The Face of an Angel

This film contains some violent scenes,

very strong language and some scenes of a sexual nature.

AEROPLANE ENGINE ROARS

PHONE RINGS

A WOMAN ANSWERS

Hello. This is Thomas Lang.

Hi. Are you...are you in Rome?

-Yes.

-Oh, great. We should meet.

OK. Where?

Um, we could meet at Cafe Rosati.

-It's near your hotel.

-Uh-huh.

I'll be carrying a copy of your book.

Good likeness?

Not bad.

-I'm Thomas.

-Hi. Simone. Good to meet you.

-Have you lived here long?

-15 years.

Grazie. This is home now.

It's not enough money for a foreign press bureau, so...

I cover, um, Italy for Newsweek, Daily Beast, CNN, BBC.

-You must be good.

-I do OK.

You've got family here?

Yeah. Two young boys.

And a husband.

I was sent your book.

Thought I was going to hate it.

True crime isn't really my thing.

I was flying to New York on the red-eye,

couldn't sleep, so I read your book instead.

-Take that as a compliment.

-Like it says on the cover,

"Every parent's nightmare".

-You have children?

-Daughter.

I'm separated from her mother.

I know.

How old's your daughter?

-She's nine.

-And what's her name?

Bea. We call her Bea.

Short for Beatrice.

She was conceived in Italy. Her mum was acting in a film here.

-It's a nice name.

-Yes.

So, tomorrow's the end of the appeal.

Yes, round two begins. We'll need to leave really early.

-Can you be at my apartment by seven?

-Sure.

But one piece of advice.

If you're going to make the film, make it a fiction.

You can't tell the truth, unless you make it a fiction.

There are so many things I couldn't put in my book

-even though they were true.

-OK.

-NEWS REPORTER:

-'In September, 2007,

'two young women arrived at the university town of Siena.

'They were looking forward with excitement to spending a year as a student in Italy.

'Elizabeth Pryce and Jessica Fuller, both rented rooms in this house,

'on the edge of the medieval town.

'Two months later, Elizabeth was dead,

'and Jessica had been accused of her murder,

'along with her boyfriend, Carlo Elias.

'The case made headlines around the world,

'and the focus of attention was the character of Jessica Fuller.

'Was she the cunning manipulator described by the prosecution?'

'The quirky student described by her mother?'

'She's smart. She's artistic. She's imaginative, she's deep.'

'Or "Jessica Rabbit," as described by the British media -

'a sexy, drug-taking student killer?'

'On Halloween, Jessica was working in Bar Rumba,

'while Elizabeth partied late into the night with some English friends.

'Elizabeth spent the next day recovering.

'The last time she was seen alive was 8.45pm.

'No-one knows exactly what happened after that.

'The only thing known for certain

'is Elizabeth died a brutal and horrible death.'

One year later, the families of Elizabeth and Jessica

'were in court to hear the verdict.'

PHONE RINGS

-Hello.

-'Who's there?'

-Is Bea there?

-This is Thomas.

-'Who is it?'

-Thomas, we...

-'No. Bea is out with her mum.'

-OK. Then I'll try again tomorrow.

-'OK, bye.'

-Yeah. Bye.

You must know this road well.

Yeah, every week for a year.

Up to Siena on Thursday and back on Saturday.

Crazy Italian legal system totally fucked up our lives.

You were covering this story from the beginning?

Yeah. Pretty much.

I was due to go to Modena to test drive a Maserati,

when ANSA, the Italian wire service,

said that an English student had been murdered in Siena.

Well, I decided to go take a look.

I knew an Italian journalist based there

for Corriere Della Sera, Roberto Feluci.

Look, it's Maria Argento,

head of the local homicide.

That's Polizia, not Carabinieri?

I know. Carabinieri are furious.

We're getting bits and pieces of information,

but we do know that the victim's name is Elizabeth Pryce.

She was found dead in the bedroom

of her house that you can see just behind me down there.

Worst part is, I bumped into them later that day.

I'm tired.

Hi. Excuse me, I'm a journalist from Newsweek.

-You were Elizabeth's roommate, right?

-That's right.

-Oh, it must be terrible.

-It's really shocking.

I'm too scared to go back in the house.

I think I put in my notes, uh, "She's a dud. He looks boring."

I could've had a scoop.

A world exclusive. Instead I left Siena to go test drive the Maserati.

-The one that got away.

-Exactly.

I was still in Modena when I heard that an American woman,

an Italian man and a Congolese man had been arrested for murder.

So, I turned around and went straight back.

-HUBBUB

-Hi, can I talk to you?

Have you spoken to your daughter?

'At this point, none of us knew the names of the arrested.'

-Hey there.

-OK, listen up, everybody.

In the Elizabeth Pryce memorial sweepstake,

the runners and riders are

Jessica Fuller, Carlo Elias,

-and, uh, Cedric Bapupa.

-How do you know this stuff?

Sometimes you got to leave the cafe, mate, even in the rain.

OK. Got it. Jessica Fuller, 21, from Baltimore.

Carlo Elias, 25. Likes knives.

-It's like a public confession.

-Yeah, or a suicide note.

-Who's Cedric Bapupa?

-He runs the bar where Jessica works. Bar Rumba.

-I get scooped even in my own town.

-Yes, you do. You get scuppered.

Well, I see your meat-cleaver, I raise you a gun.

And a YouTube link. She's pretty.

'You put this on YouTube, you motherfucker,

'I'm going to kill you, OK?'

Now, they were unlucky.

The families tried to erase the internet info, but it was too late.

