"CERTIFIED COPY" "Good morning, ladies and gentlemen." "Just a few words while you're waiting." "As you know, James Miller will be joining us." "He's a little late." "He can't blame the traffic, his room is upstairs." "I hope he won't be long." "We're here for the presentation of his latest book" "Certified Copy that was awarded best foreign essay of the year." "Well, that's about it..." "Here's James." "Please, take your seats." "Autographing will be after the conference." "I'd intended to briefly introduce James to you but who better than himself." "Over to you." ""Buongiorno"." "Good morning." "I'm so sorry I'm late." "I would blame the traffic, but I walked here." "Thank you all for coming on such a lovely day." "I think probably..." "I would prefer to be out in the sunshine." "But I am grateful for the amount of the tension that you've been giving to my book." "And frankly I would have appreciated such a warm welcome back in England." "But having my work acknowledged by the compatriots of Michelangelo and Leonardo da Vinci... is really something of a compliment, and I am very grateful for it." "Some of you may know that the original idea for my book came to me when I was in Florence... in the Piazza della Signoria." "And here I am after quite a lot of hard work... back here in Tuscany with the opportunity to show you the fruits of my labors." "I suppose it goes without saying that art is not an easy subject to write about." "There are no fixed points of references, there are no immutable truths to fall back on." "And my decision to explore the psychological and philosophical aspects of the subject... made my task rather more difficult than I originally expected." "But I do have a few words that I would like to say... with your indulgence that I prepared especically for this morning." "I'd like to sincerely thank my friend and colleague Marco Lenzi whose translation is simply perfect." "He's really conveyed the spirit of my book and made this Italian edition possible." "As well as our meeting today." "Well done and thanks again." "Next time, you write the book, I'll do the translation." "I'm rather afraid that the alternative title to my book," ""Forget the Original Just Get a Good Copy"" "is likely to offend the artistically sensitive." "I apologise sincerely." "But the fault isn't entirely my own." "Nowadays editors insist on a controversial title." "But you should be aware..." "I'm not an expert, I'm not an art historian." "I'm certainly not recognized in this field." "And more than anything I'm not a member of the artistic establishment." "It's my intention really just to try and show that the copy itself has worth... in that it leads us to the original and in this way certifies its value." "And I believe this approach is not only valid in art." "I was particularly pleased when a reader recently told me... that he found in my work an invitation to self-inquiry... to a better understanding of the self." "Questions about the concept of originality... have been discussed throughout history... and preceded even the time when the Romans... were selling copies of Egyptian silver artifacts." "My own favorite story is of Lorenzo de Medici instructing Michelangelo... to carve his statue of Cupid, all'antica... so it would fetch a better price." "So this concern about originality, the notion of the false and the genuine has always existed... and occupied our ancestors' minds as much as it does ours today." "The word "original" has itself for us very positive connotations:" "Authentic, genuine, reliable... lasting, possessing an intrinsic value." "The etymology of the word too is interesting." "The Latin root "oriri" means "arising" or "being born"." "And I am particularly interested that the word "original" refers to birth." "I would take the idea to its extreme and draw parallels between reproduction in art... and reproduction in the human race." "After all, it might be said:" "We are only the DNA replicas of our ancestors." "Examining original works is therefore a process of questioning origins, of exploring the foundations of our civilizations." "Renaissance humanists search into the roots of Western culture, encouraging a wider understanding of cultural heritage." "This fascination with one's culture's origins is inextricably linked... to the fundamental definition of originality." "And with originality comes a need for authenticity, the need for cultural confirmation." "Certifying the authenticity of works can therefore be seen as of fundamental importance." "The authenticity of an object can be certified according to the following four criteria." "Firstly, one must consider the form and shape of the artifact." "Secondly, the material from which it is made." "Sorry I think that's mine." "I obviously missed that instruction about turning off your mobile phone." "Just a moment." "Hello?" "Yes..." "Look, but I'm sorry but I really can't discuss it now." "I'm a little busy." "Could you perhaps call me back this afternoon?" "Yes." "This afternoon." "Thanks for the call." "I'm so sorry about that." "Now, where were we?" "Will I take your bag?" "No, it's okay." "It'll be too heavy." "Come on." "You ordered a cheeseburger?" "Yes." "Fries?" "Yes." "Double?" "You won't eat them, but yes." "Coke?" "Can you look at me?" "Coke?" "Yes." "How many books did you buy?" "Six." "Lucky you didn't like it." "I never said that." "I heard you telling Pierre." "I didn't say I didn't like it, just that some parts annoyed me." "But he explained them to you." "Yes, but I wasn't convinced." "How come you bought so many?" "To get you talking." "And for presents." "Who for?" "For Marie, amongst others." "But..." "she already has it." "Well, I want to give her a signed copy." "Good idea, no?" "So, you