"You see, this is our gang." "They were all supposed to end up as sausage." "I don't know where he is now." "Maybe he's searching..." "Before the war my father ran a movie theatre in poland." "He used to tell oliver all about film." "ollie used to say that had he not become a pianist, he would have been a filmmaker." "He especially liked the stories about cameramen waiting for the magic hour." "You know what I mean?" "It's that short moment at dusk and dawn when the light creates this gorgeous effect on film." "My father used to say that every person... has such a magic hour in their life... in which all dreams came true." "should I speak polish or english?" " polish." " Very well." "Ahh, competitions!" "They're the salt of the performing arts." "A necessity of every pianist." "They are the key to brilliant careers." "They create an equal opportunity for everyone." "They allow us to discover and promote the best." "With our awards, we, the judges, announce them to the world." "THE WINNER" "My father loved tango." "And Oliver took it from him." "But my son cound't play such music..." "Grandpa, this tango is for you." " Is this it?" " No, ollie." "This isn't your magic hour yet." "little OIIie, even before we left for the States kept asking us how one recognized their magic hour." "Dad would only smile mysteriously." "We visited him for the last time after Ollie won the Montreal competition." "Soon after dad died, taking his secret with him." "Mr. Linovsky, please come closer to us!" "Mr. Linovsky, how come you never toured poland?" "I'm mean you were born here." "Since your defeat at the Chopin's competition, you've stopped playing Chopin's music." "Why?" "But you will play Chopin in wroclaw..." "Are you afraid of this concert?" "Did you know that the people still love you?" "That music lovers from all of poland will come to listen to you?" "I'm very pleased." "Thank you very much." "Maestro, welcome!" "I'm so pleased." "We're all happy." "I knew your mother, even before she was married." "She was an incredibly talented pianist." " If it only wasn't for that accident..." " Ok, Mr. JuIiusz." "Thank you." "You knew very well that you were supposed to bring him to the restaurant." "We waited with the mayor for two hours!" "I tried, sir, but he refused talk to anyone." "After that phone call he told us to leave him alone." "Then he just sat down at the piano and began to play." " And he played wonderfully." " I don't give a shit how he played!" "You should have made him stop." "Do you understand?" "No, I don't." "I don't have to go to Europe if that's what you decided." "Fine, so she did." "Besides that's not important." "Your tour is the only thing that matters now." "Yes?" "especially the opening." "Do you understand?" "especially the opening." "You have to conquer WrocIaw!" "only then you'II win." "I don't want to hear from you if you faiI." "What am I saying?" "You cannot fall." "Ok?" "We're a few minutes late." "But we always wait for the audience." "Too bad the mayor is not here." "Was he offended?" "What did you expect?" "After what happened..." "Ok, I'II come listen after the intermission." "Did you save me a seat in the front row?" "Of course." "I'm sorry." " What's going on?" " No idea." "The doors, doors!" "I meant close the doors, you idiot!" "Hey, WaIdek!" "Give us a bottle and shots for everyone!" "The Professor's paying." "Intuition again?" "Not only, my friend." "Not only." " The usual?" " Of course." "WaIdek get him a taxi." "He's staying in the hotel." "Did you see that?" "The guy's from Chicago." "So what?" "Nothing." "If you don't have time for analysis and you don't know the horses because the races are in england or France..." "I check the monitors to see how the locals are playing." "regardless of the nation, race, convictions, 90% of the bettors loose." "To win, you've got to bet against the majority." "Dubito ergo cogito, cogito ergo sum." " So it's not just the facts?" " Interpretation of facts." ""Imagination is more powerful than... "" "knowledge." "albert Einstein." "Do you remember your sayings, especially the ones before the exams?" ""Concert Cut Short for Quarter Million Euros" It's "game time eagles" or the one about the frogs?" "Wow, the kid got himself into some trouble..." " Who?" " The guy in the photo." "I met him yesterday at the bar." "hold on, I'II get the paper." "What's going