All their dirty laundry was hung out to dry.

Thomas just wanted to meet, and um, get your take on what happened.

Of course.

I'm asked many times.

-When did you hear about the killing?

-A phone call.

There wasn't much information. Just the address of the house.

The burglary was false.

Glass on top of the disturbed clothing,

wrong way around.

Most importantly, the body.

It was covered by a duvet.

At that moment, I could feel it.

Only a woman would cover a body when it is already dead.

The following day, I asked Jessica

to show me around the apartment.

She was very calm. Very collected.

When we came to the kitchen, I asked her to look in the drawer

and tell me if there were any knives missing.

She became hysterical.

That is when we started to tap the phones of Jessica and Carlo.

We knew Carlo was lying.

He switched off his phone at 8.45 that night.

So had Jessica.

They turned their phones on at six o'clock the next morning.

He had no phone call from his father.

We checked his computer. He hadn't even surfed the net.

They hadn't thought through their alibis.

Carlo and I went back to his apartment.

We watched a DVD together.

Amelie.

And then we had dinner.

-Together?

-Yes.

Then we made love.

You got a message on your phone from Cedric Bapupa.

You replied...

-Did you see him?

-No.

Why did you say "Ci vediamo pui tardi"?

I was just being friendly.

If they were guilty, wouldn't they have worked out what to say?

People do not behave rationally in cases like this.

So she panicked and accused Bapupa?

Exactly.

I met Cedric and took him back to our house

because he liked Elizabeth and wanted to start something with her.

Cedric and her were in Lizzie's bedroom

while I must've stayed in the kitchen.

At a certain point, I heard Lizzie screaming.

I was frightened of him.

I got scared and put my hands over my ears.

I can't remember anything else.

And why would she accuse someone who's innocent?

Who knows? Maybe she knew a black guy had been involved somehow,

thought, uh, accusing a different black man...

..might confuse us.

-Hey, darling.

-Joey.

Joe, this is, um, Thomas. Thomas this is Joey,

-currently head of...

-Uh, this week the Daily Mail and Sky.

Oh, so, are you the film guy?

Right. Who's gonna play me? I bet everyone asks you that.

-No, you're the first.

-Oh, great. Well, hey...

-I'm thinking Colin Farrell.

-He's Irish.

Yeah. He's also really good-looking, sensitive.

This is perfect. Change the accent and keep the face.

-I'll bear him in mind.

-Sure.

Listen, I love your wife's TV show, by the way.

She's not my wife, she's my ex-partner.

Yeah. It must have been very difficult when you separated,

especially because she moved in with her on-screen husband.

Would you be interested in talking about that? We could put across your point of view.

The difficulty of having your private life picked over

-by the gossip industry.

-No. I wouldn't.

-It's worth a try.

-Uh, are going to eat later?

-Sure.

-Usual place? Uh-huh.

-Yes.

Sorry.

-Hey. Hi.

-Hi.

PHONE RINGS

-Hey. Hi, Bea.

-Hey!

-How are you?

-Good.

Where are you?

-In Italy.

-When are you coming home?

Uh, London home?

No. Your home. Here home.

Um, soon.

-In a few weeks.

-OK.

We miss you!

Missing you, too.

-What you're up to?

-Bea, come on, we're already late.

OK, coming!

Well, I got to go, Daddy.

OK. I call you tomorrow, OK?

Bea? Bea?

-Hey.

-Hi, Sarah.

-How are you?

-Good.

-This is Sarah.

-Red or white?

She's a producer for the US networks.

She has a special fondness for Siena.

Not. I spent so much time here, my marriage went down the pan.

Just another casualty of war reporting.

-It's not really a war though.

-No, it kind of feels like it though.

There's all this competitive flag-waving. It's like

they're innocent or they're guilty, and you can't be neutral.

-What do you think?

-I work for the networks.

We pay for Jessica's family to be here.

So, they have spent an absolute fortune

on the flights, hotels, lawyers,

and we get exclusive interviews in return.

So she's innocent? ALL SHOUT AT ONCE

Of course she is innocent.

No, look, they have the guy banged up.

-Joseph, OK?

-Wrong guy.

He had a criminal record. He had threatened somebody with a knife.

Right. So why did they accuse Cedric Bapupa?

-Why did they switch the phone off?

-Why did she say she was there and heard screams?

-Why sign a confession?

-And the blond hair that they found on the body.

-Which they lost.

When the police showed up at the house,

she and Carlo had a mop and bucket.

They'd been out at seven in the morning buying bleach.

What were they cleaning up?

Why was she doing yoga in the police waiting room?

-Yeah, Carlo laughed.

-So bendy, so flexible.

Listen, the police and the prosecutors,

they condemned the wrong people in the wrong order.

-And the press all piled in after.

-That's what we do.

At the end of the day, she said she was there,

in the house, on the night. Guilty!

-Game Over.

-Exactly.

-Game over.

-Why would they do it? What's the motive?

-You need a reason.

-Right. It's not a film.

OK? It's not a Miss Marple mystery.

Why does no-one ever want to make a story about Carlo?

-No.

-No.

-Carlo is the quiet one.

What will happen tomorrow with the appeal?

-It'll be adjourned.

-Yeah, we'll get our pictures, and then we'll go.

This is just a really good excuse to catch up on all the gossip.

-LAUGHTER

-How's your husband?

-The last I heard...

-Is he still chasing small boys in Morocco, or...

Fucking your wife, actually.

Someone has to.

Good evening.

-Well.

-Well.

I guess it's goodnight.