want to see him again." "You want to see that guy again." "Well, maybe." "And the others, who are they for?" "One's for Alain." "But you can't stand him!" "Right." "I want to give a book I dislike to a man I dislike." "Can't I?" "Sure, you can." "So, what were you saying to that other guy?" "What other guy?" "The writer's friend." "You have to know everything?" "You said we were buddies who kept no secrets." "But you were just being nosy about Elisa, right?" "But who cares?" "I know it all anyway." "Good for you." "I know you like this James and want to fall in love with him." "And you gave your number to his friend, so he'll call you." "Not at all." "I did give my number, but not for what you think." "I just want to find out more about his book." "It is my job after all." "And you kept..." "I couldn't listen." "We had to leave." "You weren't listening." "You kept whispering..." "Neither were you." "You kept playing with that thing." "At least, I..." "I was playing but I also listened." "You were just starry-eyed." "Mind your own business, okay?" "No need to get so mad." "We're just here, having a chat..." "Yes, we're having a chat." "I don't see why you get so annoyed." "I'm not annoyed." "You annoy me!" "And get a haircut!" "Just one thing, okay?" "One thing and then I stop." "One question:" "Why didn't you want him to sign with my surname?" "You're really going too far!" "My name is Julien..." "You're getting on my nerves." "Enough!" "But I do have a surname!" "Hello?" "Oops." ""Buongiorno"." " Did you find it easily?" " Yes, thank you." " I've been staying just down the street." " Oh yes, at the university, right?" " Do you always open on Sundays?" " No, usually it's closed." "But I thought I'd be a convenient place for us to meet... and I didn't give a time so you could come anytime you like." "Sorry, I have cat hair in the nose." " We certainly have a shared interest here anyway." " You mean..." "No, I just ended up here by accident." "Just in the middle of all these things without really caring about them." "I see." "You should keep your distance." "They are attractive enough, but they can be bad for you." " Are you serious?" " Absolutely." " They are valuable enough, but..." " It's a copy." "But they can be dangerous too in their own way, you know." "I study them, and I admire them and write books about them... but I keep my distance too." "Actually at home I prefer practical things, you know." "I only keep an antique in the house if it would take its place among everything else." "Otherwise, out it goes." " So you think ..." " I think we should get some fresh air, don't you?" "I mean, you have a lovely shop, but it's such a nice day." "We should go out." "And your invitation didn't say anything about antique shop." "No, I ..." "I thought we just go and..." "I was going to help you shop." "I don't know, it's Sunday, everything is closed." "Do you want some coffee?" "Well, maybe we could get some on the way?" "I really like to get out of the town just a little while." "Yes, I have a car if you want." "Are you leaving?" "Be back for lunch?" "I don't think so." "Remind Julien he's got a private lesson at 2." "Sure." "Oh I'm sorry." "What's wrong with my shop?" "You don't like my shop?" "I only have originals and copies." "Was that why you were interested in my book?" "No, what attracted me to your book was the title." "The second title." "Do you mind signing a couple of copies I have here?" "There's another one there." " So, what should I write?" " "For Marie"." "I-E at the end." "Just "For Marie"." "That's all." " I can't see anything without my glasses." " I can't believe you're sitting in my car." " "Marie"?" " Yes please." "It's very sweet of you." "So, first I noticed the cover, I mean the title of your book." "I was with my sister Marie, and she said:" ""Meglio una buona copia che l'originale."" "This one is for Alain." "So I picked up the book and ..." "Actually she picked up the book." "She was the one who's really... tickled by your book." "Anyway, we both bought it." "This is Professor Miao." "M-i-a-o." "Yes please, thanks." "So you see..." "Marie, she loves costume jewelry." "That explains that." "She has very interesting views on things." "Like what?" "Those ones, they don't need any dedications." "Just sign." "Yeah, thank you." "Like what?" "Like she says fake jewelry is just as good as the real thing." "You don't have to worry about them..." "Less hassle, you know." "So she agrees with me." "She agrees with me about that." "Well, that particular point, yes." "But she's a..." "She's a simple person, she doesn't try to convince anyone." "You determine to prove the unprovable." "So what you're saying is it's acceptable for her but unprovable for me?" "It's acceptable for her because she doesn't try to convert anyone." "She doesn't make a point." "She's just living in her own little world... where there's no difference between copies and originals." "She is lucky." "I wish I was more like her." "Like her?" "What do you mean?" "Well, actually to be honest," "I wrote the book partly to convince myself of my own idea." "But she seems to believe in it simply and naturally." "And I think I envy that." "Why can't you just be like her then?" "I'm afraid there's nothing simpler about being simple." "So, where are we headed?" "I see what you're saying." "I don't know." "I don't know where we are now." "Just meandering around   with no goal." "That's fine with me." "Intentionally aimless." " Where do you want to go?" " I don't know." "Nowhere I particularly want to go." "I'm happy just driving." "Driving?" "Driving around ..." "Well, you've got to do the driving." "I get to sit here and look at the view." "I have an idea." "I can take you to a place you'd find interesting." " Just