on?" "KaroI, do something." "Don't just stand there." "Take him to the restaurant." "Ok, but I'II charge that to your account." "What account?" "Your empty one." "oliver," "tell me something." "I'm mean you're pretty famous." "You've played concerts, you've mad recordings." "How can somebody like you be broke?" "Because a pianist always comes last." "Have you ever seen horse races?" "What?" "No." "hold on." "Sit, sit." "Nothing's happening yet..." "You see the grey horse." "Do you see him?" "Fourth position." "hold on." "Now look." "Look at the grey one." "He's hidden, but he'II make a break for it." "Now!" "Now!" "Look." "Look what's happening." "Look." "Did you see that?" "You know what OIIie?" "I think..." "I just had a decent idea." "That grey horse, Ruten, we'II keep an eye on him." "This is an odd place." "I spent more than half of my Iife here." "What's up?" " Champ!" " What's going on?" "What are you playing today?" " Which races?" "polish or foreign?" " We'II see, we'II see." "Sit down, ollie." " New guy, does he play?" " absolutely!" "He lost 250 thousand Euros yesterday." "Right, ollie?" "You're shitting me." "Where?" "Ask him, but he doesn't speak polish well." "Whatever." "tell us how you're going to play." "Here you go." "No way." "fables yes, but Dandy in the third?" "No chance." "He's out of shape." " How about in the second?" " I'm skipping it." "Four horses have a shot at winning." "Are you also not playing in the second?" "Paderewski." "What about Paderewski, ollie?" "He'II win." "What?" "Paderewski?" "Maybe if he grows a fifth leg." "He's dead meat." "I wouldn't be so sure." "Last time he lost by 1 7 Iengths." " He's a rag." " Tadziu, calm down." "Let's go." "What's he up to?" " How are you betting?" " well, sweetheart, give me..." "Maybe not." "We'II bet later." "This is the city's wonderful girl." "She's a little weird." "She reads books," " likes classical music." " Mr. Frank," "I think I've seen this gentleman." "Somewhere before." "really?" "It's Mr. oliver Linovsky." "Come on." "Why didn't you bet?" "I have to think something over." "I've seen something invisible." "He's called "Horse" or "Banker"." "He used to be a jockey." "He came here from bulgaria." "He sells information about horses from polish stables." "Nobody knows if it's true." "Anyway, do you know what he'd say about Paderewski?" "If he knew anything, of course." " Horse good - second time." " What does that mean?" "It means that a good horse that's running after a Iong break, will take it easy in order to win in the next race." "And today is the next race?" "Let's go." "We'II skip Dandy." "Ok." "In the first race give me fifteen." " And Paderewski in the second." " Paderewski?" "Here you are." "But speak to me in polish." "Which is fables?" "Do you see him?" "We just won 400." "Let's get out of here." "It's stuffy." "tell me about the army?" "They shipped you straight to Germany?" "To berlin." "I wasn't even 18 years old." "I Ieft my girlfriend in the States." "I didn't know she was pregnant." "Then I got a letter that she died in childbirth." "What about the kid?" "Never seen him in life." "His name's Jack and he lives in Chicago." "Ok, ollie, Iet's go." "They're racing." "Paderewski's running." "Is that Paderewski?" "Someone gave you a tip?" "Good job." "Everyone was mad at me." "My entire family." "Here was I, with an American passport, first in Germany and then in poland, in those hard times!" "I got married." "Then I found out that I had a kid in the States." "I didn't know what it meant to be a father." "I was a kid myself." "We'II win and you'II go back." "Ok?" "We'II win and I'II go back." "... ." "Whatwasthatabout?" "The ability to read..." "Paderewski's got great papers." "What happened with that last horse, Dandy?" " He won, that's all." " But why didn't you bet on him?" "A mistake." "I've got no excuses." "If I ever want to change my bet to somebody else's, hit me." "Ok, but I'II charge that to your account." "You'd beat the older?" "Damn it." "We won't make it." "I have 15 minutes." "How did you become so honorable all of a sudden?" "You can pay tomorrow?" "How much did Max send you?" "Not even 1 0 %." "He took off." "ollie, I don't know." "I have a problem." " Hi!" " Hi, sweetie." " hello, Mr. Frank." " hello, love." "For Grandma." "Listen, ollie." "Ruten's about to run in Paris." "It's that grey horse I