Guess so.

SIRENS

HUBBUB

SHOUTING IN ITALIAN

Coming through, coming through.

-You OK?

-You'll need your pass.

Thank you.

Wow, she changed her style.

They're not going to make the same mistake twice, are they?

How're you feeling today, Jessica?

I'm going to call that demure.

Simone, how did Jessica strike you today?

Her hair was darker than it was the last time we saw her.

She was wearing a very demure skirt.

She seemed older, more composed.

Her Italian had improved a lot.

And what can we expect next from the case?

The case has been adjourned,

but the appellate process could take many months.

Hey.

Coffee.

-Hey.

-Hey.

-So, does it all make sense?

-Not yet. Too many angles.

Jessica is innocent. That is your story.

Uh, this is Francesco, he's Joseph's lawyer.

This is Thomas, he's making a film about Jessica.

Not about Jessica, about the case.

Hmm. You should make Joseph your protagonist.

His is the best story of all, it tells you a lot about Italy.

-Well, about the world.

-Go on.

The police knew there was someone else in the flat.

Someone had a shit in the toilet, and left it there,

so they arrested Cedric Bapupa.

Then he got lucky, he got a cast-iron alibi.

So the police start checking their database.

They found that the shit belonged to Joseph Derma,

a young guy who had been adopted by a family in Siena.

He was definitely involved?

He was definitely in the apartment, uh, we don't dispute that.

A couple of days later, Joseph went to Munich, he left Siena.

The police got a friend to contact him on Skype.

So you see? Jessica had nothing to do with it.

It was perfect for the police.

They just swapped one black man for another.

Oh, come on, you know he's guilty. There's no point

-playing the race card.

-Joseph went for a separate trial.

I believe what he said.

And he was the only one who seemed genuinely sad

by Elizabeth's death.

MOANING

SHE SCREAMS

SHE LAUGHS

Thomas, lovely, lovely, lovely to meet you finally.

-Hey.

-Adam.

-Nice to meet you.

-Hi.

-Hi.

-How are you doing?

-Hi.

So, we are all very excited about this.

We're absolutely thrilled that you're on board.

-Well done, Steve, for dragging him back from Hollywood.

-Pleasure.

This will be the first time that you guys have worked together...

Uh, since, uh, the last time.

So, um, what happened with your CIA in Central America project?

First I got the stars and no money,

and then I got the money, but lost the stars.

Ah, such a shame. I loved that script.

Thomas, tell us, how was... How was Italy?

-Interesting.

-This is a great, great story.

-It's gonna be wonderful.

-Siena is beautiful. It's an amazing city.

Should almost be a character in the film.

We have a clash of cultures, American, Italian, British...

And two great parts for young women. Do you have any thoughts?

Fortunately, we are now blessed with a whole ream of fantastic young actresses.

Carey Mulligan would be good.

Yeah. She's very beautiful in her acting...

Well. I think I have to work out the story before we start casting.

-Yeah.

-Yep.

Have you worked out what your angle is going to be?

Not really. I was thinking maybe Simone herself, a journalist,

might be the right way into the story.

-What's she like?

-Interesting. Intelligent. Attractive.

-How old is she?

-Mid-30s.

I think that a whole world of foreign correspondence could be rich for us.

-Sort of an exile.

-Naomi Watts?

Chloe Sevigny maybe?

-Or Tina Fey?

-I love Tina Fey. She's...

They just need a sense of how you see the story.

-Sure.

-OK.

You going to work on the script here or in LA?

-Here or Italy.

-Mmm-hmm.

-Not in LA. Can't concentrate.

Everybody knows Katherine, or knows someone who knows Katherine

from some fucking party or other.

And there's all that shit with Timothy, custody issues and...

I hate this fucking prick.

Did you really threaten to kill him?

It makes me sick to think of Bea growing up with him in that house.

Another drink?

-Can I get two more, please?

-Same again?

-Yeah, that'd be great, thanks.

-Of course.

I was thinking of flying back to Italy for Halloween.

Shoot some documentary stuff. Won't cost that much.

Yeah, it's a good idea, go for it.

Is it in focus?

No, it's not in focus.

Pan with her.

OK if we film you?

Uh, yeah, sure.

We should go back to Piazza del Campo now.

-It'll be busier there.

-Well, you know what we need.

Go ahead, I'll catch up.

-OK.

-Yep.

-I got it.

-Here.

Happy Halloween!

-Can I get a drink?

-Yeah, of course.

It's what I'm here for.

We have a special on zombies tonight.

-Try one.

-Good, good.

-Where you from?

-Uh, I'm from London, actually.

-Oh, really?

-Wandsworth.

-Oh, wow. Know it.

-Really?

-Yeah, I lived in London for six years.

-Oh, no way!

So, what are you filming?

Did you hear about the Jessica Fuller case?

Yeah, of course. Is it another documentary?

-Film.

-Are you the director?

-Yes, I am.

-No way.

-Do you live in Siena?

-Uh, I've been here about six months.

It's lovely. Do you need any actresses, by any chance?

Um, no. Not yet. But a guide.

I want to see the real Siena.

Do you work here every night?

Most nights, not always.

I can give you my number, if that helps?

Yeah. Sure.

Cool.

Call me if you need me.

-Sure. What's your name?

-Uh, I'm Melanie.

-Thomas.

Nice to meet you, Thomas.

-How are you?

-Good.

Hey. How'd it go?

Wasn't quite the Sodom and Gomorrah your book made it out to be.

Oh, it's still early.

You got to give the town a chance. Did you get to the red zone?