one thing, will it take long?" "How far is it?" " Half an hour." "That'll be fine." "I have to be back here at nine for my train." "All right." "At your service." "Do you know Lucignano?" "Yeah I've heard the name but I've never been there." "Then I have a surprise for you." "So, you were saying ..." " It was difficult to be simple?" "Is that it?" " That's it, yeah." "Well, we're not worms right?" "We're not supposed to be simple." "Just complex beings." "And where is the line between simple person and simple-minded?" "Tell me?" "There isn't a simple answer." "My sister says: "No struggle"" ""Only idiots work hard in life"" "That's her belief." "You shouldn't be around things that make problems." "Gas fire's better than real fire." "Just take the switch." "Safer, easier." "She's married to the simplest man on earth, to her he's the best man alive." "He stammers." ""MMM-Marie."" "For her it's a love song." "Well, I can understand that he's lingering over her name." "She insisted they got it wrong when they registered her name." "She said, "The right spelling of my name is..." ""Mmmmarie."" "She loves the stammer." " She sounds amazing." " She is." "I'll put something else in that book." "Which one is it?" "What are you writing?" "What is this woman doing in the middle of the street?" "Look at her." "She is crazy." "Okay let me go." "So what are you writing?" "People think that road is their home." "You can read it later on." "No I mean it." "I just want to see what you wrote." "Is that okay?" "I know I'm a little bit nosey but I just..." " That's all I need." " What do you mean?" "Now it's gonna be impossible for her to change her nonsense." "Thank you very much." "So just don't give her the book." "It's your choice." "You got plenty of others." "You could give her one of the those instead." "Wonderful idea." "Well, maybe this discussion is just stopping us from enjoying the view." "Right." "Just one more thing to say, and then we can just drop the subject." "So you have the last word." "No, it's not quite what I meant." "I just thought it would be nice to enjoy the trip." "But it seems to me that the human race is the only species who have forgotten... the whole purpose of life, the whole meaning of existence... is to have fun, to have pleasure." "And here's someone who's found their own way to do it... we shouldn't judge them for it." "If they're happy and enjoying life... then we should congratulate them, not criticise them." "Just a few more kilometres." "Okay take a risk now." " Can I tell you my favorite joke?" " Yeah." "A man is cast away on a desert island." "One day he's walking on the beach and he finds a brass lamp burried in the sand." "So he digs it up, dusts it off, and a genie appears." ""I am the genie of the lamp." "I will grant you three wishes." "What is your first wish?"" "So the man, who is hungry and tired, says:" ""I want an everlasting bottle of ice cold Coca-Cola."" "So the genie waves his hand, a bottle appears, the man takes an enormous drink, and then the bottle just fills itself." "So the genie says:" ""You have two wishes left." "Hurry up."" " And you know what the man says?" " Two more Coca-Colas." "Oh... thank you." "Look." "Alright, it's not the joke." "But there was a point." "It's the moral." "It's the laugh, there's nothing to do with the moral." "He's a guy whose life is so simple that he doesn't need..." "He satisfies... with a bottle of Coca-Cola." "Oh it was a pretty bad joke." "I knew it." "Anyway, it reminds me of Jasper Johns' Coca-Cola." "Alright." "Andy Warhol's Coca-Cola." "So you take an ordinary object, you put it in a museum and you change the way people look at it." "It's not the object that matters, it's your perception of it." "Yeah it's fair enough." "If your name is Jasper Johns, you can do that." "If your name is Marie, you can do that too." "I mean, the way that she looks at her husband changes his value." "Look at these cypresses." "They are beautiful, they are individuals." "I mean you never see two cypresses looking the same." "They're old." "Someone told me there was one somewhere a thousand years old." "Originality, beauty, age, functionality..." "Definition of a work of art really." "Except that they are not in the gallery." "They are out in the field." "So nobody takes enough notice of them." "So it's a nice idea." "But you didn't put it in your book." "You can't put everything in one book." "I'll have to write another one." ""Cypresses and the Meaning of Art."" "Or perhaps not." "Here we are." "Great view." " So what's going on?" " You mean the cars?" "Oh it's like this every day." "Maybe a little busy on Sundays." "People come from all of the places." "They come here to get married because they think it's gonna bring them luck." "There is a golden tree inside..." "The bride and groom come to promise to be faithful forever." "Forever?" "Did you get married here?" "Yes?" "No." "It's impossible." "Speak up." "I can't hear you." "No." "You talk to him." "I'm busy." "I can't talk to him now." "I don't know." "Talk to him." "I have no idea." "I'm not far away." "I don't know yet." "Okay?" "Yes." "I'll let you know." "I can't right now." "You see with him." "Speak to you later." " Kids are terrible." " I'm sure they can be difficult." "If they knew what they're gonna get from their children, they wouldn't have those stupid smiles on their faces on their wedding day." "No doubt." "His private lesson is an hour later than usual... and instead of waiting he wants to do a hundred things, each gonna take an hour." "No understanding of time." "He says, "I'll go skating, I promise I'll be back on time."" "But even to get to the skating rink takes over an hour." "Totally unaware of time." "Yeah well, isn't that what we