Trance (2013) Movie Script
1
19 million, it's against you, sir.
20 million pounds.
20. Here's the bid
at 20 million.
21 million.
Back in the aisle.
There is a painting,
it's by Rembrandt.
'Storm On The Sea Of Galilee',
it's called...
...and he's in it.
Old Rembrandt,
he's in the painting.
He's in there, right in
the middle of the storm,
looking straight out at you.
But...you can't see him.
And the reason
you can't see him
is because
the painting has been stolen.
Lots of paintings have been stolen.
They're still missing.
'Pride Of Lions' showing here on my left.
Thank you.
I start the bidding here
at a thousand guineas.
It used to be anyone
could steal a painting.
There was no need for a gun.
AM it took was a bit of
muscle and some nerve.
And that...
...was that.
But not anymore.
Those days are gone.
A business can't function
taking big hits
like that.
So now we have procedures...
...and precautions
and security measures.
Now we have a policy.
We have bag searches and magnetic
alarms and silent scanners...
...and X-ray machines
and cameras.
Also we have drills. And the
first thing they tell us is...
Do not be a hero.
This is a robbery!
Now no piece of art
is worth a human life.
It's a sound
piece of advice, that.
No piece of art is
worth a human life.
But...
...in the event of an event...
...or situation we are to remove
the most valuable item...
...or items and take them
to a place of safety.
I.E., the fast-drop slot...
...in a time delay vault.
That's about all
you can do really.
Come and enjoy the auction.
I mean, if you wanna let people
in, if you want them to bid...
And when you're
trying to og the star
of the show for
25 million sterling...
...you definitely
want them to bid.
650,000.
Sold to paddle 88.
Congratulations, madam.
Ladies and gentlemen...
...there will now
be a brief interval.
When we reconvene, our head
auctioneer, Francis Lemaitre...
...will lead the auction for
Goya's 'Witches In The Air'.
Thank you very much.
So we notify the cops
about big ticket sales...
...and we even keep half a dozen
Ukrainian ex-naval commandos...
...in a van outside, just in case
it all kicks off. Or so they say.
Simon, are you coming?
I'm about to start.
Uh...
Yeah.
Here we go.
So, what happens,
of course, is that
just as we up our game,
the villains up theirs.
They don't just
turn up on spec anymore.
We have precautions,
they have plans.
They do research,
they do recces.
They learn about our
cameras and scanners...
...and Ukrainian ex-naval commandos
but some things don't change.
It still takes muscle
and it still takes nerve.
Good afternoon, ladies and
gentlemen, and welcome to Delancy's.
We are extremely
honored to be selling
Francisco de Goya's
wonderful work...
...of 'Witches In The Air'.
Goya, the father
of modern art...
...and the first great painter
of the human mind.
Let's start the bidding
at 5 million pounds.
Thank you, sir. 5 million pounds.
An opening bid.
5 million, 500 thousand.
6 million.
In the center here
at 10 million pounds.
11 million on the aisle.
12 million. 13 million.
17 million. Thank you, sir.
18 million.
19 million. Bad luck. 20?
21 million pounds.
Take your time.
22 million. Thank you.
Telephone bidder now. 26 million.
26 on the telephone.
27 to the lady on the aisle.
Small one?
Small one.
27 million,
500 thousand I'll take.
Last chance.
Hammer's coming down.
I'm selling for 27 million,
500 thousand pounds.
Sold. Paddle number 104.
Get down! Get down!
Gas. Gas!
Everybody out now!
Everybody get out the building now!
Come on!
Gas attack.
Gas attack, gas attack.
Attention please.
Attention please.
Please evacuate the building.
Please do not
use the elevators.
Make your way to the
nearest emergency exit.
So when it happens,
as one day it must...
...it is imperative
not to panic.
Follow the drill and let
the training kick in.
If circumstances allow...
...if, remember only if...
...in the event of an event...
...or situation...
...we are to remove,
where possible,
the most valuable
item or items...
...and take them to
a place of safety.
Stop right there.
Step back.
Remember, do not be a hero.
Put it down.
No piece of art is
worth a human life.
No, no, no...
Don't.
Fucking idiot!
Riz, let's go.
Afternoon, Sister.
And how are you feeling?
Um... Fine.
Been up?
Mmm-hmm.
Walking?
Yeah. Walking and everything.
You know who you are?
Yeah, I think so.
