The Beautiful Ones

I spent my life traveling in one direction.

Driven by greed, narcissism, arrogance.

And a slight obsession with Steve McQueen.

You see I'm what I call a professional criminal.

But back in the day you'd have called me a gangster.

I was blood-tied to the second most...

...powerful crime family in Los Angeles.

Then, well, one decision changed it all.

See that girl?

That girl happens to be the daughter of the boss...

...of our bitter enemy, The Romanos.

But first, the most powerful crime family in California.

Talk about star-crossed lovers.

But right now, here...

We're about to cross that wonderful line in the sand.

That glorious mark of no return.

As Steve McQueen said...

I live for myself...

...and I answer to nobody.

In 1972 McQueen fell in love with his co-star in The Getaway.

And at that point she was married to studio chief Robert Evans.

When a divorce was mentioned,

Evans found incriminating information on McQueen...

...and the divorce was settled quickly.

To this day, the nature of that evidence is unknown.

I mean, what did those private investigators dig up...

...on McQueen that was so volatile?

I want you to think about that.

Because what's happening in here is private.

And I don't want you imagining...

...anything that's going on.

There's moments of calm that you remember.

Not the actual storm itself.

How quiet. How soulful.

How without pretense she is.

You think of all the magical things you want to say to her...

...and you go to speak and nothing comes out.

So you just smile.

She smiles back and it's all fine.

The girl's in the truck. Let's go.

I've known you since... For how long now?

Since before you were in the army, right?

Since you were a kid.

I'm your friend Carl.

I'm your people, Gabe.

Gabe, buddy.

It shouldn't be like this, man. It's undignified.

Man, I know what you're capable of.

No need to labor the point.

I heard about Sebastian.

You're famous, man.

Yeah. Big man on campus, huh, Gabe?

Just tell him what you heard, Carl.

What I heard...

Oh, well...

I heard that Sebastian was into Caterina for, like, ten large.

What you did to that poor man...

And how you left him.

It's the stuff of legend, Gabriel.

It really is.

But if you've got a heart...

I was hoping I could reach you with my observation.

And I now fully appreciate my position here, so...

I am happy to pay, Gabe.

But I need it to be known...

That it wasn't without resistance.

That you broke me, okay?

It's all here. Every bit of it.

He's good.

I'm good.

I don't think you're as bad as your reputation, Gabe!

But I'm happy to let that be.

Glasses like this were made to hide some awful pain.

They were designed to disguise some deep psychological trauma.

I feel like Peggy Cummings in Gun Crazy.

About to embark on an interstate robbery spree.

You want some of me, Copper?

You'll never take me alive.

That's fifteen for the wing tips...

...and six hundred and fifty for the Presols.

Six hundred and fifty for a pair of second hand shades, Gabe?

Six fifty and tax.

They're worth every penny.

714 Persol, folding sunglasses.

Blue glass anti-glare lens.

And the handmade Italian leather case.

Steve McQueen owned a pair.

Yes, he did.

- Keep the change. - Thank you.

He also wore M43 rough outs in the Great Escape.

Fashionably tapered white chinos.

A button up woolen cardigan over a sport shirt.

It's not that I don't have my own sense of style.

It just seems that my life is that much easier...

...dressed like the man.

You ready, blondie?

Now remember, you can't smile wearing these glasses.

No. Of course not.

And it's absolutely essential that...

...we wear them inside in the darkened hallways...

...of a shady apartment building somewhere.

But that will all change when we get the package.

- Is that right? - Mm-hmm.

From who? The big fat scary man?

You bought those shades because...

...Steve McQueen wore the same make, didn't you?

Why does it always have to be Steve McQueen?

Don't you think it's a little...

- A little weird? - What is?

How obsessed you are over some actor.

I mean I can only name maybe one of his movies.

Have you seen Papillon?

Sounds riveting.

See, that comment right there just killed...

...any chance of a long-term commitment from me.

So when I take her home and I tell her I'm going to call her,

I won't.

And that will be the end of that.

You ready?

Thank you.

For the drive...

The glasses.

Gabriel, I'll call you.

She used to walk around my apartment...

...in these black stockings.

Just those and a T-shirt.

Oh my God, those legs.

I'd watch her make coffee just pretending to be asleep.

Just watch her march,

doing that tip toe walk that girls do in their socks.

You see how white her skin is?

That juxtaposition of white against black on her thigh.

You want to put your mouth there.

Like a baby on a milk bottle.

Do I respect her?

Yeah, of course.

But if it came down to keeping or discarding her...

That wonderful thigh swinging bounce...

Farewell, my love.

Farewell.

There she is.

When McQueen met McGraw in The Getaway...

...he said she was the kind of woman you would cheat...

...and then kill for.

I ask myself that question every time I see a woman I like.

It just kills me. I should stay but...

My family... You don't want to be early.

And I sure as hell don't want to be late.

See, my family, they're dangerous people.

And they expect punctuality from their employees.

And as such they demand that the family set a rigid example.

So I work for my aunt Caterina.

And presently that means that I run with the enforcers.

See she put me on this detail because she figured...

...it was a good way to get me back into the game.

Knock away any aspirations I may have picked up...

...while in the Middle East.

My delightful companions for the afternoon.

Listen, if you're looking to correct...

...the imbalance of justice in the world...

...then this is not your line of work.

Because like the man said...

Justice is for one and all...

The same way the Ritz Hotel is.

We don't want to be here just as much as you don't want us here.

All right? But Caterina has got a reputation to uphold.

And if you fail to acknowledge that...

...then where does that leave us, huh?

So, listen to me, brother.

Before this goes any further, tell me...

Are you going to pay or not...

...because I've got some decisions to make.

- Yeah. - You sure?

It's in the dresser.

Top drawer. Grocery bag.

You all right?

You all right?

That wasn't so hard now, was it?

Looking a little pale there, Gabriel.

It's been awhile, Casper.

I heard you were playing castrati in a quartet...

...for the Aryan Brotherhood. How's your singing voice, champ?

That's very funny.

Now don't trip over yourself when you see what I've got for you.

A little present from up north.

Like them apples, twinkle toes?

Real elephant ivory grips.

I had them fashion me a type and match.

You're pretty tough with the steel...

...for a mealy-mouthed faggot.

You want to see what you are without it, huh?

Big man, thinks his war record is something special,

but what does it mean?

I'll tell you what...

Some phony medals and a hillbilly heroin habit.

I know you better than you think. Don't forget that.

Now while you were away...

Learning to polish your boots...

I was learning the ropes.

Tony's been grooming me.