like about them?" "Right, just want to have fun and enjoy themselves." " Oh, exactly." "I envy them." " Yes of course." "But who is responsible?" "Who has to deal with the consequences?" " Us." " No doubt." "The other day, you know, he was standing in the rain just wearing a T-shirt." "I said, "Hey, get in."" ""You're gonna get soaked." You know what he said, "So what"." "I said, "No, come on." "You're gonna get a cold." He said, "So what?"" "I was furious." "I said, "You'll die."" "Do you know what he said to me?" ""I'll die." "So what?"" " No doubt, I guess." " Yes, no doubt." "I'm sure your son is gonna have a long, happy and successful life, but he's quite right." "We're all gonna die." "Nothing lasts forever." ""Cemeteries are full of indispensable men."" "Actually I think your son's version is better." ""We're all gonna die." "So what?"" "Children tell the obvious, we tell them off." "But if we get exactly the same thing from... philosophers or writers, we think it's wonderful." "Children just live for the moment." "They want to have good fun." "They don't think about the consequences or the causes." "Well, because we pay for it." "They don't even think about that." "Thay don't think about the cause because it's part of the game." "Oh, come on, all this is good for books." "It's nice and clever." "It doesn't ring with the reality." "When you're alone and you're dealing with it, it's fucking hard, it's different." "I'm sorry." "I just wanna show you something in this museum." "I think you're gonna enjoy it." "It is one of the museum's first acquisitions." "A wealthy family in the area gave the paintings to the museum in the 1700s." "They would attract visitors from the lower classes." "The paintings are not ..." "This is the painting." "They called it "Original Copy"." "Have you heard of it?" "It's the exact illustration of your book, the ideas you defend in your book." "It's a real copy." "It's amazing." "It's like the Mona Lisa of Tuscany." "They just found out it was a copy, like, 50 years ago." "But they thought it was an original for many many centuries." "He's gonna explain." "This is the famous Muse Polimnia, the portrait of a woman, whose dramatic story is told on the cartel next to the painting." "For years, this painting was believed to be Roman Art." "It wasn't until the 20th Century, about 50 years ago, that it was revealed to be the work of a skilled forger from Naples." "However, the museum decided to conserve this fabulous portrait as an original." "It is actually as beautiful as the original." "When was it made?" "In the 18th Century." "And it was considered as an original for 200 years." "After the Second World War, in-depth research revealed even the name of the forger who made this amazing work." "The museum then decided to keep it with great care." "In a sense, it's our Mona Lisa." "The original is in Herculaneum, near Naples." "The story of the discovery itself is interesting." "It was part of a Roman fresco." "And the excavation director happened to be from Tuscany." "He commissioned the forger to make this perfect copy, so as to claim that it was found in his region and use its prestige for Tuscany." " You didn't seem captivated?" " It was interesting enough but nothing new." "It's an example for your theory." "Yes but there are examples everywhere." " At some point I had to close my book." " Close your book..." "At least you could have said "I wish I had seen this beautiful painting before I closed my book."" "I am sorry I didn't say it in time." "But it's worth coming on the trip, wasn't it." "It's a very nice picture, and you always learn something." "Really?" "What did you learn?" "Didn't you find it interesting?" "They say how much they adore the picture." "But they did a copy and the original's somewhere around." "Because it's in Herculaneum." "That's a fact." "People have to know that." "But what difference does it make?" "The original is only a reproduction of the beauty of the girl in the picture." "She is the real original." "Even the Mona Lisa is a reproduction of La Gioconda." "And that smile ..." "Do you think that's original or Leonardo just asked her to smile like that?" "End of lecture." " Would you like to invite me for a cup of coffee?" " Pleasure." "Let's go." " So you mean there is no originals at all, right?" " Not exactly." " There are plenty of originals." " Where?" " You get me that coffee, I promise I'll tell you." " It's around the corner." "So where is your original?" " In your sister's house." " Really?" "In my sister's house?" "Where?" " It's her husband." " Oh, come on ..." " What do you want?" " Black coffee will be fine." "A coffee and a cappuccino." "Coming up." "Let's talk about something else." "I couldn't hear your whole speech." "I was with my son, the great philosopher of yours." "He was starving, so I had to go and feed him but something you said about..." " ...about being in Florence." "I was curious about..." " What was that?" "What did I want to ask you?" "What did you want to ask me?" "Stop teasing me." "You're looking at me..." "I remember." "You said you had the idea of your book on Piazza della Signoria." "Yeah that's right." "It was just a conversation between a mother and her son but..." "But it was interesting." "They were in the Piazza by the David statue." "And the mother was telling the son something about it, in French I think." "And the boy looked a little tired." "He was sitting on the stairs looking up at the statue." " What was she saying?" " I couldn't hear." "But what was..." " Special about them?" " Special?" "Well, actually that was more to do with something else, not to do with the book." "The idea for the book came from the conversation, although I didn't really hear it." "But I was curious