" "30,000." "Liar." "Did you spend any?" "Not much." "I'm saving for the house." "You'll be a homeowner before me." "You'll be more bourgeois than I am." "No offense, but I've got a ways to go." "Not all that much." "See how fast the daisies grew?" "You sure we should come tonight?" "Sure, why?" "I don't know anyone." "I'm nervous." "Don't be." "Besides, it was Victor's idea." "It's an important day for me." "I want my wife and son there." "Why not say so earlier?" "Because I'm dumb." " Early bird." " Gotta finish my editorial." ""It was due 10 days ago."" "Don't let your day of glory make you cocky." "Don't forget the race story, with Anna." "Don't worry, I won't forget." "I still can't get used to it." "Cops make me tense as a spring." "Comes with the job, buddy." "That's not funny." "Please..." "My dear Bruno..." "In the name of your colleagues gathered here, and our fellow journalists, many of whom have paid with their lives..." "Anyone here?" "I'm going." "I am honored to present you, if I didn't forget it, this press card, number 122 788." "Nice figure!" "Congratulations." "You can touch it." "What?" "Two cops want to see you." "Pouillot and Daage, Criminal Investigations." "I've been a fan of your magazine since Issue 1." "That's kind." "We have a few questions to ask about Bruno Duchêne." "We're celebrating his press card." "What's wrong?" "Notice anything particular recently?" "No unexplained absences?" "Not since he got his scooter." "He opens up in the morning." "Not surprised he just bought a little house?" "His wife works part-time and he's on minimum wage." "No one only gets minimum wage here." "But I'm not surprised, because we won a horse race." ""We"?" "Mr. Duchêne and myself." "You won big?" "45,000 each." "Nice going." "Could you call him?" "Sure." "Thanks." "We have to see him." "Of course." "Could you come here, please?" "What is it?" "These gentlemen are from the police." "I could have guessed." "Routine inquiry, Mr. Duchêne." "We wanted to see if everything was going well." "Frankly, it's going great." "Look." "Almost like yours." "Minus the shame." "We'll leave you in peace." ""Minus the shame." You shame me!" "They scared me!" "Lucky I'm not as jumpy." "What'd they want?" "To know how you paid for your love nest." "What'd you tell 'em?" "That we won at the races, of course." "They ask for the letters?" "No!" "People believe me." "I'm no gangster." "Excuse us." "But we were talking..." "When you win that much, they pay by check." "Absolutely." "Any proof?" "A receipt, a letter?" "Better than that." "Wait a sec." "I have everything at home." "Here." "A copy of the check." "I keep it on my desk for good luck." "Only in my dreams!" "In 20 years, I've never won more than 500 euros." "It sure gets to ya." "Care for a drink?" "Never on the job." "Have a good day." "Nice touch, the framed check!" "I figured if the cops showed up, it'd look real." " No shit?" " Like I tell ya..." "Nothing left to drink for us?" "Here you go!" "Great, Gigi." "Listen..." "To us, to the press card, thanks, and to the horses!" "Since your husband and I won, everyone's sour." "Not sour, but next time you have a tip, share it." "I wouldn't mind 50,000." "Even 25,000." "I'd settle for 5,000." "Easy to say." "But if Victor asked you to bet 50 euros with him," "I bet you wouldn't." "You're right." "Of course." "Of course I am." "The boss always is." "It's still a pain." "I risk a police check my whole life." "You risk nothing." "That'll teach me to be buddies with a thief." "I'm not a thief." "That's all over." "Like ex-smokers." "You have to wait ages to be sure." "I won't do it again." "Except with you." "You're my lucky star." "I swear, never again without you." "Then there's no risk." "You can't say that." "You never know." "My poor fella..." "Although I say that..." "If another easy 50,000-euro job..." ""There's no such thing as an easy job!"" "It was a trap." "You didn't fall for it." "I'm proud." "A pretty obvious trap." "What're you doing this weekend?" "Pruning my rose bushes." "You wanna make me cry?" "Pruning rose bushes at your age?" "It's relaxing." "You stalled at age 13 for years, then jumped to age 70!" "Go ahead, laugh." "I have the best roses in the village." "I'm proud." "Nice going!" " Don't say you got a dog." " I did." "Jean-Luc Levesque, who inspired Bruno's character, was released from prison 19 years ago." "He's now art director of a boat magazine." "Subtitles:" "Cynthia Schoch  Lenny Borger" "Subtitling:" "C.M.C."