(lively guitar music playing)
♪ ♪
-Welcome. -Thank you.
This is Miss Harberg's suite.
The bedroom is on your right.
On your left, you have the living room
with a direct access to the terrace,
and the beautiful view of Paris.
-This is a living room? -Groom: Yes, it is.
-Very nice. -Groom: Mm-hm.
This is the bathroom that opens into the living room?
Uh, yes, it does.
Honestly, Carla, it's small...
and Mira's not gonna be happy.
It's not small. It's more Parisian,
and, and charming, and, and, and cozy.
This is no big production.
We can't afford The Plaza.
That was clear from the start.
And Zelda approved of it?
Well, she didn't reply, but we assumed it was fine.
Okay, well, I'm gonna call Zelda and figure something out.
-(line ringing) -Zelda: (on phone) Hello?
Hey, she's gonna freak out when she sees this room.
I mean, it's nice, but it's a fucking junior suite.
I told her not to get involved with those people.
What else can I do?
Regina: (on phone) You told her that?
That's insane.
This is exactly the part she's been dying to play.
Zelda: Who do you think you're talking to?
Your job is to book flights,
to keep her entertained, and to make sure she sees emails
that would end up in her spam folder,
and I don't think you have the brain to do that job,
so let's not start thinking you have the capacity to do mine.
Part of your job is to keep her happy,
and she hasn't been for a while, so.
Zelda: She has no reason to complain.
"Doomsday" is a massive hit!
Time to cash in.
That's so not her.
Yeah, it's me, and as far as I know,
she takes advice from her agent,
so thank you for your insights,
but let's keep the decision-making to the adults.
Carla: Okay, quiet during the make-up test.
(camera beeps)
Jeremie: If you come close... to the camera.
Tighter.
It's a very tight closeup.
Even tighter.
Yes.
If you walk around now,
I'd like to see how the light plays on the catsuit.
Look at us.
Uh, I lost you.
(laughs) Okay.
Again, a bit closer.
-And cut. -(camera beeps)
One last picture and I'm done.
Mira: Great.
Sorry.
-(camera clicks) -Okay, perfect. Is it the last look?
Carla: Yeah, we're good.
That's okay.
-Great. -Mira: Yeah, it's okay.
-Laetitia: The style is almost like Musidora. -Mira: Yeah.
Right, let's take off your hood.
I'll walk you to your dressing room.
Great, yeah, it's getting hot.
It's a nice hotel,
but we really had to twist their arm
to get a decent suite.
Well, you're in Europe.
They have a culture of saving
on whatever they can.
It's a TV show.
It's not some... indie feature.
(door opening)
Zelda wants you to call her back.
I will tomorrow.
Please, she's already called you, like, three times.
(line chiming)
Zelda: (on tablet) Heard they're shutting down your show.
Why would they do that?
Can't get René insured.
Mira: Anybody can get insured.
Yeah... if you pay.
And they're asking for a shitload.
Pack your bags, and get the hell out of there, okay?
This is bad news.
Well, no one here seems to know.
Zelda: They know it.
They're just not telling you.
Okay, you have five minutes?
No. I wanna take off my makeup and get going.
Zelda: I want to discuss the "Silver Surfer" sequel.
Yes, and we've already discussed it.
Zelda: They want you.
Yeah, but it's a boring part.
I'm tired of being the girlfriend.
Zelda: Listen.
Here's the twist-- it's a reboot.
Okay? Silver Surfer dies, and the girlfriend takes over.
This is exactly what people want right now.
High-concept, feminist,
lady-led superhero movie.
All right? They are gonna go nuts over this.
Mira: Are you serious?
You want me to play the Silver Surfer?
She wants me to play the Silver Surfer.
Zelda: Yeah, I sure do.
I would even pay to see it.
And they're ready to write you a blank check.
Who's directing?
Zelda: A hot new British filmmaker.
He directed Grimes' videos. His name escapes me.