showed you at home." "I remember." "It's his first race in France." "He's up against some good horses." "He likes a wet track and Paris has had dry weather." "So let's not play him." "I already did." "I'm sorry." "I Iike him." "How so?" "A polish horse, but born in the States." "It's going well." "Look." "Don't let them pass you!" "What are you doing?" "What was that?" "You got it?" "I won." "I can't believe this." "How could he loose on a horse like that!" "He could've won the race." "Damn it." "It's a great horse." "We can win a fortune on Ruten." "Do you know why?" "Because in the west countries he'II always be an underdog." "Why?" " Because he's from poland." " So what?" "people know that polish breeding isn't as good as in the past." "But they're forgetting that he's bred in the USA." "If he won today..." "Just think of that." "But he didn't." "Do you believe we'II win?" "Yeah..." "It's impossible." "How could you cheat?" "In every race you have 1 0 horses, 1 0 owners, 1 0 trainers, 1 0 jockeys, and each one of them wants to win." "Maybe in small races..." "What?" "Some coffee?" "Good idea, good place." "You shouldn't reject intuition but you should support it." " With analysis, logic." " welcome, professor." "Lunch?" "No, thanks." "Just coffee." "Is Hubert in?" "He's with some new employees." "should I get him?" " Don't bother him." "Two coffees." " Of course." "Concerning intuition, a guy comes in to the track to bet on horse number 5." "And as he walks over to the counter, intuition appears above his head and says:" ""Put it on 2, put it on 2"." "He says I don't want to play 2." "Intuition says "Put it on 2. " Ok, I'II play 2." "He puts his money on 2." "The horses take off." "2 is in the lead." "He runs very well, but in the Iast moment 5 takes off and wins the race." "The guy yells "Oh, shit!"" "and intuition replies "Oh, fuck it! "" "That's intuition." " Chris, may we?" " Go ahead." "I don't know what to say." "really." "What are you doing?" "Are you crazy?" "Did you see how they listened?" "Did you see them?" "Everyone." "Waiters, cooks, bussers, with gaping mouths." "They stood and listened with gaping mouths." "You played wonderfully, ollie." "really." "I swear to God." "I've never seen anything like this." "And to think you've played classical music in a joint like that," "I tip my hat." "You're right, now I can only play in joints like that." "It's over." "You know what?" "I'II show you something." "Where is it?" "In May of 45," "Truman came to Potsdam to sign Germany's capitulation." "Everyone was trying to come up with a way to celebrate this occasion." "They were looking for a pianist or orchestra to put on a concert." "finally someone remembered that we had pianist in our battalion." "They said he would've had an impressive career had it not been for the war." "He played Rachmaninov, Beethoven." "Anyway, he played for Truman." "He was brilliant." "At one point the President joined in and they played together." "Do you understand?" "They played together for half an hour." "A kid from our battalion and the president." "The crowd was wild." "The people screamed." "Later he said that before the concert he nearly shit his pants." "He hadn't played for a year." "What was his name?" "Liszt." "Eugene?" "Eugene Liszt?" "Eugene Liszt." "How do you know?" "He was my professor in the States." "You're shitting me?" "Gene was your teacher?" "I'm sorry." "I can't promise that." "Yes, that was before the accident." "Why are you asking about this?" "It's irrelevant." "They wrote that I was a tyrant to my son." "That I forced him practice 6 to 8 hours a day." "Maybe..." "It's true," "I didn't allow him to play ball, ride a motorcycle." "But it was my duty." "My duty as a mother and artist to his great talent." "Over here." "He almost fainted but he's conscious." "Your father will stay with us for two, three days." "Then we will release him home." "We've lucked out this time but I warn you that his condition is a preliminary to heart failure." "please don't disregard this." "No more smoking, no more drinking." "He should get plenty of fresh air and walking." "I take it he doesn't move around too much?" "A change of climate would do your father good." "That's impossible." "He won't go anywhere." "Try to convince him." "It's important." ""Happy Birthday to our favorite Math teacher"" ""HOW TO UNDERSTAND A HORSE? "" "Got