about them because of something else." "What?" " Which story do you want to hear first?" " What do you mean?" "Well, would you like to know why I was curious about them or... how I got the idea for the book?" "No, I want to know why ... you found this mother and son so intriguing." "Well, okay." "Actually I already knew them." "I'd seen in them before in Florence." "It was about five years ago." "I was in Florence for one of those conferences on cultural heritages." "Particularly dull I think." "I was staying in a hotel in the center." "It's ready." "Thank you." "Anyway it was... curious." "Interesting story." "Every morning as I go out of my shower," "I would see the same woman coming down the street... opposite my window." "And when she got to the corner just in front of the hotel there..." "She would stop and she turn and she look back, until she saw a little boy." "He was about eight, in shorts and had an enormous knapsack." "When she'd seen him, she turn and she walk on." "She had her arms crossed just like you." "And when she got to the next corner she would stop again, and she turn and look, and check if he was still following." "Actually my room was on the corner of the building so there was a window on either side." "And I could watch their progress through the street." "Your coffee's cold." "What fascinated me was that they just never walked together." "The mother was always 50 yards in front and she never waited." "And the boy would just stroll along, never make any attempt to catch up." "And then on this particular occasion I saw them again in the Piazza." "The boy was sitting on the steps of the David statue... for quite a while before his mother came." "And that was the very first time I saw them together." "Sounds quite familiar." "I'm sorry I..." " I didn't mean..." " No no it's okay." "Go on." " Do you know them?" " I wasn't well in those states." " Go on with your story." " No, I'm sorry ..." "So?" "The mother was telling her son something about the statue." "You know, it's a copy." "The original is in the Academia." "But the mother hadn't told the boy that." "I'm sure." "Am I right?" "The boy was looking up at the statue as though it was a genuine... original, authentic work of art." "Sorry I have to take it." "I'll try outside." "Hello?" "It's ready." "His coffee's going cold." "That's how he is." "He's a good husband though." "Sorry?" "He's a good husband." "How do you know?" "I can tell." "Where do you come from?" "I'm from France." "Where did you learn Italian?" "I've lived in Italy for five years." "Where?" "First in Florence, now in Arezzo." "How come you speak English together?" "He's English." "And he doesn't speak your language?" "Nor Italian?" "He only speaks his own language." "But you can speak his." "Good for you." "He's not into languages." "He's not into anything." "Except himself and his job." "That's good." " A man must love his job." " What about us women?" "It keeps them busy." "And we live our lives." "I didn't get married to live alone." "I'd like to live my life with my husband." "Is a good husband too much to ask for?" "Our lives can't be all that bad if all we can complain about is our husbands working too hard." "You see, when there's not another woman, we see their job as our rival." "We also work, but with moderation." "Moderation is our choice, whereas they can't help it." "For them, not working is like not breathing: impossible!" "I never asked my husband to stop." "Of course not." "How could you?" "The world would simply stop." "But we put the brakes on." "My sister keeps encouraging her lazy husband to work." "There are exceptions." "Don't you think there should be a happy balance?" "Ideally, yes." "But that doesn't exist." "Bring us some wine." "Coming." "It'd be stupid of us to ruin our lives for an ideal." "But mum's the word." "They don't need to know." "But how can I put up with a husband who's never there?" "They're never totally absent." "He makes you a married woman." "That's what matters." "At my age, you understand that." "How long have you been married?" "Fifteen years." "Do you have children?" "Yes, a son." "It was his birthday last week." "He didn't even bother to call him." "I don't believe it." "It's true." "All he cares about is himself and his job." "And his friends?" "And his friends, of course." "And his mistresses?" "That, I don't know." "That's why you're wondering who's calling him on Sunday, right?" "I'm just looking at him." "But with suspicion." "Whereas I admire him." "May I know why?" "Sure." "On Sunday mornings, what do most men do?" "They sleep in." "He doesn't." "He takes you out for a coffee, he tells you stories with a lot of pleasure." "He looks like he's still courting you." "Tell me about it!" "If only he'd shaved, he'd be perfect." "My husband shaves every other day." "Even our wedding day was a no-shave day." "Now, you're used to it." "On our wedding day, my uncle asked me why he hadn't shaved." "I said I didn't know." "So he asked him:" ""Couldn't you have shaved this once?"" "Know what he replied?" "He calmly stroked his beard and said:" ""Yes, but I only shave every other day."" "I'm so sorry about that." "It's cold." "I'll change it." " Your coffee's cold." "You want it changed?" " Yes." "How strange you don't speak Italian after five years here with your family." "She mistook you for my husband, I didn't correct her." "Oh really?" "Obviously we make a good couple." "What do you think?" "What was she saying?" "She's surprised you don't speak Italian... when your wife and son live here." "It's not entirely my fault." "They taught me French at school." " And what would you like me to say next?" " She's asking you, not me." "My family live their lives and I live mine." "They speak their