Uh-huh. The crew were only booked until midnight.

That doesn't go on until 1.00am. So...

Let's go anyway.

I want to see Siena at its worst.

CHEERING AND SHOUTING

It's left here.

Simone.

What's the matter?

Are you scared to see me after what you wrote?

-This is Thomas.

-Hello.

-I know who he is.

You want to be careful with this one.

She seems so nice when you meet her,

then, when she writes, she turns into a real bitch.

-Come and have a drink.

-We're on our way to the red zone.

Come on, that's for shitty students. You're not students, are you?

Not for a long time.

In a murder, the dead body tells you a lot.

I saw Elizabeth's body, in the morgue.

-How?

-I visit the morgue often.

I have a cousin.

It's important to look death in the face

if you want to understand life.

That's why there are so many murder stories.

Every news programme is full of killings, so many films.

Death is the end of everyone's story.

The only thing we share, now we no longer believe in God.

And so we have become obsessed with killings.

Real killings, fictional killings...

But from the safety of our homes,

where the only issue is,

"Who done it?"

Not what it means.

When we see it on TV and not in the flesh.

In the flesh, when a friend dies,

we don't even want to see the body.

So what did the body tell you?

That Jessica didn't do it.

So why is she on trial?

Police here are the worst.

Corrupt, incompetent.

Everyone is corrupt here, but...

she didn't kill her.

I know her. We have talked.

She is intelligent.

Not like most of the students here.

The students I teach are idiots.

Not Jessica, she has true understanding.

So you think it was one of the others?

Carlo had a collection of knives, OK?

Elizabeth was killed with more than one knife,

but the police never found them

because they are fools.

I know where they are.

So why don't you just give them to the police, Edoardo?

They will try to frame me.

And they have already arrested me before.

They broke my finger.

I would be an easy target, like Cedric,

-a scapegoat.

-Come on.

No-one likes me because I write the truth.

I tell the world how stupid they are.

Have you already talked to Cedric?

-No.

-Why?

Are you hiding people from him or don't you know as much as you pretend?

Cedric Bapupa is a friend of mine.

-If you want to meet him, I can set it up.

-Yeah, for a price.

Always a price for everything.

Do you think you are the only one allowed to make money from this story?

Hmm?

And not a guy whose life was ruined by it.

-Quite a character.

-Hmm, yeah.

His blog had stuff on it that nobody else knew.

We all had to read it every day to keep up to speed.

He has the time and he knows everybody, and he also has money.

He rents out rooms all over the city.

Really cheap, almost squats.

And they say he deals drugs on the side.

Handy man to know.

Yeah.

Sometimes I think he might actually be the killer.

When we were covering the trials, somebody decided that

Joe and I were having an affair, and they put it on the internet.

It was just an easy way of attacking somebody who

wasn't on Jessica's side, but I think it was Edoardo.

It wasn't true, but I had to tell my husband.

Mmm.

We're separated now.

"The man who lies asleep will never waken fame,

"and his desire and all his life drift past him like a dream,

"and the traces of his memory fade from time

"like smoke in air or ripples on a stream."

-Hi.

-Hey.

-Hey.

This seat taken?

-Pretty view.

-Yeah.

What's this?

Oh, bit of light reading.

Calls itself a comedy, but not that many laughs.

Are you in heaven or hell?

Inferno.

I have to go back to Rome. I have the kids this weekend.

Lucky you.

OK, have a good one.

-Bye.

-Bye.

MOANING

-Hey. It's me, Thomas.

-'Hey, Thomas!'

I'm in your bar, but you're not here.

'I'm at a party. Not much of a party, but...

-'Do you wanna come?'

-I thought it wasn't any good.

'It's your typical student party, so...'

-Then I have to come.

-'OK, great!'

-For research.

'Good.'

-Hey.

-Hey.

Mr Director.

-You can call me Thomas.

-'Course.

So, this is your comeback film.

Hope so. How do you know?

I looked you up on Siena's Burning.

-Do you know the blog?

-Yeah.

Don't believe everything you read.

'Course. Only the good things.

Here it is. Come on.

HUBBUB

-This is Thomas.

-Hi.

-Thomas, everyone. Everyone, Thomas.

-Hey.

-Do you have a lighter?

-Yeah.

Hey!

What are you doing here?

Come with me.

-I'm tired.

-Come.

How can you make a movie about the murder

if you haven't even seen where the killing happened?

-Listen, it's late.

-No time like the present.

Strike while the iron's hot.

Don't you know your English sayings?

This is the window they entered.

GLASS SMASHES

Don't throw stones if you live in glass houses.

Come on, it's empty!

If you were here that night, you could have saved her.

That's what everyone dreams.

This is Elizabeth's room.

She was found by the wardrobe.

Look what they didn't find.

This is the knife that killed her.

But the police never even looked under the wardrobe.

They didn't even look under the fucking wardrobe.

-You all right?

-Yeah.

I'm sorry.

That's my after work one.

I always go better with the dob.

-Let me take you home.

-It's all right.

Come on, it's like a maze out there.

What are you studying here?

Italian literature, culture and cinema.

-Oh.

-It's very serious.

It's a whole four hours every morning.

I mean, it's... It's an excuse, to be honest.

An excuse to be here and have fun for a year.

It's a pretty good one.

-Aren't you having fun?

-Yeah.

-I always have fun.

-Even at work?

Yeah.

I mean, come on, I do make a mean mojito.

Do you?

Put a bit too much rum in, and watch everyone get drunk.

It's good for tips, too.

