My Brilliant Friend (L'amica geniale)

He's always hungry. Always.

I don't have enough milk.

Sit down, keep me company.

Thank you for the blanket, you shouldn't have.

- It's beautiful. - It's my pleasure.

- Tell me something. - What can I tell you?

I don't see anybody.

I study all day and when I have time I tutor.

You're right to study.

Don't ever get married, but above all don't have kids.

- What do you mean? - You might get one as ugly as this.

- Why do you say that? He's beautiful! - No, he's ugly.

He's uglier than Rino.

Everyone's ugly in that family.

Hi, Pinù.

Lenù, what a nice surprise.

- Good evening, Signora Maria. - Good evening.

There's heaps of people downstairs.

Come see.

Come.

- What are they doing? - St Anthony's bonfire.

The fire takes away ailments and the evil eye.

Look.

So many kids.

Let's close it. It's cold.

Are you still working in the grocery store?

- Your friend left... - Forget about it.

- She's not working there? - Don't you know?

Lila decided to work in the shoe store.

No, I didn't know.

I thought she didn't care about the shoes.

My poor son, he only ever does what she wants.

She raised hell to get herself in there,

she goes to work done up like a TV showgirl.

She spent a fortune refitting the shop.

She bought paintings and has put books on the shelves.

Books?

The Solaras have taken Cerullo shoe styles

and are producing them in a factory on the outskirts.

Rino and Stefano protested, but the Solaras don't give a shit.

You know what Lila had the nerve to say? Tell her.

"You gave those shoes to them,

you had dealings with the Solaras.

If you're a pair of jerks, what can I do?"

Now Stefano is afraid Lila will make new styles for the Solaras.

- She won't. - Have you spoken to her?

No, I haven't seen her since Ischia.

She'd never do it, I know her.

If something catches her attention, she gets caught up,

but then she loses interest.

See? It's all right. If Lenuccia says so...

I've got to go.

Come on, stay a while longer, please.

I'll come back some other time. Goodbye.

Goodbye.

If you like, come back and visit me again.

I never go out.

Bye.

We need big logs.

Go and get big logs, put these on the ground.

Big logs, now!

Give me that box.

- Hi, Lenù. - Hi, Enzo.

Carmela, Enzo's back?

He's only got two days' leave, but he finishes in two months.

Ada!

You open up tomorrow, I'll be in later.

Don't forget, the supplier's coming.

Don't worry.

See you tomorrow.

Stefano's always sad and pissed off because of your friend.

See what she's done to him?

Pinuccia mentioned something.

Yes?

Did she tell you how Michele drives her home in his car?

- Everyone's seen her. - With Michele?

Antonio!

What are you doing just standing there? Come and help us.

- Is Antonio back, too? - Yes.

And you didn't tell me?

- I never see you. - I have to study a lot.

He's been discharged, they say he had a breakdown.

He doesn't sleep at night and he can't find peace.

I wondered what I had to do with these shabby stories,

with the Solaras' petty vendetta,

with this anxiety over money.

And how could Lila, after Ischia, after Nino,

go back to dealing with those camorrists?

Hi, Antonio.

Hi, Lenù.

How are you?

Pasquale's right,

there's nothing here.

What do you mean?

Work.

And if I don't get better, I can't work.

What happened to you?

I got scared.

- Scared? - One night.

On guard duty, to pass the time,

I started thinking about a game I played with my father.

He drew eyes on his fingers, then a mouth,

and moved them like puppets.

I don't know how, but all at once...

I felt that those puppets had entered my hand

and were moving all by themselves.

And then they spoke to me.

I tried to make them stop, but they wouldn't.

So I bashed my hand against the sentry box,

so hard... it bled.

I'm still afraid, Lenù.

I'm afraid it'll start up again any minute.

Can I help you?

Come, let's go see.

Throw it in!

Pasquale, you had a great idea this year.

Be careful, kids!

Carmela, go and call Mamma, tell her to come down.

Throw it in!

St Anthony, St Anthony Take the old and give us the new

St Anthony, St Anthony Take the old and give us the new...

Antonio, what's going on?

I don't know.

Pasquale, see Carmela?

What's going on?

Run, Mamma's locked herself in and won't answer!

Mamma, don't you feel well?

Mamma, open the door!

Answer me!

Speak!

Help!

- What happened? - Something terrible!

Call for help!

Help! Call someone!

Pasquale...

See that, Lenù?

She has nail polish

on only one foot.

Mamma, talk to me!

That day I promised myself I'd get my diploma,

I'd apply for a job

and get as far away as possible from all that disgusting mess.

You write very well.

Do you really believe that nothing

is destined to last, not even poetry?

Leopardi thinks that.

Are you sure?

But the lava also burns the broom.

And the day the sun cools, everything will die.

Even poetry and poets.

And if you had to talk about beauty starting from Leopardi?

Beauty is deceit.

Like the Leopardian garden?

I don't know about the garden,

but like the sea on a calm day,

like the sky at night.

It's face powder applied over horror.

If we remove it, we are left alone with our fear.

Greco!

The teacher wants to talk to you.

I hope you wish to keep studying.

You could try for the Normale, the university in Pisa, do you know it?

- No. - It's a very important university.

If you passed the admissions exam,

it would be free, even board and lodging.

Think it over. If you're interested, come back tomorrow.

I'll give you all the information.

- I'll go back up. - Be right there.

It's a huge opportunity, promise you'll think about it.

I'm not good enough.

You have to do an exam like this one, why not try?

- I had too many uncertainties. - What uncertainties?

You did well.

I have to talk to you.

Do you have any news of Sarratore?

Tell me the truth.

It's the truth.

I haven't heard from him, nor has my daughter.

I haven't seen him for months.

- Did he drop you, too? - Me?

Nadia's convinced he left her for you.

There's never been anything between us.

Better that way.

- Tell Nadia I had nothing to do with it. - Of course.

He broke up with Nadia in a very unpleasant way.

He sent her a few lines, she suffered horribly.

Never mind, you're young, sorrow helps one grow.

Good luck, Elena.

I'll go up, I'm needed for the exams.

Thank you, miss.

After the exam, I treated myself to a stroll around Naples.

During winter, I often thought of the previous summer,

when Lila, Nino and I were a happy trio.

What happened after that?

She didn't contact me, nor did he.

But why should I worry about them when they didn't care about me?

As I was lost in these thoughts,

I realized, too late,

that I had ended up in Piazza dei Martiri.

I didn't know anything about Lila's new habits.