it!" "This one?" "Yes." "Thanks." " But I can't pay out today." " Ok." "hello." "Got the programs?" "You were smoking." "Me?" "Never." "It didn't flush." "Give me the programs." "well, what did you choose?" "The sea or mountains?" "ollie, no montains." "I'm not going on any vacation." "It costs a fortune." "Besides, vacation in the middle of the racing season?" "I won't let you go back to that smoky betting place." "Listen." "I can't afford a vacation." "Don't you get it?" "Yes, we can." "What do you mean, "we can"?" "You won the lottery?" "Maybe there's something I don't know about?" "I haven't paid them anything." "I'm not going anywhere." "Because on the local track you can win shit, not money." "You were supposed to talk to me in polish." "Fine, then I will tell you in polish!" "How dare you talk to me like this?" "!" "How dare you!" "What do you know about life?" "!" "Where are we going?" "I'm sorry." "I didn't mean to offend you." "Most of these horses here have gone though hell, Iike bella." "They were saved from "the transport of death"." "She used to be the top class race horse." "But when her career was over..." "Let's go say hi." "... Anditturnedout she 'sbarren, the owners decided to sell her to a slaughterhouse." "But fortunately Frank showed up." "This is my beloved bella." "She used to be a pretty young girl." "Now we're a little older, huh grandma?" "We won quite a few money together." "What is it?" "Here you go." "AII of them are racehorses?" "Most are farm-horses, which are treated the worst." "luckily, scarlett showed up." "She started a foundation with her husband, and now I help out along with other volunteers." "I'm paying bella's rent." "If you hadn't distracted her, she could've sent my goddamn coupon." "I couId've won 20 thousand." "Your "idea" doesn't interest me." "Why?" "Look who's running." "You can't bet on him here." "exactly." "I don't understand." "Frank knows?" "I'II tell him today." "I didn't come for you." "I can see." "How much money do you have?" "What money?" "For Baden Baden." "travel, stay and about a thousand to play." "Do you have that?" "We're going?" "We're going!" "But remember, this is a Ioan." "The track isn't as dry as they say it is." "If it rained for at Ieast 2 days, Ruten would be unstoppable." "To rain." "I thought you wouldn't need me anymore." "What do I need you for?" "Your German contact?" "No, a polish equerry." "He says Ruten is in top condition." "also, he gave me a tip in the fifth." "You said that tips aren't reliable." "Let's go." "See?" "The equerry's trust worthy." "But we're still lost?" "This gentleman doesn't play, does he?" "Just for fun." "It's more like finger exercise." "Good one, finger exercise..." "Professor KarIoff is a great pianist." "He teaches around the world." "Once also in poland." "Do you gentlemen have time tomorrow?" "I'd Iike to invite you for some champagne to "Roemischbad. "" "It's not far from here." "unfortunately, I have to say no." "I have business to take care of." " Too bad." "And you oliver?" " I'd love to but..." "You have tomorrow off." "well then?" "At four by the thermal pool." "See you." "I don't like the fact... that you didn't play in wroclaw." "ollie, 3 thousand people came there." "They came for you, for your talent." "I know, but..." "How?" "I wouldn't trust that professor." "Intuition again?" "No." "I think he likes to play with people." "I thought a Iot about you today." "Is it true that you broke off your European tour?" "You've already heard?" "Dear oliver, may I call you that?" "You know our circle." "You shouldn't have done it." "I hate to meddle in your affairs." "It'II be difficult to get back to..." "My place in the line?" "The queue wasn't too long." "could you wait for me by the table?" "I'm pleased." "Dieter!" "Did you know, that not long ago," "I considered you the greatest talent in the world?" "Not only I." "If it wasn't for that unfortunate competition..." "Remember?" "I took away your victory in Warsaw." "What?" "You know professor JakowIew?" "After the second round of eliminations he approached me with a proposition." "I would lend him one point, in exchange for two in some other competition." "I don't understand." "A simple favor." "I subtract a point from his pupil's most dangerous adversary." "Then, in the future he will return the favor." " That's absurd." "It's impossible." " You