languages and I speak mine." " That makes sense, doesn't it?" " It makes a lot of sense." "A lot of sense." "No." "We have one at home." "It's Sunday." "They're closed." "Look, and you'll find it." "We have one at home." "You'll find it." "Look for it!" "No." "Don't bother the neighbour." "Go upstairs, in my office." "I'll hold on, go." "Congratulations for you." "Great wisdom." ""My family lives their own lives and I live mine."" "What kind of philosophy is that?" "Bullshit." "Get real, listen to what he's doing to me." "Talk to him." "Maybe you'll do better than me." "There's nothing wrong with what I said." "It's obvious." "Ultimately, people must live their lives for themselves." "You might be living your life, he might be living his own life." "But you're both ruining mine." "Are you facing the desk?" "Pull out the drawer." "The middle one." "It's the third from the left." "There." "Open..." "You idiot!" "Pull it right out!" "If I come home and find it, I'll kill you." "Of course our presence can give comfort and pleasure..." "No!" "In the back!" "You can't miss it!" "Of course our presence can give comfort and pleasure to those around us." "Look who's talking about presence?" "When was the last time the three of us had breakfast together?" "When?" "When?" "Can you see it?" "In the back." "Can you remember?" "I certainly can't remember the last time you came out to breakfast in a good mood." "Right!" "You found it." "Now, go and do your homework." "Stop bothering me." "Don't call." "Don't call Marie either." "I don't know." "I'll see." "Do your homework." "Go, go!" "Idiot!" "The spitting image of his father." "Stubborn as a mule!" "There's always a way with kids." "Well, I can't find it." "And you're never there." "One must be tough, so the other can be loving." "Good cop, bad cop." "When you play both roles, it's unbearable." "Am I supposed to play bad cop?" "No need to play, darling." "That woman was saying even a bad husband is worth being married to." "But even as a bad husband, you should be around." "It's not really fair of you to give me this role of absent parent." "Besides there's about to be certain times... when one parent or the other has to be away for whatever reason... and you can't blame me for that." "Of course not." "But you said "sometimes"." "And in your case, it's constant." "When have you been here, when?" ""Mon chérie."" "So you're saying I've never been there." "It's here." "They want to take a photo with us." "I said we got married here 15 years ago and it's our anniversary." "No, thanks." "They really want this photo." "Come on." "They asked if we were happy, I said very much so." "Please..." "Don't embarrass me." "Sir..." "Come and take a photo with us." "Sorry, no." "My wife and I would be very happy." "I'm sorry, but..." "As you wish." "Thanks." "Hurry up." "We've been waiting for ages." "We'll be done in a minute." "Excuse me..." "Can you come take a photo with us?" "I beg you." "It's my wedding day." "You can't say no." "Sir, please, you can't refuse!" "Thank you." "What you said was beautiful." "But why did it have to sound so ironic?" "Sorry." "I didn't mean to sound cynical." "It's just that..." "When I looked at their faces, and I saw the hopes and dreams in their eyes," "I just couldn't bring myself to support their illusion." "A sweet illusion." "Might be sweet but it won't last long." "The sweeter it is at the start, the more bitter, the taste of reality later." " We've both been through this." " It sounds sad." "No, it's not sad, it's just the way it is." "I wish I could tell that couple not to cling to the branches of that absurd marriage tree, nor to their promises." "The only thing that will keep their marriage alive is care, care and awareness." " Awareness of what?" " That things change." "Everything changes." "And promises won't stop that." "You don't expect a tree to promise to... keep its blossom after spring is over because blossom turns to fruit." "And then the tree loses its fruit." " And then?" " And then..." " "The Garden of Leaflessness."" " Garden of leaflessness?" "It's a Persian poem." ""The Garden of Leaflessness"" ""Who dares say that it is not beautiful?"" "You remind me of your son." "I like it." "What do you like about it?" "I don't see why I have to try and convince you." "I wonder how you can convince yourself." "You're a real art expert, aren't you?" "I don't see it as a work of art." "I like its subject." "Its subject?" "I like the way she rests her head on his shoulder." "I can't believe you're so... sentimental." "I can't believe you're so... irresponsible." "Irresponsible?" "Me?" "This guy has nothing to do, but to protect this woman!" "That's why he was immortalised." "Immortalised?" "You can't be immortalised for that." "It's ridiculous!" "Nonsense!" "I don't feel like sharing this discussion." "Sharing?" "Do you know what that means?" "What do you know about sharing?" "Let's go." "This is too much." "You're right." "I don't share your opinion." "All you see is a woman resting her head on the shoulder... of that monster!" "Honestly, I feel sorry for you." "You feel sorry for me?" "It's because he protects her that he's become eternal." "I know what I'm saying." "You just don't want to answer." "I don't need to answer." "It's stupid." "Then your book is stupid too!" "I thought what mattered wasn't the work, but how we look at it." "I thought your approach was subjective, personal, creative, inventive..." "But now, what matters?" "The technical skill?" "The artist's reputation?" "How we see it no longer matters?" "Answer!" "I don't want to." "What you're saying makes me hate everything:" "art, originals, copies, this statue, you, everything!" "I know you hate me." "There's nothing I can do about that." "At