Here we are.

Delivered back to your hotel safe and sound, as I promised.

Thank you.

-All right, auf Wiedersehen.

-Auf Wiedersehen.

You may follow me, and I will guide you,

and lead you from here.

But if you want to see the blessed,

then a spirit worthier than I must lead you.

"Abandon hope, all ye who enter here."

How's Bea?

She's good.

And Katherine, I saw she was nominated for an Emmy.

Very impressive. Must be hard, seeing her face everywhere...

Can we talk about something else?

-You guys were so good together...

-Please, come on.

How come we're not talking about The Face Of An Angel?

How's it going?

Everyone is asking me about the script.

-Have you worked out who did it?

-It's not a whodunit.

-Just teasing.

Carlo and Jessica and Joseph did it.

-That's why they're in prison.

-For now.

There's so many angles.

How to organise it in a meaningful way...

It's important that it's a story based on truth.

-Mmm-hmm.

-But I wanna do something that transcends them,

which is not just a simple reconstruction.

-Thank you.

-Carry on.

I was trying to see if it's possible to use the shape of...

Dante's Divine Comedy as the shape of the film.

SHE LAUGHS

After all, it's a three-act structure.

Hell, purgatory, heaven.

Happy ending. It's perfect, really.

Are you being serious?

Dante was in love with a beautiful Beatrice, and then she died.

Heartbroken, he goes in search of her,

but he also goes in search of a meaning to life and death.

Listen, Caroline's commissioned you to make a true crime thriller.

Are you really saying you're trying to write a medieval morality tale?

No, no, no. It would be modern and it would deal with the case.

It would just follow the shape of the poem,

because the story, the real story, is too hard. It's too brutal.

The poem is really a dream, a nightmare.

Dante is a man in the middle of his life who lost his way,

strayed off the narrow path, and finds himself

back in a deep, black forest.

You know, lots of the stuff in the poem's

actually classic horror movie stuff.

The return of the repressed.

They want to make a film about two teenagers

-and a murder that can't be solved.

-I know.

And now you want to give them a script about a middle-aged man who's lost his way.

How much have you written?

-Not much.

-Good, then you haven't wasted too much time.

Thomas, you're too young to have a mid-life crisis.

It's been four years.

They really want this film.

Give them something they can make.

Please.

Yeah.

Exterior, Tuscan countryside - Day.

Jessica is sitting on a train.

She's outgoing, confident, attractive.

Elizabeth makes the same journey.

Jessica arrives first.

Elizabeth, a few days later.

She's quieter, calm, thoughtful.

They both find a room in a house on the edge of the medieval town.

They're both full of hope and excitement

for the year ahead.

How's the script going?

Not.

Missing your daughter?

Well, I'm seeing her now, but I'll be back in a moment, sir.

OK. OK, Bobby.

-Ciao.

-Ciao.

-Hey.

-Hi.

I thought you might like this. It's one of my articles.

Thank you.

Strange, when I think of A Face Of An Angel,

I always think of Elizabeth. But you all mean Jessica.

Yeah, we all use that line for Jessica.

Jessica is like a film star, blank canvas.

Somewhere we project our fantasies onto.

-She's the story.

-Guilty or not, that's all anyone wants to read.

It's sad that Elizabeth just disappeared.

Look at that, he's got Jessica's diaries there.

-There's some flawless journalism right there.

-Joe's very proud of his scoop.

You know the police played a dirty trick on her when she was in jail?

They told her that she had tested positive for HIV,

so she had to write a list of everyone she had ever slept with.

-It's in there.

-How much did you pay for it?

These diaries, they're not even that big a deal.

OK, it's one of the things that I used

to articulate a story about her. So, for example,

-she says that she wants to visit a sex shop.

-Oh, please.

Uh, she writes a letter to her boyfriend saying she wants to

watch a porn film and then practice with him.

She e-mailed her friends,

She had sex with this random guy that she met on a train in Italy...

-So?

-She had a vibrator in the bathroom she shared with Elizabeth.

-It became part of the trial.

-Exactly. It was only this big.

I remember the famous kiss outside the house.

That kiss put them in prison.

Oh, she went underwear shopping the night after the murder.

-None of that makes her a killer.

-Well, people love it.

I mean, sex and murder sells.

Is that everything you're interested in?

Yeah, because it's how I make a living.

And you know what, guess what, it's how you make a living now too.

She wrote a fantasy story about rape.

I'm writing a script about a murder. Does that make me a murderer?

No, her character was part of the trial.

That's what the jury was asked to judge.

So if she would have been a better actor, if she had behaved well

and cried, she would have been found innocent?

-Sure.

-Probably.

Now she's dressing all prim and proper,

-and is likely to get off.

-Of course.

-Yeah.

-Right.

So if that's all true, don't you worry a little bit

that all the stuff you make up could make a fair trial harder?

-So listen, mate, we don't actually make stuff up, OK?

-OK.

You write what sells. Sex sells. You steal her diaries and make her look like a nymphomaniac.

-Yeah, because that's what she wrote.

-Oh, come on. You can make anyone look bad if you want to.

I dare say even you would look like a shit

if people would go through your private life.

-Listen, I'm a tabloid journalist. Everyone thinks I'm a shit anyway.

-You fucking said it.

-Excuse me.

-Oh.

Well, he still has my diary then.

-Bravo, Joe.

-He didn't want my paper.

-Well, he's got taste.

I don't want to die.

I want to get married and have children.

I want to create something good.

I want to get old.

I want my time.

I want my life.

I don't know where I could have got HIV from.