How do you feel
about going home?
Jolly good! Right,
come on, troops, let's go.
Thanks.
Oh, fuck off!
Fuck's sake.
Hello?
Hey, Simon.
Franck wants to see you.
Where is it?
I don't know.
I'm sorry, Franck.
You must have taken it. You
must have put it somewhere.
Yeah, I must have.
I know I...
Well, did you
or did you not?
I can't remember!
I got hit on the head!
That you remember?
Yeah, I got a big fucking scar on
my head to remind me, don't I?
What did you expect?
You assaulted me. I had a shotgun.
Simon, the plan was simple.
All you needed to do was take the
painting and bring it to me.
I know, I...
So, where is it?
I don't know, I can't remember.
I can't remember.
I'm sorry,
I can't remember.
Franck!
Amnesia's bollocks. Everyone
knows amnesia is bollocks.
No, it's not.
It's not
going to work.
- What do you mean?
- He cannot remember.
How did you
work that out?
Look at him. Any man who
knew would have told you by now.
Hey.
You know what?
I ought to kill you.
Why don't you?
Finish the job and put
me out of my misery.
And then...
...you can find your
own fucking painting.
Riz.
Give him some food.
Well, his brain
is intact on a gross level.
On a smaller scale,
who's to say?
What I'm saying
is we don't know.
The memories may come
back, they may not.
All you can do
is wait and see.
Isn't there something
you can do?
For memory?
Nothing. Except time.
Some sort of medicine?
There's no drug
therapy for amnesia.
What about other
sorts of therapy?
Here.
- Pick one.
- Ow!
Hypnosis?
He said it might work.
What am I gonna tell him? I stole
a painting and now I've lost it?
You know,
you make something up.
What if that doesn't work?
Doesn't work?
Simon...
Doesn't work?!
Okay, okay.
Urn...
That one.
Why her? I don't know.
I like the name.
Right.
You walk across
a wide open space.
Exactly the sort of place which
might once have made you panic.
You are in Cape Canaveral and you
are Head of Mission Control.
The rocket is ready to launch
and although you are excited...
...you will not prematurely
release the rocket.
And now you watch as the
spider leaves its web...
...and crawls slowly across
the floor towards you.
There is 30,000 feet of air
between you and the ground...
...and the sound of those perfectly
functioning jet engines...
...is making you feel calm
because you know...
...that you are not hungry...
...and that these are feelings
of stress and loneliness...
...and that you will see
the ball cross the green
and disappear
into the hole.
Um, okay, um, my name is not Simon Newton.
My name is David Maxwell.
Uh, I cannot find my car keys.
Please stop doing that. Stop hitting it.
Say your name.
Okay.
My name is David Maxwell.
Yeah, set.
Seriously,
what if I say too much?
We wake you up.
Mr. Maxwell?
Mr. Maxwell?
- Mr. Maxwell?
- That's me. I'm sorry.
Something the matter?
Of course not.
I'm Elizabeth Lamb.
I'm... Mr. Maxwell.
Please.
Okay.
You've
come to find your car keys?
Yep.
They're just in here.
I wish.
Hang up your coat.
Have a seat.
Have you ever been
hypnotized before?
No. Um...
No. No, at least not
that I can remember.
I suppose you've
spent some time
trying to remember where
you put these keys?
I've tried everything. I just keep
coming up against a brick wall.
Of course. So...
...I don't want you
to do the work today.
I want you... to sit back.
And I want you
to close your eyes.
We're starting, right.
I want you to think
about someone else.
Someone who could
do it for you.
Another man.
Like you but not you.
I want you to focus on him.
Let him take over.
Is he there?
Yes.
Is he under already?
Do you wanna
give him a name?
Simon.
Simon Newton.
Get him out of there.
No, no.
Right, Simon.
Welcome to the session.
Thanks. It's really
nice to be here.
Now I want you
to relax, Simon.
I like your voice.
And now your mind
is starting to think.
So think about those keys. And you
now can feel them in your hand.
The shape. The metal.
And you can see the color.
Blue.
They are on a blue key-ring.
And your mind
starts to think about
the last time
you remember them.
I'm trying to walk...
...and they're in my pocket.
And I want you to
picture them in your pocket...
...exactly as they were
before you lifted them out...
...and you
placed them somewhere.
A safe place...
...that, when
the time is right,
you will be able to reach for
them and they will be there.