least, try to be a little consistent." "What do you mean?" "Want me to remind you of your book?" "It's my right as a reader." "Let's go closer to the statue." "You'll tell me about its worth." "I've nothing to say about its worth!" "It was you who called it an eternal masterpiece!" "Yes, and I'll show you why." "Come." "Let's go ask people." "Let's ask those people there." "All you can do is wait." "You hear me?" "Wait!" "You can't make this decision on your own." "It's impossible." "You have no right." "Have you thought about me in all of this?" "You just wait." "Don't make me angry, please." "We'll have to talk this over." "You'll admit that you were wrong." "You're wrong." "Hello?" "I can't hear you." "Wait, I'll move a bit." "Yes, I can hear you now." "Tell her we'll call from the hotel." "We'll call you tonight from the hotel." "Okay?" "Give Anna a hug." "Yes." "Bye." "Nice to meet you." "I'd like you to share your views with James." "Please, go ahead." "As I said, he's an expert in cultural heritage, mostly in the psychological impact of art on the public." "So, if you can say what you..." "Of course, this is not our first trip." "It's our fourth... fifth time in Italy." "We come essentially to admire the art." "After all, Italy is one big open air museum." "You know that a quarter of the world's heritage... the world's art heritage is here in Italy." "My husband knows that." "What he wants is for you to..." "What you said back there was perfect." "About the power..." "Yes..." "I feel this statue... or, the artist, via the statue, has tried to show us the sheer power of a man, hewn out of a single block of stone." "Or maybe several, I don't know." "I can't see very well." "Let's go closer." "We're fine here." "Can't you just repeat what you said?" "It was nice." "Remember, you said what touched you in this sculpture was the serenity on the woman's face, as she rests on his shoulder." "You said she gave the impression of having someone to rely on, of not being alone." "Yes but that was the lady's impression." "Yet you agreed." "That impression is quite right but... how can I say..." "Sorry, I forgot your last name." "James...?" "James is fine." "I'd like to tell you something." "Obviously, you are a knowledgeable man." "But you could be my son." "That's why I'd like to give you a piece of fatherly advice." "May I?" "I'm listening." "First, a question." "I'd be curious to know..." "Let's get straight to the point." "I think all she wants from you is that you walk beside her and lay your hand on her shoulder." "That's all she's longing for." "But for her, it's vital." "I don't know what happened between you and I don't want to." "It's none of my business." "But all your problems can be solved by a simple gesture." "Do it and set yourself free." "Don't make things even harder." "Thanks for your advice." "But we must go and get something to eat." "A restaurant?" "There's a good one just here." "I highly recommend it." "Let's go." "Very pleased to meet you." "Have a good evening." "Good bye." "Enjoy your meal." "Thank you very much." "Are you hungry?" "Starving." "But it's too late for lunch." "And too early for dinner." "There's nobody." "Just a second." "Just a moment, I'm coming." "Please." "Thank you." "Good evening." "Red wine?" "A bottle of red wine, please." "Straight away." "What kind of red wine?" "A good one." "They're all good." "Are the wines good here?" "Not as good as ours but better than yours." "Very kind of you." "It's a joke." "Red, straight away." "What's up?" "Why did we come here?" "What's wrong?" "Taste." "You'll see." "What?" "It's corky." "Corked!" "Don't get upset." "We'll change it." "We'll ask the waiter..." "No big deal." "Yeah I've already tried to change it." "He wouldn't listen to me, and now he's ignoring me completely." "So, what's this ridiculous ritual for anyway?" "Why do they bother to ask us to taste the wine?" "It's a convention." "You taste it and you say it's good." "Then the convention is stupid." "They pour a little bit of wine, you're meant to... swirl it around and smell it and taste it and look into the corner of the ceiling... and say "Oh perfect."" "But if it's bad, you've got to say so." "You can't expect a fantastic wine list in a remote Tuscan trattoria." "And to be honest," "I don't find it that bad." "Oh, you like it?" "How could I forget, the French know everything about wine and restaurants, right?" "You like it, you drink it!" "Are you out of your mind?" "Why are you doing this?" "Can't you just enjoy what you have instead of moaning?" "Can't you just be here for a change?" "Look around you." "Be here!" "I can't believe you said that." "Coming from you." "Look, it's the same couple." "What a dream place." "Look how sweet they are." "Two lovebirds." "Look at your wife who's made herself pretty for you." "Open your eyes." "This is just not the moment." "It is five o'clock." "I'm hungry, I need a drink." "So, when is the moment?" "It wasn't last night either." "When is the right moment?" "Last night?" "It was our..." "For once, you didn't forget our anniversary." "You came back after a fortnight away, presumably for work." "When I came out of the bathroom, you were fast asleep, snoring." "I tried to move your pillow to see if you'd react." "You barely stirred." "You glanced at me and straight back to sleep!" "So, please tell me when is the right moment?" "Look, darling ..." "I was tired." "Why couldn't you just think," ""My poor husband is so exhausted he's fallen asleep."" "Of all the nerve!" "My poor husband?" "What?" "He's so exhausted that he's fallen asleep?" "I'm tired too!" "Just say you don't love me anymore!" "Oh, that's an absurd interpretation." "Look, it's just not reasonable to expect us to feel the same way that