-(Mira sighs) -Zelda: Babe...
"Irma Vep" is not happening.
All right? Don't worry, I'll make sure they pay you out,
but, uh... get over it.
(speaking French)
(door closes)
Oui, oui.
-Mira: Do you come here a lot? -I haven't been here for ages.
(upbeat club music playing)
(indistinct chatter)
There's a seat over there.
I spoke to my agent.
She said they're shutting us down.
-Absolutely not. -You sure?
What would you like to drink?
-Do you want a beer? -Thanks.
Well, they found another insurer
who's covering René with no extra cost.
But you want me to be honest?
I think they should shut us down.
(chuckles)
Why do you say that?
Because René is nuts.
Yeah, I've heard,
but, you know, based on my experience,
I think... he's nuts in a good way.
Yeah, I love him very much--
Well, most of the time, but he can be scary nuts.
Well, no offense meant,
but... you're something of a kook, too.
I'm wardrobe. Who cares if I have a screw loose?
-So, the show is happening? -It is.
So, I'm not going back to LA?
Did you want to go back to LA?
No. (sighs) Not really.
Because you broke up with Laurie?
No.
If you go back to LA,
you'll end up seeing her again.
Not if I can avoid it.
Do you trust yourself?
Mira: No.
I trusted Laurie, though.
I, I, I opened up, I let her in.
Uh... she chose to take advantage of it.
But it was great.
It was great, so great... before it went toxic.
Anyway, she helped me out of this relationship
with my ex, Eamonn, that was going nowhere.
Um, I wouldn't have done it on my own,
so... I should be grateful.
I thought you and Eamonn were madly in love.
We had, um...
two good years, and... the third year was hell.
That's not at all what he told the media.
Well, Eamonn rewrites the story.
Well, you dumped a megastar for your assistant.
-He felt humiliated. -Or angry.
A lot of people got angry on social media.
You know what? You're not supposed to date your employee.
They loved it when Laurie turned the tables on me.
They felt vindicated, and they made sure I knew.
What about you?
How did you feel?
The wild thing is...
that it turned me on.
(laughing)
("99 Luftballons" by Nena playing)
So, you prefer chaos in Paris to loneliness in LA?
You know what? I have no fucking idea.
♪ ♪
(ominous music playing)
♪ ♪
(heavy breathing)
-(audience exclaiming) -Ah!
(screams from audience)
(gasping)
♪ ♪
(screaming continues)
♪ ♪
Philippe Guérande: Follow that car.
Go, go!
(thunder rumbling)
Grand Vampire: Ah, Mister Philippe Guérande.
Philippe: You're not the Count of Noirmoutier,
you're the Grand Vampire.
-Grand Vampire: You fell into our trap. -(yelling)
-Now it's time to pay the price! -Let me go!
(yelling)
Let me go!
Grand Vampire: Go, go, go!
♪ ♪
Vampire: Come midnight, you will be sentenced
by the Vampire's Grand Inquisitor.
And you will be executed at dawn
before the Dark Committee.
To punish you for meddling,
the dancer, Marfa Koutiloff,
has been poisoned.
-She's dead. -(speaking French)
(yelling, grunting)
(Mira sighs)
Sorry, I... I think of Musidora.
She was perfection.
I just feel like a cheap imitation.
No, there's nothing cheap about what you're doing, Mira.
You almost have it.
Uh... it's not the way it feels.
Let yourself go.
-Don't focus on the step. -Yeah, that's what I'm trying to do,
but it just feels stiff.
No, you're pretty close.
But don't lose the pace.
Yeah.
Look.
When you do this movement...
you have to stretch,
and feel your foot until the end.
Yeah, okay?
And then you come here,
and stretch your body very high, yes.
And shoulder, and suddenly... turn.
Ugh.
-Ugh, it's always the turn, ugh. -Don't worry, Mira. It's okay.
Don't worry.
Let's do it one more time
just to make sure we hit all the marks.
