Bonjour Tristesse

(Man): Are you dead?

From over there, you looked like something washed-up by the sea.

Cécile.

Cécile.

(Birds chirping, leaves rustling)

Cécile, play us a song.

And not one of those sad ones.

A real live tune.

- Whoo! - Oh!

Oh my God. OK.

All right. OK, OK.

Whoa!

Elsa? - Mm-hmm?

- Would you like me to read to you?

No? - Non. Merci.

Why not?

- It always sounds like a nice idea to be read to,

but it never really works, does it?

I don't know.

- The person reading aloud enjoys it more

than the person listening.

It's very awkward when a word is mispronounced.

It shouldn't be, but it is.

- Yeah, well, I love being read to.

- Yeah? - Mm-hmm.

Yeah.

- Are you really listening when you are being read to?

Of course I am. Well, I try.

It's not really about listening is it?

- Raymond, everything is about listening.

Ooh!

(Inhaling sharply, card flipping)

Hmm.

What are you guys up to?

We're playing solitaire.

- You're both playing solitaire?

Mm-hmm.

- We've always played solitaire together.

- And why don't you just play a two-player game?

Uh...

It sort of feels like we are.

I love this time of day.

There's so much possibility before lunch.

I feel like I could do anything.

Like cook dinner for 10 people.

- That sounds good. - Yeah?

Cécile... just toss it in.

Come on. You can do it.

- She's imagining what she looks like to us.

- What do you mean? - Well, as practice.

Practice for what?

- For when she wants to be seen.

- No, I'd rather not think of my daughter being looked at.

- No, I said seen, not looked at.

It's...

It's a feeling, Raymond.

It's like a power.

From across a room... - No!

- ... she will soon be able to decide...

- No, no, no. - ... yeah, who notices her.

- I don't want to know any of this.

Well, you wait.

- Hmm. - Mmm.

- When her mother died, she and I became close

in a manner I could never have predicted.

- How many years did you say? - Twelve now.

Yeah, or perhaps my understanding

of what closeness is changed.

Everything changed.

Suddenly, we knew nothing.

And then we became very good at knowing nothing.

We just spent time.

- You're both very good at spending time.

Hmm?

(Birds chirping, insects chirring)

- It's no longer going to be just the three of us.

Anne is coming.

- Anne? - Anne Larsen.

- The designer? - Mm-hmm.

She's an old friend. - Mmm.

Hmm. You never mentioned her.

No?

Anne has great taste.

She has always had a strong point of view.

- I bet none of the chairs in our home are comfortable.

Clothes this beautiful can only mean

she loves uncomfortable chairs.

How long is she staying?

- I can't wait to have old friends.

We had fun.

The three of us, we had such fun.

She rarely smiles in photos.

- Oh, Anne's never been quick to say or show

how she's feeling, that's for sure.

That's how people behave when they think

they have all the answers.

Maybe I'm being unfair.

I feel a little silly. I don't even know her.

when I talk about women I haven't met.

- Your mother was one of the few people

that seemed to bring out Anne's more... relaxed side.

They had their own secret language.

They would sneak away into another room

and they would talk for hours.

And I would find them lying on the bed of coats,

hiding from the other guests...

... impossibly absorbed in one another.

And I was...

: ... so jealous.

I'm not tired, but...

I feel like being in bed.

- Might be nice to have a forth person here.

- Mmm... - Hmm?

Don't you think?

What about Elsa?

Well, Elsa loves company.

You're being annoying.

Why are you upset?

- I'm surprised Anne even wanted to come.

When did you invite her?

We've been emailing a little.

You know, it's like that sometimes:

back and forth for an afternoon,

and then nothing for months.

You'll see when you're older, packing a small bag,

visiting an old friend by the sea is... spectacular.

Feels good to need very little...

and wake up somewhere else.

- Spectacular? - Mm-hmm.

That's a funny word.

Is it?

Are you nervous?

Nervous?

Why?

- For get it. - No, tell me.

I want to know.

Tell me.

Never mind.

Oh no...

: Have I totally ruined summer by inviting her?

Should we just pack up and go back to Paris?

Perhaps you're right. It was an awful idea.

It was terrible. We'll just run.

Just want to escape in the night like thieves?

- There's no use having a conversation with you.

My accomplice.

What would I do without you?

How many photos of the moon have you stored on that phone?