The Game of Truth (Le jeu de la vérité)

The Game of Truth

''The end of everything''

Next.

-Your name? -Étienne Bribant.

-Age? -35.

-Address? -63, Boulevard Argengon, Neuilly.

-Occupation? -Company Director.

O.K. Next!

Frangoise Bribant, 22 years old. I'm his wife.

-No occupation, naturally. -That's right, no occupation.

Next!

Jacques Bertrand Falaise, 34 years.

18, Quai des grands-Augustins, explorer and lecturer.

-Next! -Giséle Palert.

-Profession? -Dancer.

-Address? -18, Quai des grands Augustins.

-Same address as the explorer? -Of course. We're engaged.

I see. Next!

Guillaume Geder, 35 years old.

45, Avenue Henri Martin. Industrialist.

Florence Geder, née Aubry, 25 years old. Managing director.

Same address as my husband.

-Same company? -Obviously.

Guylaine de Fleury, Hotel de Fleury. Place des Vosges.

-Occupation? -None.

Guy de Fleury, 25 years old. Same address.

-Are you her husband? -No, her brother.

-No occupation either? -No.

Solange Vérate, wife of the novelist Jean-Frangois Vérate.

-And you live...? -Here. For part of the year.

Thank you.

-Jean-Frangois Vérate, 45 years old. -The great novelist?

Let's just say the writer.

And you're the master of the house? I'm listening.

My wife and I had invited some friends over, as we often do.

A very simple evening, just close friends.

We had given the servants the evening off.

It must have been about 10 o'clock

when I sat down at the organ.

My guests had insisted and I didn't dare refuse.

The weather was terrible.

Believe me, my dear Bribant, plastic is the future.

It's becoming an obsession with you.

Everything is plastic: phones, cars, planes even ships...

When I hear the organ, I feel as if I'm in church.

-Do you believe in God, Florence? -In God? I don't know anymore.

-And yet you were... -I know, close to death.

Perhaps that's why I don't believe anymore.

It's too ... obvious!

-What? -That you're in love with Frangoise.

-In love! You're crazy! -Oh please, you're with me!

Save your protests of innocence for the husband.

You can't hide anything from your little sister.

The bastard! Look at this dedication.

''To dear Bertrand Falaise who often travels such a long way

in order to convince himself he's finally arrived '' -- it's nice.

Well anyway, I don't want him as a witness at our wedding anymore.

He's not your witness but mine. Do you love me?

Of course he does. He's told you 1 1 times in the last little while.

-Will it be much longer? -It's the end.

-It's marvellous, don't you think? -Oh yes, I loved it...

And yet, I know nothing about music.

That's why you loved it!

Guylaine, my dear, please don't start!

I think we can say that our host plays better than he writes.

What I appreciated was the end of it. I swear!

Either you're a complete idiot or a vile flatterer.

-I stopped well before the end. -We would never have thought so.

I was coming up to a tricky part for the left hand.

After all I'm just an amateur.

I can't let you get away with that. You moved me deeply!

Not to the point of interrupting your business conversations.

Darling!

The annoying thing about improvisations is that

you never know when they're going to finish.

The funny thing is, that he wasn't improvising.

You've already let me dance to one of your poems.

When will I be able to dance to your music?

-Darling, please! -I'm sorry, it's not mine!

Good heavens, who would have thought it!

That's a shame, isn't it, darling?

You played us the Toccata and Fugue in D minor

of Johann Sebastian Bach, didn't you?

-Well done! Who told you? -Your wife, just before dinner.

He's honest, isn't he darling? A little sharp, but honest.

Tactless most of all!

Tell me, Geder, how come you haven't yet thought of

making organs out of plastic?

Perhaps he doesn't like the organ after all!

If you announced an organ recital given by Jean-Frangois Vérate,

they would have to turn people away from the Salle Pleyel.

Since his last expedition, the Salle Pleyel has been exclusively reserved

for lectures by our friend, Bernard Falaise.

Oh please Vérate, let's not exaggerate!

And to think that I have never been able to hear you.

I wonder what you can tell them after so long in Matto Grosso.

A lot of horror stories about the sexual behaviour of savages.

-But that's very interesting! -It's horrible.

Just thinking about it makes me feel ill. Not you?

My dear Bribant, your wife is charming.

-It's amazing how young you are. -And so pure.

-Is that a reproach? -On the contrary.

I was joking.