And remember,
you're not dancing for an audience...
you're dancing for the camera.
-Sure. -The moves that feel bizarre
can be good on-screen.
But acting is like choreography.
It has to feel right, it can't be forced.
Let's do it one more time.
-Right, first, yeah. -Okay.
(hisses)
Volodia: Wow. We've got it.
Where did that come from?
-I don't know. -Really?
I don't know. It felt bizarre-- so I went for it.
It's about the teeth or something like that?
-Maybe I thought of vampires. (laughs) -You're crazy!
-Great. -Okay.
(indistinct chatter)
(speaking French)
(bell tolling)
(keys jangling)
I am the Vampire's Grand Inquisitor.
(tense music playing)
Now it's time to administer justice.
Let me go, let me go!
(grunting)
You will pay for this!
The Vampires' secrets.
♪ ♪
(birds cawing)
I swear, I will avenge Marfa's death.
I will know no peace
until the evil network of The Vampires has been destroyed.
The Grand Vampire and his nefarious accomplices
will pay for their crimes.
(speaking French)
(phone dings)
Okay.
Bye.
(ominous music playing)
(inaudible)
(whimsical accordion music playing)
♪ ♪
Gottfried: Hey!
-Are you okay? -Yeah.
Must have been a long trip.
-Three days. -Where were you?
North of Finland.
-Sodankyla. -Ah.
So, Gottfried, what were you doing in Sodankyla?
They have a film festival.
I was on the jury. Aki is a friend of mine.
Why not fly?
I don't fly.
Fear of flying?
Anything that flies has to be evil.
Okay.
You can just sit on the bench if you want.
Driver was supposed to be here.
(ambient street noise)
Can, can I trust you?
-Yeah, sure. -It's hard to say, um.
I'm a, I'm a bit embarrassed.
No, please, don't be.
Ah!
-Don't worry. -I, I don't, I don't know how to put it.
Yeah, but I've heard a lot. It's part of the job.
Really, don't be embarrassed.
I'll be honest. I have an... addiction issue.
Well, happens to the best of us.
Crack.
Crack?
Okay... And?
I saw customs officers
between Gothenburg and Hamburg,
and I... I freaked out.
I... I flushed my stash down the toilet.
It turns out they were just
Swedish soldiers on leave.
(chuckles)
-Be careful. -Yeah.
Can you just get in, please, Gottfried.
(window whirring)
I don't know if you have ever had problems with rocks.
Nope, never.
I've actually never tried crack.
-No? -No.
Don't believe what they say.
It, it, it doesn't fry your brain.
-No. -Not entirely, I mean.
But the addiction is mean.
I've heard it's, kind of, overwhelming.
Overwhelming, exactly.
I've been... off crack for a full 24 hours.
Carla: Oh, great!
That's the first step.
Now we have a couple of days left to get clean
before we start shooting.
You'll be all right.
Uh, Carla, right? That's your name?
-Yeah. -Carla, I, I never acted clean.
You have to score me some.
-Okay. -Or else I'll throw myself out of the window.
(speaking French)
Here... Um, can I have your photo ID, please?
-And a credit card for incidentals? -Yeah.
Thank you, sir.
(speaking French)
Michelle (on phone): I'm so sorry about the pictures.
French paparazzi.
What pictures?
A French site ran a picture
of you and Regina shopping.
So, um, what's wrong with shopping with Regina?
Michelle: They are all looking for the new girlfriend.
She's young, cool, she fits the part,
makes good story.
If they want Regina, let them have Regina.
I don't recall anyone asking me.
You know it's part of the job.
That may be, but I don't enjoy it.
I don't want people to think we're dating.
She's right. It's unfair to both of you.
Michelle... I'm used to this stuff.
It's been my life for years now.
-Michelle: Oh. Okay, gotta go. -(knocks on door)
-Bye. -Mira: Bye. Bye-bye.
