Postcards from London

Titian was born in 1488

and died in 1576, living well into his eighties.

He was the undisputed master

of Venetian painting for 60 years.

And his contemporaries alluded to him

as the sun amidst the stars,

which is the final line in Dante's Paradiso.

You can see how beautifully he uses and applies colour,

a characteristic of his work,

which held him in pre-eminence through the High Renaissance

and arguably cast him as the greatest painter

in Western art.

Erm, excuse me, sir. Erm, you mustn't touch the paintings.

Er, excuse me?

Sir, are you OK?

Erm, excuse me, can someone help us, please?

Pills, ecstasy, blow? What do you want, fella?

I'm all right, thanks.

Looking for some company tonight, darling?

No, I'm looking for a place to stay.

Come on, handsome. Don't be shy.

What you doing here?

I'm just sitting down for a minute.

- Why, is there a problem? - You didn't read the sign?

Sorry, mate, rules is rules.

Where I come from, people are a little bit more friendly.

Do me a favour

and spare me that old chirpy Northern routine.

- I've got work to do. - I'm from Essex.

Listen, wherever you're from, you ain't from round here.

Let me guess.

You were brought up in the back of beyond.

In many ways, it was an idyllic existence.

Really, you were bored shitless.

One fine day, you had a brainwave.

"Move to London," you said.

"Make my fortune."

I did say that. I said it to my dad.

You actually used those words?

- Sort of, yeah. - Fuck me. What did he say?

If you ask me, you're spending too much time

on that bloody computer.

Getting all these fancy ideas.

No use trying to talk me out of it, Dad.

My mind's made up. I'm leaving tonight.

Tonight?

Look, I've bought my ticket.

Well, what about your education?

Don't you see? This will be my education.

Streets of London, full of musicians and artists.

Piss artists, more like. You'll meet plenty of those.

Sometimes, as I lay in bed at night,

I imagine a world beyond these four walls.

A world full of mystery and possibilities.

Oh, never you mind about mystery and possibilities.

What are we supposed to do

while you're busy gallivanting around Soho

till gawd knows what time, eh?

- Your mum will be worried sick. - He'll be all right.

As long as you don't speak to strange boys

sleeping rough in dark alleyways.

And with that, they gave me their blessing.

Oh, fuck their blessing. Did they give you any money?

Of course they did. I'm their only son.

All right. Hand it over.

Why should I hand it over?

Right, this may come as a surprise to you, yeah?

The streets of London ain't paved in gold.

They're as cold as ice,

they stink of piss, and they're full of villains.

So basically, it's every man for himself.

All right, you've talked me into it.

You should stay here, strictly on a temporary basis.

Just till I get myself sorted.

Ten quid a night.

You can't charge someone ten quid

to sleep in a cardboard box.

Why not?

I think you just met your first villain.

What the fuck am I gonna do now?

Hang on. I'm just getting to that.

Right. Now, I'm as open-minded as the next man.

Your sexuality's none of my business.

If I was you...

..I'd show my face in that bar over there.

Trust me, you won't be skint for long.

Thanks. I'll see you around.

Yeah, sure. That's what they all say.

You mark my words. That bloke ain't gonna last five minutes.

Yes, but the thing I love about Velázquez the most

is the way he paints the spaces in between objects.

I know what you mean.

Somehow he makes the object become more real,

a lot more intense.

Yes. In the way, like,

he illuminates the space between them.

The man was a genius.

- The painter's painter. - Hold on a minute.

Do you see what I see?

What are you doing here?

I'm searching for a world full of mystery and possibilities.

Good. Then you've come to the right place.

You've heard of Velázquez?

No, I haven't, actually. Is he a mate of yours?

He was the painter of twilights.

Oh, good for him.

- Of infinity. - Even better.

Of silence.

I don't know what that means.

You gonna tell me what you want or do I have to guess?

Good evening. Erm...

I've just moved into the area and I'm looking for a job.

I'll wash pots, clean. I'll do anything, really.

Does this look like a job centre to you?

No, it doesn't but...

It's a bar which serves alcohol.

Don't tell me your life story,

just tell me what you want to drink.

Sorry. I'll have a bottle of beer, please.

Go on, then. Ask me the question you've been meaning to ask me

ever since you walked in the door.

Why are barmaids in London so unfriendly?

Well, if I had a pound coin

for every time a pretty boy

came in here feeling sorry for himself,

I wouldn't be pulling pints for a living.

I can tell you that for nothing.

You need to toughen up.

- I do? - Yeah, you do.

You're young, you're fit.

You have the face of an angel.

You'll have plenty of friends soon enough.

I hope so.

David.

- Marcello. - Jesus.

- Victor. - Jim.

I think I just met you guys outside.

Come here often?

Are you lot thinking what I'm thinking?

What are you thinking?

I'm thinking about a beautiful painting

in the National Gallery.

It's on the first floor. You go up the stairs,

take a sharp left into the second room

and it's the third one along on the right.

I know exactly what you mean.

I wish I did. Please stop doing that.

He could have stepped out of a Caravaggio.

That name rings a bell.

You ever heard of personal space?

I saw the vacancy in the window.

- How old are you, Jim? - Eighteen.

Er... 21. I'm looking for a job.

This is not a job. This is a vocation.

I'm not sure what that means.

Excuse me for a minute while I just run to the toilet.

I think he's the one we've been looking for.

A strong desire to pursue

or a particular liking for a special vocation."

A strong desire to pursue

or a natural liking for a particular vocation."

It was great meeting you lads.

I'll definitely think about what you said.

Are you trying to get me drunk?

No disrespect, but you're a small-town boy.

And this is a big city.

Don't worry about me. I can look after myself.

How are you gonna survive?

Like I said, I'll find a job and I've got my savings.

The wallet you left on the table looks pretty empty to me.

Look, we've all sat where you're sitting now.

We understand the anxiety.

I'm not anxious, I'm just...

wondering what it is you lot actually do for a living.

Sexy Boys Raconteurs.

Now I know what it is you're talking about.

With the right training,

you could go a long way in this business.

I'll have to think about it. If it's what I wanna do, I mean.

I was hoping to find something a little more creative.

This is creative.

Some of the finest actors of their generation

have played the role you're about to play.

- River Phoenix. - Keanu Reeves.

Joe Dallesandro.

I need to get back in the gym.

What is a Raconteur, by the way?

I'll explain everything. First I want to show you something.