La Discrète - Fabrice Luchini (1990)

[Salon pianist plays]

[Crowd murmurs]

[Piano]

[Glassware tinkles]

[Piano]

[Glassware tinkles]

[Piano]

[Glass thuds on table]

Thank you, sir.

Come on, drink up.

[Soft piano, fading]

How is it?

Do you like it?

Yes.

Look how beautiful this place is,
Catherine.

There's no other place like it in Paris.

Look at the couples here.

Not the ones behind you;
they are ugly and dull.

I love it here.

Catherine, give me a smile, or I will
think you're bored and you want me.

How's that.

One day, 100 years ago, on a train trip:
Tristan Bernard.

You know Tristan Bernard?

Huge name in theater.
Amazing writer.

A fellow traveler spotted
Tristan Bernard leaving

a lady's first class train cabin.

The traveler scolded Tristan Bernard
for smoking in a no smoking area.

"You could have at least
asked this lady's permission!"

Tristan remained silent and
continued to smoke his pipe.

The fellow traveler was furious.

Threatened to notify the station master,
at the next stop.

Tristan Bernard remained
absolutely silent.

The train arrived at the station.

The traveler alerts the station master.

Lists Tristan Bernard's
offensive behavior:

no smoking area; never asked permission;
sums it all up.

Tristan Bernard turned
to the station master:

"Why don't you ask this lady
why she was seated

in first class,
with a third class ticket."

Everyone is stupefied.

Everyone forgot the smoking issue.

The station master no longer
cares about it either.

He asks the lady for her ticket,
then begs her to leave.

The train departs.

Can you imagine?

The train departs.

Tristan Bernard is alone
with the other traveler.

"How could you embarrass that lady!"

"And how did you know
her ticket was third class?"

Tristan replied: "Her ticket
was the same color as mine."

[Laughs]

No, please, Catherine --
shut up. Shh!

Catherine! Be quiet.
We'll be noticed.

[Catherine laughing]

Quiet down!

[Catherine laughing]

Shut up, Catherine!

[Stops laughing]

[Piano in background]

I'll take another.

[Snaps fingers]

You're funny, Catherine.

Why?

Because you love lies.

I don't like to lie.

- You who love lies, allow me
to tell you stories

which are absolutely true,
and which,

because they are true,
should horrify you.

I never said I love to lie.

Yesterday, you said --

I never said that.
You only hear what suits you.

I said that in some cases,

when the truth can only hurt,
it's best to say nothing.

Because you, you always tell the truth.
You never lie.

[Glass thuds]

Wait. I have an idea.

Let's do an experiment.

Look deep into my eyes.

What do you want to do?

We'll pretend I'm your
old English lover. OK?

I'm your old English lover.

I want you to swear
you have never lied to me,

that you have loved
only me.

I want to watch your face
when you lie.

What do I have to say?

That you never stopped loving me.

In English?

No no no no, in French.

Wait. I can't laugh.

[Soft piano in background]

I have loved only you.

[Soft piano in background]

Repeat it.

Say it again.

You are my only love.

That's spooky.

I have to say,
one can't argue that.

Now say it to me.
Do it.

No, no. I wouldn't know how.

Come on, Antoine.

Wait, hang on.
I need to concentrate.

I never liked you.

You're cheating.

How do I cheat?

I did my best. I don't have
your talent, after all.

But - you didn't play the game!

Well no, but --

It's you who are the perfect liar,
but it's me who cheats?

Wait, Catherine. That's alcohol.

[Glass clangs down]

Nope! Not my glass.

Why? Could I have read your mind?

Exactly.

This is not a lesson for little girls.

What do you know about
little girls, Antoine?

Not much, but
every day I learn more.

Give me your glass.

No, leave me --
Leave it, Catherine.

You are --

you are impossible.

At first, you intimidated me
a lot, Antoine.

I scarcely dared talk to you.

I didn't feel at ease around you.
I was afraid to sound silly.

I didn't understand why you
wanted to be around me.

I told myself: "another who wants
to use me, or something like that."

So, I found it odd that a guy like you
would be into a girl like me.

Because, deep down, I know that
I am not your type of girl.

And what do you think now?

Now, you give that impression even more.

I think you are like all the others.

No, no, don't say that.

Oh but yes, Antoine.
What do you think?

I thought I was not like all the others.

You seem sleepy.

Do you want to go?

Do with me as you wish, Antoine.

If you ask me to, I'll take you home.

Come along, Miss Catherine.

Make an effort.
[He grunts]

Here, I'll give you that bag,
because it's scary.

Come on.

Good night.

[Winsome piano music]