Singles Deleted Scenes – Bailey’s French Club Fantasy

EXT. STREET – AFTERNOON (LATER)

Bailey on the street, something gnawing at him. He thrusts his hands down deep in his pockets. He turns down an alley, sees a small sign over a door. It’s a new bookstore/coffee club in the area.

INT. LOVE OR CONFUSION BOOKSTORE/COFFEE CLUB – AFTERNOON

Bailey enters this amazing hole-in-the-wall, a portrait in black and white. The front room is filled with newspapers and foreign editions of his favorite books. Bohemians stand reading, strange artwork hangs on the walls. Bailey’s vision of a glorious afterlife would already not be far from this . . . and then he notices a back room.

Bailey moves into the back room, a sit-down reading area with small desks (with indentations for coffee cups), international newspapers hand from the racks, on the wall is a huge framed poster from a French festival headlines by U2. And then he notices another room behind this one . . .

Bailey enters the inner-sanctum. It’s a poetry reading room, expressively-lit. Smoke curls from the cigarettes of the hardcore beat-types sitting, listening, their heads nodding just slightly. They listen to a gifted young poetess (ANNA), who stands before a single microphone. She reads her poetry in French.

ANNA

Il n’y a pas de blagues.

SUBTITLE: There are no jokes.

CLOSE ANGLE ON ANNA

ANNA

Tout ce qui est drole est serieux.

SUBTITLE: Everything that is funny is serious.

Bailey takes a seat and listens.

ANNA

Quand quelqui ‘un fait une blague,
ils ne font pas de blague.

SUBTITLE: When someone makes a joke, they are not making a joke.

ANNA

Quand il parlent d’amour, ils
parlent de haine.

SUBTITLE: When they talk about love, they talk about hate.

She pulls the microphone and begins to stroll around to the tables.

ANNA

La flamme d’armour brule
brievement.

SUBTITLE: The flame of love burns briefly.

ANNA

Pourquoi le poulet a-t-il
traverse la route?

SUBTITLE: Why did the chicken cross the road?

ANNA

Qu’ importe?

SUBTITLE: Who cares?

CLOSE ON BAILEY

who is captivated by this girl.

The end of her reading takes her to Bailey’s table. She sets down her microphone. The small crowd applauds, grateful for the spiritual nourishment. She sits down across from Bailey.

ANNA

Je ressense quelque close pour
vous.

SUBTITLE: I have a feeling about you.

Bailey lights two cigarettes, gives her one.

BAILEY

Plusieurs choses inatttendius
me sont arrivees aujourd ‘hui.

SUBTITLE: Today has brought me many surprises.

BAILEY

Je ressens aussi quelque chose
pour vous.

SUBTITLE: I have a feeling about you too.

ANNA

Allons sur la route. Montrez-moi
voltre pays.

SUBTITLE: Let us go on the road. Show me your country.

BAILEY

Ah! J’ai un emploi.

SUBTITLE: Ha! I have a job.

ANNA

Il y en aura d’autres . . .

SUBTITLE: There will be others.

ANNA
(pained sigh)
L’amour.

SUBTITLE: The delicious self-pity at the end of the affair almost makes the pain worthwhile.

CLOSE ON BAILEY

who pauses, picks up his keys.

BAILEY

Allons-y

SUBTITLE: Let’s go.

MUSIC PLAYS as they both get up, leaving behind their possessions. For her, Colette’s “The Pure and the Impure.” For him, the Gortec watch.

(It’s the typical “generic-type” color scheme, and the blue words spell out like a product name . . . )