-Zoe: Is she done? -Yeah, she just hung up. Come in.
-Mira: Wow, are you okay? -Jesus Christ... Yeah.
So... how do you feel?
Nervous.
This is Irma Vep at her most iconic,
and they, they want me to get it right on my first day.
You'll kill it.
Quite the challenge, though.
Um... I got rid of the black veil for the blouse,
made it more similar to Musidora's.
The original was perfect, so.
And what about the lighter fabric for the dress?
Easier for the choreography.
-Great. -(chuckling)
-Mind if I smoke? -No, of course not.
Uh... could you do the belt?
Hop. Let's see.
-What do you think? -Yeah, it's good.
Love it.
Regina, can you show me the scene again?
Regina: Yeah.
-I think I'm gonna make a few pictures for René. -(video plays)
Make sure that he likes it.
(camera clicks)
(spirited piano music playing)
(inaudible)
Zoe: Regina, please, can you step out?
Reginaaa!
-Sorry. -Zoe: Go away.
(camera clicks)
♪ ♪
Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you.
I love it, and I love, I love, I love you.
I have to show the pictures to René.
(door closes)
(discordant music playing)
(applause, cheers)
Mira (singing): ♪ Pull the curtains ♪
♪ The sun won't burn us ♪
♪ They will never see our faces ♪
♪ They're not aware of cryptic spaces ♪
♪ Secret breath across my flesh ♪
♪ Nighttime awaits ♪
♪ There is no escape ♪
(cheering)
♪ ♪
♪ Lightning cracks the molten sky ♪
♪ Under rules my primal rite ♪
♪ Tonight, now deepening black ♪
♪ We are never going back ♪
♪ Stare into the fire ♪
♪ To mirror our desire ♪
♪ ♪
(applause, cheers)
♪ ♪
(train beeps)
(music ends)
(speaking French)
Um...
(pensive music playing)
♪ ♪
(speaking French)
Ah!
(speaking French)
Thank you for letting me share your ride.
Yeah, you're welcome.
-It's been a really hard week. -You should be more patient.
You have no idea how much I've been stretching my patience.
Regina: I think René is right.
I like Philippe's mother. I... I miss her.
You should bring her back.
Edmond: No, uh, if he even tries
to bring her back, I'm done. I'm out of here.
Zoe: Can I ask you a question?
Yeah.
I don't want it to be embarrassing, though.
But, you know, sometimes, there's stuff online that you can't avoid.
Yeah, are you talking about Laurie's Instagram?
Those old photos she posted last night.
Yeah... Pretty hot, right?
I guess she saw the paparazzi shot of you and Regina.
Ah...
-You're... okay with that? -(chuckles)
Uh, no, I'm not, but I guess it's part of the job.
-Meaning part of being famous? -Uh, part of... wanting fame.
-Uh-huh. -Mm-hm.
Uh, you make... you make a deal when you crave that.
You, uh, get fame, and...
give a piece of yourself in exchange.
-Like what? -Like embarrassing photos.
Like outrageous behavior.
Like sharing your privacy.
Uhh, yeah.
The skirt, maybe it should be a little tighter.
Hm.
I haven't hemmed it up yet.
I am angry with Laurie,
but... that's real life.
Our life.
And the games she wants to play on the fuckin' internet
are the least of my concerns.
She praises Herman to no end,
like he's changed her life.
I know... Gross.
What was it like working with him?
Uh, he's a pro.
He loves doing what he does, and he's a good guy,
but I wouldn't pay to see a movie of his.
(both chuckle)
Are we really talking about Herman now?
Was it your first time with a girl?
Yeah.
And it left you a little bit confused.
I guess so.
(knocks on door)
(door opens)
Are you done?
They're waiting for you on set.
I-I-I'm sorry.
I had no idea you guys were waiting.
Guys, no need to argue.
We did a good job, and I'm... happy.
(softly) Let's get going.
What are we starting with?
