My Brilliant Friend (L'amica geniale)

Before leaving the city for good,

I decided to go and see Mrs. Galiani. I called her.

She was unsurprised and invited me over for the following morning, adding:

"Why don't you bring your friend?"

That request annoyed me, I hoped Lila would decline it.

- You sure I should come? - She invited you too.

Instead she pulled a long face and said: "All right, I'll go with you."

It's you.

- We're here to see your mother. - She's not here.

She'll be back later.

Come in here, if you like.

She's in her underpants.

What are you doing here?

What are you doing here?

We have an appointment with Mrs. Galiani.

- Have you recovered? - Enough.

I'm glad.

She's only just recovered.

We taught the sausage factory a lesson.

They paid her everything they owed her.

Yes...

You hear that? Miss Greco taught Soccavo a lesson.

No, not me.

No, not her, God Almighty did.

I only tried to help Lila.

That means that in factories, on worksites,

whenever the workers are in peril we'll call Elena Greco.

She'll call her friends, guardian angels in high places

and solve everything!

After your article, what did they solve?

What's changed? Nothing.

It's all gone back to how it was and those who spoke up are in trouble.

My brother was beaten up by fascists.

The doctor?

Yes, the doctor, my brother.

Those who keep quiet get money on the side.

- The fuck d'you think you'd solve? - You don't abandon your comrades.

You don't win in there with pamphlets or fighting fascists.

- Then how? - Mobilizing the bosses' children.

Not giving a fuck about others!

Cut it out, that's not what happened.

- Be quiet. - Drop it, they're right.

Hello.

I'm sorry, I'm running late, let's go in there.

Let me know when you have visitors.

Hello.

I can't bear rudeness.

Please, sit here.

I wanted to drop in before to say hello.

I'm sorry I haven't been in touch, I've been swamped.

The book...

I'm about to get married.

Congratulations!

Are you getting married in church? You having a large reception?

No, no reception, we're having a civil ceremony.

- How did you get married? - In church.

- Are you a believer? - No, but that's what you did.

One shouldn't do things only because others do them.

We do it all the time.

- Are you going to Elena's wedding? - She hasn't invited me.

It's not true.

- She's ashamed of me. - What are you saying?

We haven't even invited my siblings.

I wanted to give you this.

Thank you, I already have it.

What does your husband do?

He holds the Latin Literature chair at Florence.

So, he's older than you?

No, he's 27, he's just very bright.

What's his name?

Pietro Airota.

Is he related to Guido Airota?

Yes, he's his son.

A good marriage.

We love each other.

Have you begun writing your new book?

- I'm thinking about it. - I know you contribute to L'Unità.

A few things.

I don't write for that paper of bureaucrats anymore.

I heard you did remarkable things at the factory.

- I didn't do anything. - It's not true.

I only lost my job.

Nadia told me that these are the things that you said.

- Water under the bridge. - No, it isn't.

They're important things, well done.

- Shall I write an inscription anyway? - Of course.

To Mrs. Galiani or...

Mrs. Galiani.

What awful people.

Did you see how the old bird treated you?

She can't bear that you write books and articles,

or that you're about to marry well.

She especially can't bear the idea

that she raised Nadia to be the best and she's with a bricklayer.

And she acts like a slut in front of her.

You're wrong to care, screw 'em.

You shouldn't have given her the book,

you shouldn't have asked her if she wanted an inscription.

These are people who need their ass kicked.

Your flaw is that you're too good.

When you speak to someone who's studied

you listen as if only they have a brain and it's not the case.

Have fun, you can. Get married, have a great honeymoon.

You worried about me too much. Write another novel.

You know I expect amazing things.

I'd helped her every way I could,

but she took sides with Pasquale and Nadia who criticized me.

Mrs. Galiani praised her to humiliate me

and now she made the humiliation explicit,

rubbing salt into the wound,

making it impossible for me to ignore it.

I suddenly wished the cardiologist had been wrong,

that she really was ill and dying.

After that, we didn't see each other for years.

- Anyway, it's illegal. - Don't exaggerate.

It's sold in pharmacies, you just need a prescription and to be married.

They sell medication to regulate the cycle,

it's not a contraceptive pill.

You know perfectly well it does both.

If a medication serves to obtain a certain result,

you can't use it to obtain another.

Medications are poison, you don't use them willy-nilly.

They can be very harmful. Let's go.

- I want to take that pill. - Can we go?

- Must we be late today of all days? - Did you hear me?

We're about to get married, focus on that.

- You get married to have kids. - Can I write another book first?

You can write a book while you're expecting.

It can be done. Can we go now?

Article 147: marriage requires both husband and wife

to maintain, instruct and educate their offspring,

keeping in mind the abilities

and aspirations of their children.

Signor Pietro Airota,

do you take Elena Greco to be your wife?

I do.

Signora Elena Greco, do you take Pietro Airota to be your husband?

I do.

Further to your affirmative reply,

by the power invested in me by the City of Florence,

I pronounce you legally married.

You may exchange rings.

Signora Greco, my compliments, your book is very good.

Thank you.

Pietro's ascetic vocation and my tendency to show

I no longer belonged to my mother's world,

convinced us to get married,

greet our relatives and leave without celebrating.

But our plans were secretly overturned by Adele.

Marcella has invited us to her house for a toast.

You told me you weren't having a reception.

I didn't know anything about it.

Tell them.

This is one of my mother's improvisations,

they're unpredictable.

- But it'll be quick? - Yes.

Pietro had nothing to do with it, it was Marcella's idea.

I knew nothing about it, you might have told us first.

Isn't it lovely here?

I'm embarrassed. Button up your jacket.

But it's a proper party!

It's a surprise!

She's beautiful! How did you convince her to marry you?

Thank you, Marcella!

Please, go in.

Professor Antonioni! He's my literature professor.

- Marcella. - Immacolata.

- Greco, my pleasure. - Please, come in.

May I?

- What a beautiful house! - Thank you.

It's an old family house.

Come, I'll introduce you.

Vittorio, Immacolata, a drop of champagne?

No, my head is already spinning.

If our son-in-law wants to celebrate, let's have a glass.

All right then.

- What is it? - Bubbles.

- How does it go? - May you live to be a hundred.

May you live to be a hundred. I touch wood.

Shall we leave together?

Signor Vittorio, all right.

- Elena Greco in Airota. - It's a pleasure, Bruno Santini.

My pleasure.

- Norbert Leutshig. - My pleasure.

Marcella, you have introduced her to these two rascals.

Yes!

You don't know who's standing before you.

Come, Elena.

Let's go in, I'll introduce you to her.

- Where do you teach? - No, Elena doesn't teach, she writes.

She has just published a novel and she contributes to L'Unità.

Do you write about literature?

No, I wrote articles about conditions for women in factories.

Thank goodness, the new generations are pulling their heads out!

I read a very interesting essay in Worker's World

about the state of democracy in Italy.

It's a very serious text, with a lot of information.

Who wrote it?

A young professor of Economic Geography,

Saranno, I think.