-Hey.

-Hi, stranger, long time, no see.

-I was back in London.

-Nice. What can I get you?

-Whiskey and coke.

-Cool.

I was wondering, could you do me a favour?

Of course.

Do you know where I could buy some stuff?

-What, weed?

-Yeah, but... But some other stuff too.

Remember what happened last time.

-Thanks, I do.

-Is that what you want?

-I'm not a dealer.

-I know.

I just thought you might be able to help a friend.

That's better.

Give me your phone.

That's the number. Be careful.

Promise.

Hi, it's me, Thomas.

Are you here?

I'm here, where are you?

I'm here. OK, I see you.

So, you're a friend of Melanie?

Yeah.

KNOCK AT DOOR

-Hey.

-Hey.

-You wanna come in?

-Sure.

-Want a drink?

-Um, no, I'm good.

-Uh, I have something for you.

-What is it?

It's the scene of crime video.

The appeal's gonna be all about the forensics,

so you really need to see that if you wanna know what's going on.

-Joe was upset about earlier.

-Good.

You know, he's good at what he does.

He gets a hold of stuff no-one else does and finds a way to tell a story.

He's not as bad as he likes to pretend to be.

Are you sleeping with him?

Not tonight.

Do you still sleep with him?

Are you jealous?

GROANING

-Hey.

-Hey.

Sorry, New York wants me to change the article.

They need it in two hours.

Another fashion report?

Jesus, lighten up.

Does it never bother you?

All this shit you have to write?

I'm not writing a fashion report.

-I'm writing about a murder, somebody was killed.

-You trivialize it.

People want to hear about this story.

It's not up to us to decide what people should and shouldn't know.

We just write what happened, and then they decide

-whether they want to read it or not.

-That's not true.

Well, would it be better if we didn't cover trials at all?

People had no idea what went on in court?

People had no idea what went on during a police investigation?

That's what happens in a police state.

Then tell the truth, don't make up the sexist...

I do tell the truth, you asshole.

God, come back, Joe.

At least he doesn't lecture me after we've fucked.

You know what, you should watch this,

before you get high and mighty with everybody.

That's the sad and bitter truth.

You are nurturing, playful and easy-going.

You often put others' needs before your own,

or your decisions are guided by your feelings.

-At heart, you're pragmatic and self-possessed.

-Oh, I love it.

-Enjoy your meal.

-Thank you so much.

-Thank you.

Thomas, how's the appeal going?

Yeah, quite right.

-Sorry.

-No, no, no, no, no. It's the right thing to do.

-I'll shut up.

-Give him a minute.

-Go ahead, go ahead, go ahead.

-Slow.

-Do you think they're going to win?

-No idea.

Must be difficult not knowing the ending.

I don't think it matters for our film.

I imagine that the courts or the police will find the truth.

My idea is that it's impossible to know.

The trial is like an episode of X Factor.

If they like your face, you win.

The system in Italy's different,

which makes it easier to see it's arbitrary.

But in this case the evidence is so contradictory,

we'll never know what happened.

If they killed her, it doesn't make sense.

If they didn't kill her, it doesn't make sense either.

So it boils down to, do we want to see these people

going to prison for 20 years?

But in the film, we're gonna have to decide,

did they do it, how did they do it,

or how else are we gonna tell the story?

I don't think that's the story.

The story is that there is no such thing as real truth or justice.

It's just a popularity contest.

Well, that's not a film.

I think it can be.

Well, you're gonna have to show the two girls,

who they are, their relationship.

I mean, what happened that night, why did it happen?

All of that would be fake.

It would be just my version of what might have happened.

It's more honest to say I don't know what happened.

It's like a detective story in a world without God,

or a puzzle without a solution.

Hmm. Would people want to do puzzles without solutions?

Why not? It's more truthful than all these easy answers.

Well, it sounds incredibly ambitious, which is what we wanted.

If you want any help looking at pages, the opening or...

-I'm happy to help.

-Thanks.

Great editor.

-Seriously, no, honestly.

-Thanks very much.

Top, top 25 under 25.

What time is it?

It is four-something.

-What time is it there?

-It's late, after midnight.

Oh, wow, that's pretty late.

You must be really tired, huh?

I can't sleep.

Are you OK, Daddy?

Listen...

..I gotta call you tomorrow, OK?

OK. Bye.

Bye.

No sadness is greater than in misery to rehearse memories of joy.

-Welcome back, Mr Lang.

-Thank you.

How long are you staying for?

Not sure.

No, it's nice. It's definitely nice.

Um, I've gotta go. See you later.

-Bye.

-Bye, guys.

-Hey.

-Hey.

-Strange, seeing you in the daylight.

-Why, do I look different?

-Even more beautiful.

-Thank you.

I like a bit of old-fashioned courtesy.

-Hey, Edoardo.

-Hi.

My friend Thomas is looking for a place to stay.

I told him I knew someone who could help.

Sit down.

I'm too old for a student accommodation.

Well, I have lots of places, and the best addresses.

-Really?

-Did Simone tell you something different?

Be careful with her.

If you believe everything she says, you will never know the truth.

Do you read my blog?

-No.

-You should. I said some very kind things about you.

-Didn't I, Melanie?

-Yeah.

-Do you wanna drink?

-No, thank you.

This was my uncle's house.

He was a doctor.

This is a perfect place for writing.

Full of atmosphere.

I'll take it.

How much?

Money, we will talk later.

First, I want you to read my script.

I have been watching your old movies, and I like the naivete.

I'm having a small gathering of friends tonight.