married couple do." "Not after 15 years." "Things have changed." "Of course things have changed, but not as ridiculously as you make out." "Look, love's still there, it just shows itself in different ways now." "And you got to come to term with that." "Why can't you understand it?" "I really don't like having to explain the obvious to you." "You are not convinced." "If you don't even try to see things from my point of view, then what's the point?" "I'll just leave you with your new friends." " Feeling better?" " Fine, thank you." "Look, there's something I want to talk to you about." "Sure." "What?" "That is if I'm not obstructing your view." "Would you like me to move." "I can move." "No, you're fine." "I had enough time to look at them." " I've had plenty time to think." " About what?" "I have a question to ask you." "If you wouldn't mind listening?" "Simple question, simple answer." "Go ahead." "Ask your question." "I'm yours." "Do you remember you told me about that time... you were driving back from Rome to Florence?" "Of course I do." "I did that... a thousand times." "I was always the one who..." "It was about five years ago, it was during the night." "Our son was sleeping in the backseat." "Remember now?" "That's right." "Always on my own, driving back every Sunday..." "It was dark and you told me that... you felt these hands come from behind... and cover your eyes." "And a voice says: "Guess who."" "So, what am I supposed to remember?" "There was nobody else in the car." "The boy was asleep on the backseat." "Cut to the chase." "You'd fallen asleep." "You'd fallen asleep at the wheel going down the motorway." " So I have a simple question for you." " Yes, simple answer." "Why did you fall asleep?" " I was tired." " Alright, no silly excuses." "Just tell me, did you fall asleep because you stopped loving our son?" "Did you stop loving him?" "Did you stop loving me?" "Simple question." "Why did you fall asleep?" "I dozed off, I didn't sleep." "Oh you dozed off, of course." "Fine." " I dozed off last night, alright?" " Sure." "So if I said I wasn't sleeping, I was dozing, that's alright?" "No, you were sleeping." "Sleeping or dozing." "What's the difference?" "The important thing is, I was in bed, you were in a car going at 100 km/h." "That's the important difference." "But that's totally different." "You can't compare." "We're talking about our fifteenth wedding anniversary." "That's quite a symbol, 15 years of marriage!" "It's our anniversary and all you do is snore!" "I do not snore." " Shame on you." " You took so long in the bath, of course I fell asleep." "Are you kidding?" "I was getting ready!" "Making myself pretty for you!" "You can't blame me for that!" "It takes time to get ready!" " Alright that's enough." " You should know that after 15 years!" "We're back where we started." "Please be quiet!" "We're back where we started." "You're not listening to a word I'm saying." "Alright." "I apologise." "I apologise for last night." "I apologise for five years ago, I apologise the restaurant, for the waiter, for the wine." "I apologise for the last 15 years, and I..." "I apologise for my existence." "Coming." "Congratulations." "I can't open." "Congratulations." "Take care." "Bye." "Does it hurt?" "I'm okay." "I shouldn't have worn these shoes." "Nothing's changed here." "But you..." "You've changed." "Have I?" "I don't think you used to go to church." "I wanted to take off my bra." "But I saw you praying, right?" "You were praying." "I just needed to be on my own." "You did that in a church." "Why?" "I couldn't breathe anymore." "I felt oppressed." "The proof." "I can show you the mark, if you want." "I'm sorry." "Really sorry." "You didn't see I removed my lipstick either." " You didn't see." " Yes, I did." "Not even that I put it on, nor my earrings." "The problem is, you don't see me." "Whereas I noticed immediately you'd changed your perfume." "You could have shaved for me today, for our anniversary." "It's a habit." "I only shave every other day." "I know." "Remember the hotel where we spent our wedding night?" "Was it near here?" "Look around, you'll find it." "This one." "No." "Keep looking." "Good evening." "Excuse me..." "My husband and I spent our wedding night here 15 years ago, in room 9." "We were wondering if we could have a look at it, if it's free." "We wanted to remember the good old days." "Room 9." "Third floor." "Turn off the light." "Turn it off, please." "Look out the window." "You'll see." "Look to the left." "See?" "Remember?" "No." "You don't remember?" "Don't you remember anything?" "I can't believe you've forgotten." "Come have a look from here, then." "Come on." "Look." "See?" "You remember?" "On your right, look." "You see?" "You know I have a bad memory." "It's not fair to test me like this." "Lying here," "I remember everything." "You slept on this side, remember?" "The pillow still smells of you." "I remember every detail..." "Like what?" "You want me to tell you?" "No." "I can tell you if you want." "You see, nothing has changed." "You haven't changed." "You're just like you were." "Just as gentle, as attractive," "as cold." "I know it's to protect yourself, but just as cold." "That's not true." "What's not true?" "Have I changed?" "You're even more beautiful." "And more stupid?" "I never said that." "You see... if we were a bit more tolerant of each other's weaknesses," "we'd be less alone." "Don't you think?" "I know one can live alone, but..." "Did you see that couple next door?" "I envied them..." "That old couple." "Didn't you?" "Not so sure." "Stay with me." "Stay." "It's better." "Better for both of us." "For you and for me." "Give us that chance." "I told you." "I must be at the station by nine." "Yes, I know." "JJJ-James."