The Pianist's Choice (Le choix du pianiste)

THE PIANIST CHOICE

Freddy, play a little longer.

I need it tonight.

Why, man?

I buried my mother this morning.

Go to the piano.

Play something for her.

It'll do her good up there.

It's Chopin. He plays it well.

We want to dance.

Come on, come on.

You can't dance to that.

Come on, come on.

But sir.

Chopin here is a provocation?

Did you hear Freddy?

I wanted to please my mother.

You played with spirit.

You reminded me of...

François Touraine's play, before the war.

You are...

François Touraine, yes.

I saw you at Gavot.

Another one, but for the young lady.

- Is it whisky? - Don't worry.

The first person to import it to France was my father.

You think it was a good idea?

But of course it's a good idea.

I want to flood France with this beverage.

The party's to win over the buyers.

Come on, only serve whiskey.

You spread the word to your colleagues.

Finished with the champagne.

Whisky, whisky, whisky.

Follow me, ladies.

Here, put that there.

Flowers, put them over there.

Go and get me another bottle of whiskey.

What are you doing? We're not allowed to be here.

Ah, tell me,

the pianist you've hired isn't going to play only classical music.

- I'll go and see. - Thank you.

Miss, do you have any more lively music for the evening?

If it's Charleston that you want, I don't know

if your children will appreciate it.

What are they doing there?

They should be in bed.

They've been listening to me happily.

Here I am.

Don't look at me like that.

You know very well where I come from.

I can't sleep anymore.

And if you're unlucky enough to find that

you can no longer practice your art, play.

Play, even for yourself.

Well, tonight they let me play.

In memory of Mom.

You won't believe this.

Chopin.

Yes.

Our Chopin in a jazz club.

Do you think he would have liked it?

Someone recognized me. Her name is Annette.

She was studying musicology.

She wanted to know me.

How I lived through the war.

I told you I couldn't hold my liquor.

But then, whisky...

You'll have to tell your father.

No, no, it'll hurt his feelings.

- That's a good idea. - Be careful!

If you fall, I won't be able save you.

- But I can swim. - Really?

Good, I forgot.

One question.

That's all you have, questions?

Some questions.

- How do you go about... - Playing the piano?

You have to learn.

Come next to me.

What's your name?

François.

I waited until everyone to leave before...

Yes, I understand.

Here.

Put your hand there.

François.

That's the C.

Give it a try.

François, are you still there?

I thought you were asleep.

Excuse me, miss, but he's usually asleep by now.

Come on, I hope you didn't wake your sister.

Go upstairs to bed.

Were you teaching François to play?

Did he ask you?

How could he and his sister learn to play the piano?

Classes.

So, classes for both of us.

Can you start on Monday? That'd be great.

This piano will finally serve a purpose.

These years without working, being called a traitor.

Why didn't you fight back?

Why?

Maybe I was a little.

We're not a bit.

You're either a traitor or you're not.

Listen carefully.

You're going to tell me what I'm playing.

I'd say Chopin's Concerto Number Two.

Well done.

- You played it in the past. - Yes.

I always had it in my program.

For what reasons?

Just one more question! Come on.

- Farewell. - Touraine!

We didn't come to this dock by chance.

Looking for something here?

At this hour?

What can we hope to find here.

A soul?

You're too romantic.

Well, farewell.

Touraine.

Touraine!

I don't care if he can play the piano.

B, G, remains flexible.

He's not here to make music.

But you don't have the right, you're just selfish.

I didn't make children to become street performers.

At some point, that's enough.

I've just had a word with my wife.

Yes, you spoke very loudly and it disrupted the class.

Sometimes I raise my voice a bit to make myself understood.

She said our son would be musically gifted and that his lessons

- could last until the age of... - 18-20 years.

But why so much?

You don't want to make my son a pianist?

You don't learn accounting from Mozart and Chopin.

Mozart died broke, I believe.

Yes, but Mozart or Chopin allow us to develop

- a form of sensitivity. - Sensitivity?

Sensiblerie, yes!

How will he use this in business?

I'm planning for my son?

Because you see, my son is going to succeed me.

On the contrary, it has to leather up and toughen up.

And why?

But to face the competition.

I didn't study business and believe me, I missed it.

Did you really really miss it?

Your success proves otherwise.

That's kind of you.

But he will have the difficult task of leading our stores to excellence.

Sir, music is an uplifting medium.

Yes, allow me to prefer the elevation

provided by business schools.

I don't think you understand me.

- Music helps you become... - Nothing.

That's it.

That's just the way it is.

I don't mind Thérèse

continuing piano studies.

Which is perfectly normal, since she's a woman.

Exactly.

As for François, instead of his sensitivity,

we're going to teach him how to fight.

Nothing beats sport for that.

Sport, nothing but sport.

- But I love the piano. - You keep quiet.

When he's like that, you can't hold him back.

I agree that you should continue Therese's lessons.

The sound of the piano is very much at home in this house.

I don't think the neighbors like Chopin.

My interpretation, perhaps.

I'll tell them you taught me to play like that.

You know that Chopin can play at any time.

Did you follow me?

I thought croissants,

like before the war.

- Were your ration cards enough? - Not at all.

It's the local baker. He was delivering a hotel,

I convinced him that

he'd be better appreciated by a penniless student.

The baker has a heart.

It's hot.

This way, come in.

I made it stronger.

It'll do us good.

Real coffee?

- Yes, it's from the restaurant. - Which restaurant?

Where I work.

I play background piano at the Closerie des Lilas.

I'm lucky, they don't know who I am.

- Her name is Rachel. - Is she your teacher?

François, let's head to the club.

Put on your jacket.

It's fencing today.

Yes, yes, I think so.

What do you mean, you think? Come on, let's go.