I'll come to collect you, OK?

PHONE RINGS

"Then I saw a serpent with six feet dart forth in front of a man.

"With middle feet, it bound him round the paunch,

"and, with the forward ones, his arms it seized."

"Already the two heads had one become."

Come on, we are late.

You know the way is hard.

No-one gets anywhere by lying in bed.

You have to work.

Work even when you don't know why.

Where are we going?

Where the thieves are.

Oi.

Thomas Lang.

PHONE RINGS

-Yeah?

-'Hey, Thomas. Where are you?'

I'm in... I'm in my flat.

-Hi.

-Hey.

-You good?

-Yeah.

-Where are we going?

-To see Edoardo.

-Oh.

I really think you should be making a love story.

All the best movies are love stories.

Romeo and Juliet. Casablanca. Annie Hall.

Beauty and the Beast.

-Ciao.

-Hi.

-Hello, Thomas.

-Hey.

What's the matter?

Why you always seem so scared?

What is it you're scared of?

Maybe having to make another movie.

In case it's another failure. Come on.

Ignore him, it's all right.

Don't worry, I know the people who live here.

-I own the house.

-I'll wait here.

See you in a minute.

The reason my script is good is that I know what happened.

Art has to provide the answer to the questions that life asks.

I know you don't agree with me, but you are wrong.

There is the truth, and there is the rest.

The killing happened here.

I was watching there.

I saw it with my own eyes.

What happened?

Joseph was in love with Elizabeth, he wanted her.

But she didn't want him...

..so he killed her.

Like Othello.

Like this.

THEY LAUGH

THUMPING MUSIC

Sorry it's so noisy.

Come with me.

-See you in a bit.

-See you.

I have decided, you can read my script.

But you can't take it away with you.

I don't trust anybody with my story.

You have one hour, that's all.

DOOR BUZZER

BUZZER

-Hi.

-Hey.

-Can I come in?

-Sure.

-You look terrible.

-Do I?

Where did you go last night? I was getting worried about you.

Edoardo freaked me out.

It's so dark in here.

No wonder you're depressed.

That's better.

I have something that might cheer you up.

You're gonna like it.

La Vita Nuova.

Thank you.

Dante describes how he falls in love with Beatrice,

and then how she dies.

For a moment, he toys with the idea of loving someone else,

but he'll never love anyone like Beatrice.

It's so romantic.

All those circles of hell in The Divine Comedy, it's boring.

Everyone getting punished for no reason?

That is a book of love.

Hopefully that will make you happy.

I'm late for class. I've gotta go. Are you gonna be OK?

-Mmm-hmm.

-Promise?

-Yeah.

-Good.

I just want you to be happy.

I'll see you later. Bye.

"It was exactly the ninth hour of the day

"when she gave me her sweet greeting.

"I was filled with such joy that I had to withdraw

"from the sight of others and return to the loneliness of my room.

"As she walked down the street,

"she turned her eyes towards me,

"where I stood in fear and trembling."

-I need your help.

-With the film?

-With Edoardo.

-Maybe you should steer clear of him.

Maybe you were right. Maybe he was involved in the killing.

-OK, stop.

-No, listen, listen, listen. I think he was there. He took me to the house.

-He's got knives. He saw the killing.

-He talks a bunch of shit,

-he's messing with your head.

-No, I got to steal the knives. I need you to help.

-No.

I need you to get them to Rome, to a lab, test them for DNA.

-No.

-I'll bring them to you in the morning.

-Let go of me.

Hello, Thomas. This is Thomas. He's a director.

I'm sorry I couldn't finish your script last time.

-Yeah, why? You disappeared.

-I felt sick.

Can I finish it?

OK. You'll get another chance.

But then you must tell me that you want to make it.

One hour, OK?

Damn.

Shit.

Did you come to my flat last night?

-Yeah, but you weren't there.

-Did you take the knives from my bed?

No. What... What knives?

Thomas, Thomas!

Thomas!

What the fuck are you doing here?

I wanted to know if you read my script.

I didn't read your fucking script.

-Then you'll never know what happened.

-Get out of here.

-Get out of here!

-Have you been looking for this, hmm?

Did you think you had stumbled on the truth?

You're an idiot.

These are film props. I photographed them for my blog.

And you should read it. You wouldn't be so ignorant.

-Where are the knives?

-Huh? What knife?

Where are the real knives?

Hey, hands off!

SHOUTING IN ITALIAN

You really have come off the rails, haven't you?

They're letting you go. Let's get out of here.

You're lucky. Edoardo's not gonna press charges.

Says you need a doctor, not a prison cell.

Looks like you hit him pretty hard.

Good.

I'm going back to Rome tomorrow.

Stefano, Elizabeth's boyfriend's willing to talk.

It's his first interview. You should come with me.

Yep.

I have to get back to work.

Get some rest or something, OK?

-Thank you.

-Yeah.

-Have you written anything yet?

-Yeah.

Really?

Been thinking of taking your advice. Making the film fictional.

Setting it in Florence as a tribute to Dante.

Florence was the earthly paradise he lost.

Must be nice to have had an earthly paradise, even if you lose it.

Right?

I don't want to make a film about fear or death or killing.

I want to make a film about love.

Yes?

I lived in the flat below the girls.

I met Elizabeth at the beginning of the term.

She came down in our flat sometimes with Ana.

We would hang out together, smoke a little weed.

Mmm. In court, it was made very simple.

That, um, Jessica was the bad girl and Elizabeth was the good girl.

She was just normal.

She liked parties, she liked having fun.

