Little Birds

It's 4:00 am. This better be good.

No, it's not good. No. Some kind of Irish terrier.

Some kind of nasty dog that you sent.

What are you talking about?

Your postman!

I didn't pop it in the federal mail Hugo, what are you talking about?

He wants a thousand dollars.

So give it to him.

What?

Of course he does, they all do.

And he's Irish. The worst.

Grant, you're not listening.

This is him. The Irishman and there's the client,

- Vaney's man. - Yeah.

Everyone in Tangier is homicidal, Grant.

Are you listening to me?

You're in a pickle, son.

He wants to kill me.

Ugh, no one wants to kill you.

He was very threatening.

Wait. The middleman or the client?

Both of them!

Just give one the cash and the other the goods.

I don't understand why I'm awake listening to this sob story.

Yeah.

I don't have the cash.

What do you mean you don't have the cash?

What about your advance? What did you spend it on?

Your little hookers? (CHUCKLES)

My family had debts.

Jeez, son.

What kind of family did we Savages hitch ourselves to?

You had a simple job and I expect you to do it.

It's not that simple. Can I please just have a thousand dollars?

It is that simple. You are that simple.

You are worse than simple. Ineffectual.

Can you just give me a thousand dollars?

Ineffective people I cannot abide.

You look down your limey nose at me

and you take my money and my daughter

like you're doing us a favour.

Well let me ask you something, Mr English Lord,

have you ever in your ridiculous life

ever made the right decision or achieved anything at all

that wasn't shoved up your ass on a silver spoon?

No.

Can you solve anything, Hugo,

or are you just the goddamn problem?

Goddamn it!

Now I'm awake!

I suppose you're lingering to apologise

for the destruction with which you repaid my hospitality, huh?

Chico. Chico was priceless.

We were there when he hatched.

- Poor Chico. - Poor Chico.

- He died in vain. - In vain.

I'm sorry about Chico.

What'd you say?

I'm sorry about Chico!

Ah, you should be. Chico is dead and you are alive, huh?

Despite your stupid tricks.

Not that you have had

your Tangier experiment and your little parties.

Go on. Go back to New York.

Go back with daddy and mummy, huh?

Ah, Labonita. Shoo, shoo.

Yeah. Shoo.

Shoo, shoo.

- Lili. - All that boy did was say no to you.

Oh, Lili, darling. The times we are in.

You can't trust anyone.

- Anyone. - Anyone.

Not in this town.

Here you sit like spent blooms.

Half of Tangier thinking it's living the high life,

but you're just overblown flowers, brown

and desiccated.

Blocking the sun for all the green shoots underneath.

You're always so poetic, darling.

Oh, so you are not coming for Christmas?

Probably not.

But don't forget to write.

Yeah, write.

Where are you headed?

Somewhere off this hill. Not sure I like the view.

- Is that enough? - No.

Oh, no, buddy. Don't embarrass yourself.

- Sorry. - No, no, no.

You don't want to trade that for whiskey.

Yes, I do.

I swear, you and Abaza both think this place is a credit and loan.

Have you seen him? Adham.

No. Have you?

He's gotta square up with me big time.

He's been buying drinks for half the town.

You know how they drink.

All right.

Okay. Here's the new deal.

You see Abaza, you tell him I'm looking for him.

I see Abaza, I'll tell him you're looking for him.

Sounds like a fair deal.

Collateral.

Tell me about her.

I didn't mean to offend her.

- Who? - The Contessa.

Oh, the poor Contessa.

Spurned by her lover.

Offended.

You think highly of yourself.

No. I just don't know...

Why you are here or where you are.

You are nowhere.

Tell me about Cherifa.

Why?

Because you are a nothing...

nowhere.

You have no choice.

Babooshka.

Can I have a vodka, please?

Your other half was on Scotch.

Don't we just make a beautiful couple?

People fight. It happens.

You'll work it out.

Is it obvious that we're fighting?

You got the look. Both of you.

What makes you such an expert?

I see all sorts from behind the bar.

What do you see today?

Hey, Ricky.

Oui?

- Watch the bar. - Très bien.

Wow.

It's very modern. (CHUCKLES)

Abstract Expressionism.

New realism. (CLEARS THROAT)

Minimalism.

I saw a Jackson Pollack once with my father.

What did he think?

- That the dog could do it. - (CHUCKLES)

I gotta say, I actually didn't really understand

what he was trying to say either.

Well...

What he's saying is less important than the fact

that he's free to say it.

I mean, think of some Russian guy.

You studied painting.

And the only work you can get

is, like, Stalin's moustache.

To democracy.

- To democracy. - (GLASSES CLINK)

I just cannot figure out why

a rich girl like you is here.

In Tangier or...

...here with a struggling artist in his garret?

Let's start with Tangier.

What about you?

What are you doing here in Tangier?

Are you still feeling blue, Lucy?

What do you do with them anyway normally?

The paintings?

Your models.

It's a very artistic process.

It starts...

like this.

Hello.

Lucy, you have

expressionist tendencies.

- All right, see you. - (LAUGHS)

Go on, then.

What are you waiting for?

- (CONTINUES LAUGHING) - You have other business?

What?

What?

Oh!

Get off! Get off! I don't need you.

You remind me of someone.

She was the freest person I ever knew.

And I knew she was free because

that's the way that she made a person feel.

Like you could do anything, go anywhere,

and be anyone.

And just being near her

gave you that feeling

like you were more awake.

Where is she now?

She freed herself a long time ago.

Come on.

Wow, man.

That's beautiful.

What do you think daddy would make of that?

I don't think he'd put it on the walls.

It's too modern?

It's not modern enough.

Oh, no. I don't want to be old fashioned.

Yeah. Me either.

I'm thinking more

avant-garde.

Oh, yeah? (LAUGHS)

You're gonna make me purple.