Where did you say they were?
In the wardrobe.
What's in
the wardrobe, Simon?
The...
I'm sorry about that.
Was I hypnotized?
No, you were just
finding your car keys.
Whoa, whoa, whoa.
Let me fucking
get in through there.
Really sorry. I kept thinking about the painting.
She just kept saying "keys".
Well, that's it, then,
it can't be done.
She got his name
in 30 seconds.
And she found
the car keys.
Whatever is in his head,
she can find.
What am I supposed to say,
that I lost my keys again?
You're the clever boy.
You got us into this
so now you think of
something to get us out.
And you make it work.
Hey!
Fucking pedestrians!
Hey!
St. Pancras please.
You must think
I'm stalking you.
No, I just think you've put
yourself under a lot of pressure.
To be honest, I'm not
here to look for my keys.
I found them,
thank you.
I'm looking for
something a bit more...
...personal. And...
...I can't tell
you what it is.
It's not porn.
I promise.
And I just really
need to find this thing.
Hypnosis
is the perfect tool.
I don't need to know
what it is.
So I 'd
like you to close your eyes
and imagine
you're in an elevator.
A wide elevator with velvet
walls and thick carpets.
And as the doors close...
...your eyelids
become heavier.
And as your
eyes become heavier
and the elevator
begins to go down...
...you realize that this is
the elevator of relaxation.
And now you're on the
third floor going down...
...and you could get out
but you want to go on...
...deeper.
Deeper.
Deeper into relaxation.
And you feel that perhaps
you'll never want to get out.
It's so safe here.
So comfortable.
So relaxed.
I don't wanna talk
to Simon anymore.
I wanna talk to the men who are listening.
The men who hurt him.
Oh, fuck.
You feel safe?
- Safe?
- Yes.
I don't think
you'll hurt me.
You're right.
Absolutely.
It would be irrational.
And yet we are
like that, aren't we?
All of us sometimes stupid.
Irrational.
It's fear, I think.
Fear of the unknown.
There are four of us
but we are frightened of you.
You don't need to be.
I'm so glad to hear that.
Simon is an unusual subject.
He floats in and out
of trance very easily.
But...
...he's got
a lot on his mind.
Fear. Resentment. Anger.
Why do you think
he did it?
Greed, most likely.
Does he strike you
as greedy?
Everyone is--
sooner or later.
Simon wanted the painting,
that's it.
For himself?
Well, it's not like
he did it for someone else.
Quite sure of that,
are you?
Please don't.
So, can you do it?
Hypnotherapy will work.
But?
Only if it's a partnership.
Very well.
The finder's fee is 3%.
It's not enough.
See what I mean?
It's not about the money. I have to
have equal status in the group...
...otherwise Simon
won't respect me.
If you wanna
make progress...
...you really
have to move beyond
getting one over
on people, Franck.
Hypnotherapy
is a means of altering
unwanted or
dysfunctional behavior.
The unwanted behavior
in Simon's case is forgetting.
You mean
he's doing it deliberately?
Not in the sense
that you mean, Dominic.
We keep secrets from
lots of people,
but most of all we keep
them from ourselves.
And we call that forgetting.
Now, Simon...
...I'd like you
to close your eyes.
Okay, okay.
I'd like you to think
about being at home.
Home is a place
where you feel secure.
In control.
You are feeling
refreshed and positive.
And when the doorbell rings...
...you feel
a rush of enthusiasm.
Hello? Parcel for
Simon Newton, please.
Er... coming.
Hey, Mr. Postman.
Thank you very much.
You are excited...
...but you stay calm...
...because you know that
this is no ordinary package.
Inside this package...
...is the memory that
you have been waiting for.
And you know that
when you open it up
you will find what
you did that day...
...what you did with the painting.
And now...
...taking your time...
...you open it.
Now you're not
going to rush...
...because it's a big step
even to have got this far.
Slowly...
...so as not to
upset the contents...
...you open it.
Franck. May I?
Yeah.
Are you okay?
Fine.
How did you meet them?
Riz...
...I used to buy
drugs from Riz.
That was it really. Well, the
thing is, I needed money.
What for?
Gambling debt.
I was--I am...
...addicted...
...to gambling.
I was really
good at it, you know.
I wasn't quite
good enough, though.
And not really good enough
isn't really good at all.
Not at that level.
I tried to give it up. I tried
everything I could to kick it.