must realize, that all artistic competitions are fiction." "Think about it." "How can you measure and compare the immeasurable and incomparable?" "Competition is a violation of art." "It feeds on it." "The rules of chivalrous rivalry are a charade." "Those courtesies, or vulgar swindIes, are an every-day affair." "I understand your feelings." "still, I realize that you must return because you're exceptional." "The newspapers called him ,the big looser"." "The jury?" "Of course, they cheated him." "oliver said something... that sounded pretty naive and sentimental " "that the prize didn't matter... but only the music... and those who love it." "ollie!" "Are you asleep?" " ollie?" " No." "close your eyes." "What do you hear?" "I don't know." "That's the sound... of 25 thousand Euros!" "ollie I did it!" " I figured it out all by myself!" " You see, that's what I told you!" "AII the favored horses lost." "I got lucky outsiders three times." "Three times!" "Now only Ruten has to win and I think I'II go to those god-dammed States." "Pack your things." "Now?" "Now the gentlemen are changing hotels, because they can afford it!" "It's beautiful." "For your wife?" "No, for Mom." "Very nice." "Why didn't you buy anything?" "What could I say to my grown up son whom I never met?" "Son, I bought you a shiny watch?" "If I was him, I'd kick my ass off the stairs." "So you're not going?" "I don't know." "Frank," "let's get whisky." "She hired "mechanic"." " A mechanic." " What?" "She hired a mechanic." "Then what?" "Nothing." "A few days later we went back to the States." "You didn't try to live your own life." "I'II take a walk." "Ok?" "only you and I will know that you were truly great on the day of your demise." "Perhaps it's just a whim?" "Or perhaps it just amuses me to appall the music world." "I'm afraid you have no choice, oliver." "Where were you?" "You were gone a Iong time." " Did those professors leave?" " Yes." "I did it differently." "I thought we were waiting for Ruten." " I already played him." " For how much?" "Come, come!" "I played for everything we had." "For 25 thousand Euros at 7 different bookies." "Different combinations." "In each Ruten is in first place." "Exacta, trifecta and win." "For every exacta they pay out 1 00 to 1 ." "For a trifecta - 700 even 800 to 1 ." "And we got that multiplied by 1 000." "Got that?" "For every 1 00, we get 1 00 thousand." "For every 700,800 times 1 000." "At the track you can win only what's in the pool." "1 00 thousand maximum." "But the money at the bookies is separate from the pool?" "That's the whole point." "ollie, we can win a fortune!" "Even a million." " mil..?" " Quiet." "million Euros." "With one condition." "Ruten has to be first." "And if he's second?" "That's not an option." "We loose." "Are you asleep?" "I can't sleep." "beautiful rain, huh?" "Ruten must be getting impatient." "ollie!" "We're screwed!" "Shit!" " What?" "!" " It's all gone!" "What?" "!" "How?" "!" "Ruten is finished!" "He has breathing problems." "Fuck!" "But..." " How much money do you have left?" "!" " A thousand, maybe." "Give it to me!" "We have to hedge out bets." " The race has started!" " Fuck!" "Ruten won!" "You hear!" "Come one!" "Come one!" "help!" "Frank wake up!" "After winning he'd always bring money for the poor kids." "He wanted to build a daycare center, ever since the city shut its down." "He pretty much avoided church." "He said that he didn't need a middleman to talk to God." "Now we can start." "RafaI!" "Did you know that Frank was twice imprisoned?" "First time during the stalinist era for his American passport." "The communists considered him a spy." "Then during the 80's martial law he got arrested for the distribution of banned literature." "After that his family in America stopped talking to him." " Did you know about that?" " I just don't know why." "It's hard to say." "My guess is out of ignorance." "They didn't understand the situation." "Your hand!" "Hand, ollie!" "Fix it." ""If you're reading this, it means that we've missed each other." "I'm returning to Poland." "For ever." "I wanted to do so for a long time but I didn't have enough courage until now." "Your disappearance and broken off tour thought me something." "I understood that you need time to find yourself, despite me." "Be happy, however you want"." " Come on, guys!" " Frank is back!" "See you soon."