Carla: Irma Vep has been hired as a maid
at Philippe Guérande's place,
-and she wants to get the red codebook back. -Sure.
I meant the Grand Inquisitor's codebook
with all the secrets of the Vampires.
That never made sense to me.
I mean, why would the Vampires be so dumb
as to write down all their secrets in a notebook?
I have no idea.
Oh, s-sorry to keep you waiting.
No worries, uh. We, we had, uh, stuff to fine-tune.
So, this is, uh, Philippe's bedroom,
and, uh, just y-you'll open this window.
Look. And then through here,
she will let the Vampire in.
And...
And, uh, the Vampire will search this desk
for the red codebook.
Can I ask you something?
René: I'm here to help.
Yeah, I just need a little clarification.
Um... do you want a coffee?
-Uh, yes. -Okay, come, um.
-So... you know, if I were a Vampire-- -Mm-hm.
I don't know if I would, you know,
write down all my secrets.
-Mm-hm. -Or I would keep them in a safe, or--
But, uh, w-w-what do you do with, uh, your passwords?
-I write them down. -Uh-huh.
-So, are, are they in a safe? -Who has a safe?
-Ah, uh. -See?
I know... Okay, get your point.
Umm...
So, um...
let's make sure I got this right.
She's gonna spike Philippe's herbal tea with a sedative.
Yeah. Yeah, like, like, this.
He will be in a deep sleep
-when the Vampires come in. -Yeah, and then she's gonna
-steal the red notebook. -Uh, r-red...
-The red codebook, yeah. -...code-code-codebook.
(chuckles)
And, and the whole plan
depends on Philippe drinking herbal tea
before he sleeps.
Yeah, yeah. It-it's his habit.
Detox?
-(stammers) -No, s-- It, it was a joke.
-It is-- -Sorry.
Okay, so, uh-- And, and also, wh-- like, wh--
Who hired Irma Vep, uh, to be his maid?
Actually... his mother did.
Is she still in the film?
I thought you were getting rid of her.
What I promised, uh, Edmond
to get him off my back,
but truth is, uh, I kept her.
So, Philippe lives with his mother.
Cool.
Uh... and she's here.
-Come, come. -Yeah.
M-Marie-Rose. Marie. (chuckles)
-Um, Marie-Rose, uh, I want to introduce you-- -Yes?
to Mira Harberg.
-So nice to meet you. -Marie-Rose Germon.
She's a grand dame of French stage.
We're ready to shoot.
-So are we, huh? -S-See you in a bit.
-See you later. Bye. -See you later. Bye.
(indistinct chatter)
Carla: (shouts) We're shooting! Positions, please!
Is Edmond aware that Philippe's mother is back?
Uhh, uh, I haven't told him yet.
It's a kind of surprise.
Can't wait to see his reaction.
I guess he will have to adapt.
-Excuse me. This is the poison. -(crew speaking French)
-This is the poison. -Oh.
(speaking French)
A-Are you ready?
Action.
(soft music playing)
♪ ♪
(inaudible)
(whimsical accordion music playing)
(tense music playing)
(gunshots)
(speaking French)
Uh...
Mira, uh, can you make it a bit more real?
But she knows the bullets are blanks.
She reloaded it herself.
Yeah, yeah, but, uh, she l--
She still should do a better job
pretending, you know?
I thought, uh, I did a good job.
It was fake. The, the way you stepped over the railing,
-there is no sense of danger. -Carla (shouts): We're going
-for another take, please! -And what kind of journalist is Philippe?
Ready to kill two unarmed burglars?
Self-defense. You tried to poison me.
-Yeah, no jury would ever buy that. -René: Maybe not today,
but we are in 1916.
Yes, but our audience is a century later.
Don't worry. They will get it.
It's Feuillade's crazy plot.
Uhh... okay.
(speaking French)
(soft music playing)
(gunshots)
(grunts)
(gunshots)
(gasps)
(gunshots)
♪ ♪