She like making love.

She was beautiful.

I didn't know her for very long, but I still think of her.

I will always think of her.

Ah, shit, I'm late.

-I'm gonna have to pick up the kids on the way, OK?

-Sure.

Hey, you guys, I'm sorry I'm late.

-Again?

-The traffic was really bad.

-Andrew, Will. This is Thomas.

-Hey.

-How was your day? Good?

-Good.

Yeah? What did you do?

Nothing much.

-Your taxi's here.

-Thanks for looking after me.

No problem.

Bye.

You talk to Katherine recently?

-No.

-You should. Bea is yours and hers.

That's how it is.

-Bye.

-Bye.

Take care.

Exterior, Siena - night.

The sounds of students partying drifts up from the streets below.

Elizabeth hangs out

with her boyfriend, Stefano.

Sometimes Jessica and Carlo are there.

They smoke weed, drink beers,

go to parties.

They're typical students.

Elizabeth loves art, music, literature.

She visits the cathedral, the galleries, the libraries.

Siena's everything she hoped it would be.

She's happy,

looking forward to the year ahead.

Back into the belly of the beast.

Yeah, let's try and avoid that.

I booked you a room in the hotel.

-Keep you in the real world.

-Thanks.

Heads up, verdict's at eight.

-Hey.

-OK.

BELL RINGS

JEERING

We are thankful that Jessica's nightmare is finally over,

and we'd like to thank the court

for searching for the truth,

and for overturning this conviction.

JEERING

Justice has been done.

They are right to release Jessica.

One young life had been already tragically taken.

Why take another two? Based on what?

Assumption by the police and the self-interest of the press.

-Thank you.

-OK.

Our daughter Elizabeth has been completely forgotten.

It's... It's very hard to find any forgiveness.

We know that four years is a long time, but, um...

Yeah, it's still very raw.

PHONE RINGS

Hey.

-Hi, Dad.

-Hi.

How are you?

Good.

-How are you?

-I'm good.

-Is the case over?

-Yeah, it is.

What happened?

They say they were innocent.

That's good.

I suppose so.

So, does that mean you're gonna be coming home soon?

I hope so.

Is your mum there?

Yeah.

Can I talk to her?

I'll see.

Mum?

-Yes?

-Hey.

-Hi.

-Hey.

I... I thought it would be good if we talked.

Tried to talk.

Yeah.

-Yeah.

-Let's, um... Let's do it when you get back here,

because, uh, I hate speaking like this.

OK. Yep.

Good.

-Bye.

-Bye, bye-bye.

See...

PHONE RINGS

Interior, church, London - day.

Elizabeth's father reads the funeral oration.

It is taken from Dante's La Vita Nuova.

The power of my sighs fills me with anguish.

Many times, while contemplating death,

it drains the colour from my face, and I begin to tremble

from the pain.

In weeping, I call out to Elizabeth...

.."Can you really be dead?"

And just calling to her restores my soul.

If anyone heard me, they, too, would grieve.

And what my life has been like since she left this earth,

there is no-one that can tell.

Elizabeth has ascended into high heaven...

..into a place where angels live in peace.

-Have a good trip.

-Yeah, we will. I'm driving.

Oh, OK, right.

Hey.

Hey.

It's all over.

No, there's bound to be another appeal.

This one's gonna run and run. Thank God.

Meanwhile, back to Rome, and politicians with dirty hands. You?

Going to Ravenna. Sort of pilgrimage.

OK.

Well, have fun.

All right, I'm leaving.

Oh, you're very welcome to carry my bag.

-Bye.

-Bye, baby.

-See ya.

-Be careful.

Yes, I will be very careful.

-Hello.

-Hi.

-Just getting the car.

-Cool.

-Look at those mountains.

-Beautiful.

I imagine you as a skier. Do you go skiing?

Yeah, I do.

-I'm a snowboarder.

-Of course.

Why of course? What does that mean?

-You look like a snowboarder.

-I look like a snowboarder?

Yeah. Young, hip and cool.

Really?

SWITCHING BETWEEN RADIO STATIONS

Yeah. Jovanotti.

-Do you know Jovanotti?

-No.

Do you not?

SHE SINGS ALONG

What a dump.

No wonder Dante was homesick for Tuscany.

It's so flat.

-Did you actually read it?

-Yeah.

"Oh, you, who on the road of love pass by,

"attend and see if any grief there be as heavy as mine."

There are two different endings.

The original version, he ends up with a new wife.

But later, he re-wrote it to stay true to Beatrice.

I prefer that ending.

Cos you're a teenager.

I'm not a teenager, I'm an adult.

-21.

-But you behave like a child.

It's incredible. Dante's body is in there.

So how old is it?

700 years.

Enough Dante. Enough death. Let's go.

-You want some?

-No, it's OK.

Come on, you have to try it. It's so good, please.

It's funny, I used to go to Dorset when I was younger.

My mum and dad, they always took us to a beach

and made us walk for hours.

I never wanted to go cos it was so freezing and windy.

They said it was good for us.

Now I love it, but then, I just wanted to stay home.

Do you see them much?

Yeah, when I go back to London. They're crazy.

They drove each other mad, so they're separated now.

-It's definitely better.

-Hmm.

What about yours?

Still together.

-Amazing.

-Yep.

-How long for?

-Almost 50 years.

-No way.

-Yeah.

One second, wait here.

Ciao.

-It's a present.

-No way.

-Why?

-Come on.

Are you scared?

Come on.

Are you sure?

What do you mean, am I sure?

Oh...