Full Moon in Paris (Les Nuits de la pleine lune)

FULL MOON IN PARIS

"He who has two women loses his soul,

he who has two houses loses his mind."

NOVEMBER

Octave?

It's Louise.

Sorry I didn't call yesterday.

I couldn't.

Are we on for tonight?

You'll pick me up at work? At 6 p.m.?

No, I have to hurry.

I don't think he's coming.

See you tonight. Bye.

So what about tonight?

You haven't even said if you're coming!

Do you mind if I come?

No, but you'll be bored.

How'll you get home?

First train, tomorrow.

Where'll you wait for it?

- I don't know. In a café. - You'll be worn out again.

Tomorrow's Saturday. I can sleep all day.

Since I started work, I've quit going out. That's what wears me out!

I have no life of my own!

Come off it. I should do the complaining.

You get in later every night. Soon you'll only come home to sleep!

I just visit my friends! That's hardly going out!

But tonight I am, and I want to make the most of it.

I need to stay up all night now and then.

Don't take it personally. That's how I am.

If you don't want to, don't come.

But we live together! We should go out together, no?

Not if it isn't mutual.

One of us shouldn't force the other to do things he doesn't like.

I never said I didn't like going out with you.

But you keep such hours!

They may not suit you, but they suit me fine.

Tomorrow I'll sleep.

You'll play tennis. I understand that.

Try and understand me.

Listen. Take your pick:

If I come, we leave reasonably early.

If I don't, you get home on your own.

Drop in on the party and go home alone. It's simple.

I won't come at all. That's even simpler.

Then don't!

Bye!

Morning, Louise.

See you all tomorrow!

Bye, Louise!

I have to stop by my place.

- Me too. My place. - All the way out there?

Not in the suburbs. My place in Paris.

You know I have a room.

But you rented it out!

The girl's gone away, so I'm using it.

Come see it. Now's your chance!

I'll show you.

Snazzy building!

There.

It's big!

Sure.

You're repainting all this?

My friends are helping me. Care to join us?

I have no talent for that.

You're a real handywoman. One'd never guess!

Why not?

Because you look so ethereal.

Whereas you're really very physical,

practical, down to earth.

Want some coffee?

Are you painting your home, too?

You know this is really my home.

I mean your guy's place.

No need. It's brand new.

Must be incredibly boring!

Less than I expected.

Come visit us.

Suburbs depress me.

How could you bury yourself out there!

Rémi got a wonderful job

in the new town's planning department.

May I sit down?

Sorry, I forgot.

I don't believe in 'new towns'.

He believes in them.

He could have lived in Paris.

It's twice as expensive!

And he feels it's more honest to live on the premises.

If he was building a prison, would he live there?

Knowing him, he probably would.

And you'd go along?

Even now, I haven't really gone along.

I kept this room and left most of my things in it.

Where will you put them now?

- Now? - Once it's rented.

It's not for rent anymore.

Then why are you painting it?

For myself. I need a pied-à-terre.

That sounds dangerous to me!

Maybe, but I intend to be careful.

You're here because it's not finished.

Once it is, no one gets in.

I need to spend time alone.

Really alone.

Even if I left Rémi, and I'm not about to,

I wouldn't live with anyone else.

Since I was 15 years old,

I've never spent any time all by myself.

When I left the first guy I lived with,

I moved straight in with the next one.

It was a smooth transition.

I got fonder of the new guy as I lost interest in the old one.

The one experience I've missed is loneliness,

and the pain it causes.

Loneliness is no fun at all.

I'll soon see. But I want to find out for myself.

Who's stopping you?

Other people. Mostly, the people who love me.

They love me too much.

Ever loved anyone who didn't love you?

Be honest!

Honestly, I don't think so.

Unlike most people, I can't imagine

loving someone who disapproved of me or ignored me.

The other person's desire brings out mine.

That can be explained.

But you won't like this.

Shoot!

You're very beautiful.

You appeal to lots of men.

Some of whom are quite interesting.

But a few dimwits don't go for you.

- What if I don't like them? - Wait!

They don't go for you, and you sense it.

So you panic.

You can't stand failure,

so you settle for men who are way beneath you.

To be on the safe side.

A mistake: interesting men would like you even more.

What nonsense!

I'm not saying you do it consciously.

You don't realise it. But it's true.

It isn't. I've only liked interesting and choosy guys.

No, they're neither! You could do much better.

What do you mean 'better'?

You don't have to like Rémi and I don't have to like your wife.

But I do like her. You go well together.

Well, you and Rémi don't!

And you don't love him. Or you wouldn't be moving out.

I'm not moving out.

I like to go out, he doesn't. It's our only disagreement.

Everything else is fine.

He has to get up earlier.

I have no car and I won't turn him into my driver.

That's all.

So this room is good for both of us.

If I sleep here now and then,

I won't wake him up when I come home.

Does he agree?

I don't know. I haven't told him yet.

You haven't?

Well! Will you dare?

Sure. Even if it creates a scene.

You bet it will!

Good. That way you'll have an excuse to leave him.

I don't want to. On the contrary.

I want to love him. And keep him.

The only reason I can't is that he loves me too much.

When someone loves me too much, I love them less.

Figures! You're so superior to him.

Not to be mean, but as a couple you're clearly disintegrating.

You display all the symptoms. It's irreversible.

You are mean. I'm trying an experiment.

If he understands and makes a tiny effort, it'll be wonderful.

A woman is sensitive to a man's efforts.

It really moves her.

I'm not asking much of him.

For him, it's an enormous amount!

Why couldn't he do something enormous for me?

If he loves me as much as he says.

I'll get dressed. If you want to stop home, go now.

It's a bit early.

Agathe must be putting the kid to bed.

I'd disturb her. Then she's off to her concert.

If you don't mind, I'll stay here.

I have an article to finish.

Sure, but it'll take me a good half hour.

Fine.

Me too.

Careful. We mustn't wake the kid.

- Is she alone? - No, there's a sitter.

She'll see you with me!

Big deal!

Am I disturbing?

Not at all.

Were you studying?

- Just reading. - Good.

Is she asleep?

Yes, it's been 10 minutes.