You would make a great victim. I know someone who will love it.

Do you mean Porkran?

Solange, don't tell us that you're expecting Porkran?

I am, my dear Florence. In fact he should already be here.

Could one say that bothered you?

I'm sorry but I just can't get used to that lout.

If you had said that Porkran was coming, I would never have come.

Me neither. I can't stand him.

Why is that, you don't find him respectable?

Respectable! Quite simply hateful.

I'm surprised. How could you have invited him?

My dear Florence. You don't invite Porkran, he forces himself on you.

We're delighted to be subjected to him.

Guylaine is right. You're all unfair. I find him very amusing.

That's not true Solange. You don't believe a word of it.

With him around you, you never get bored.

-It'll be a change from the organ. -Give me a scotch.

I hope you don't intend to play in front of Porkran.

Don't worry. It's over for this evening.

So much the better. That way he can only attack your latest novel.

-I'm used to it. -I thought I was doing you a favour.

-It's a joke! -No, not at all.

And especially because it seems that he has a surprise for us.

Good heavens, I've got the feeling that he'll be ruining your evening!

-What surprise! -If we knew, it wouldn't be a one.

But rest assured that it will undoubtedly be unpleasant.

How do you know?

It's very important for Porkran to maintain his reputation.

He's the most offensive creature I know.

Yes, well I think we would do better to leave now.

My husband says 10,000 workers could make a living on what he has.

Absolutely. I hate the idle rich, especially those as rich as he...

...I hope he'll turn up impeccably dressed.

He doesn't need that.

He is so poisonous that if he was bitten by a snake...

What do you think would happen, it would be the snake that would die?

Good evening. Not very original, my dear Florence.

But thank you anyway. No compliment has ever pleased me more.

You're listening at doors these days?

I didn't dare interrupt you.

-Porkran, you're the very devil. -You're too kind. I do what I can!

Oh the wonderful little person you have brought with you!

I knew you'd appreciate her, being a connoisseur of porcelain.

She's quite heartbreaking. Was that your surprise?

No, this adorable little face is just here as a tasty tidbit.

No, the surprise I've got for you is a real bombshell.

-A bombshell! -A bombshell.

Don't you know what that is? You, our plastics expert?

-You're going to blow yourself up? -Not me. You.

-That would have been too perfect. -But a lot less amusing.

-I like others living dangerously. -If you're lighting the fuse.

What I like about you, is that you have remained so sharp.

Nothing escapes you, you always see everything.

Well Solange, where's the caviar? I'm dying of hunger.

Oh, I'm sorry, Porkran. You create such an atmosphere

that I'm forgetting my most elementary duties.

Luckily our friend doesn't let us forget anything.

Particularly when he's right here. And moreover, I'm late.

But what do you want? You only come across bombshells

at the very last minute.

You too? I didn't know you were a connoisseur in porcelain.

The young lady is undoubtedly Japanese?

No? From Indochina then?

I think our mother was from there.

As for our father... you know how it is!

Yes, so many people have been through Indochina these last few years.

In any case, she's young, fresh, troubling.

Only thing lacking is speech!

Very fortunately, she doesn't speak, at least not our language.

Then how did you persuade her to accompany you?

She knows how to recognize other people's money,

preferably in large amounts.

-Oh I see, she's a pro... -No obscenities, Florence!

-I'm sorry, I'm sorry, my dears! -You'll make Frangoise blush.

We don't want her to think badly of us.

I see that the master has found inspiration again.

-How can you see that? -The caviar.

You've changed your supplier since ''The End of Everything''.

You'll notice that she eats too, but only on command.

She didn't know how to use her pretty little fingers

for the trivial circumstances of everyday life. Who knows?

Perhaps she eats with her feet- let's take off her shoes.

Porkran!

Does brutality towards simple people repulse you?

Why do you think she's so simple? She could be a maths teacher.

You picked on the one thing that could spoil my pleasure.

The gentleman doesn't like intellectual women?

You're well placed to know that, dear heart!

And you, Jean-Frangois, was it to please intellectual women

that you have called your book...

Well, now we're quite satisfied... but a word of advice.

Keep enough supplies on hand for later.

-Explosions make you hungry. -Still going on about your bombshell?

Well, you're really not on form this evening. You're repeating yourself.

-If only it was a real one! -Are you kidding!

We know how Porkran works. It's never worth much.

That's what you say! The one I'm carrying cost me a whole lot.