I should have tried hypnotism.
You should.
Maybe next time?
Anyway, I did what
all bad gamblers do...
...I borrowed more and played for
higher and higher stakes hoping...
...that my luck would change.
And when
that didn't happen...
...I panicked.
To various people...
...in various ways I am in
for money I don't have.
Never will.
This painting came in.
This fucking painting.
Are you a gambling man, Simon?
Because I'll wager you,
anything you care to name...
...that I can flog this in the
autumn sale for over 25 million.
Sterling.
And I know it sounds
ridiculous, an inside job,
but it just seemed
like the answer.
I didn't know any criminals so I
thought Riz might. He brought me here.
He introduced me to Franck.
Franck cleared my debt
in return for the painting.
I owe him a lot of money.
And I don't know
what I'm going to do.
He's afraid that once
he's remembered, you'll kill him.
- That's ridiculous.
- Is it?
Let's talk about killing. Have
you ever killed anyone, Dominic?
No.
Well, yeah, in Iraq.
Loads, obviously.
But that's artillery,
isn't it?
You never get to see
exactly who you've...
Nate.
Killed anyone?
Define 'killed'.
That's
exactly why he won't open up.
His behavior isn't dysfunctional,
it's entirely logical.
It's straightforward
self-preservation.
Why do you think he cheated
you in the first place?
So what do you suggest?
How do we make him
feel more secure?
In an ideal world
he'd kill you all.
That would do it, right?
Ideal.
Most likely.
Okay. But supposing, for the sake
of argument, we don't go for that.
Then what?
He needs to see you
weak and exposed
to whatever it is
you fear the most.
Nonsense.
Not gonna happen.
He needs to know
that you're vulnerable.
If you're suggesting what I think...
I'm a professional.
I'm not going to
put you on the stage.
The answer is definitely 'no'.
Now the next voice
you hear-- will be Simon's.
And he is going to say the word
that I have prepared for you.
And when he
speaks that word...
...you will descend into your
very own world of fear...
...from which only
he can bring you back.
Strawberry.
Simon.
Simon, say it!
Strawberry.
That was incredible.
Are you all right?
Yeah. Why?
He doesn't know.
Oh, I'm sorry, man.
Shall I
scrub your back?
How did you...?
Well, I used to...
...I used to, you know...
So...
...we got enough, I think,
to make our boy feel secure.
Safe to remember, all that.
I think so.
Now we progress.
I like that, it's good.
Soon we'll have the painting.
And what about
poor old Nate?
Does he still fall to pieces at
every mention of the little berry?
No. Sustained post hypnotic
suggestion is more difficult.
More difficult,
but you can do it, right?
Not to everyone, of course.
5%? Correct me if I'm wrong.
5% of the population?
Yes. Can be described
as extremely suggestible.
Wow, 5%.
Who'd have thought?
And what can you make them do?
Well, I'm just asking.
I'm interested.
All right.
Well, let's see, if you
had the right person...
...if you get a hold
of them, dig right in...
...if you get them
under your spell...
...if you work hard
--and take your time...
...and do it right...
...you can make
them want to do...
...almost...
...anything.
There you are...
...in an open-top car...
...driving through the French countryside
with a beautiful young woman.
And the radio plays
some forgotten song...
...and the sun burns the back of
your heads in the warm wind...
...and with
every mile you travel...
...all your problems seem so
far away and so long ago.
And soon a field of sunflowers
gives way to a low building...
...of stone and tile.
The girl's dress,
her calves...
...leads you through a corridor
to a vast room of paintings.
Caravaggio's 'Adoration'.
Cezanne.
Vermeer's 'Concert'.
Van Gogh.
Modigliani.
Manet. Degas.
And Rembrandt himself.
'The Storm On
The Sea Of Galilee'.
These are
the lost paintings...
...all the stolen and
destroyed, but now together...
...authenticated, safe.
She takes your hand and leads
you into a final room.
And it's in here...
...in this
magical safe place...
...that you feel ready.
And you reach
into the package...
...and you lift
out your memory.
The memory of what happened that day.
The memory of what you did.
And now...
...safe and relaxed...
...you decide to watch.
You decide to remember.
...fifty thousand pounds.
Sold to paddle 88.
I remember that day.
I remember.
I take the painting.
I carry it in front of me.
And I cut the canvas free with
a razor blade.
I conceal the painting.
I carry on.
Remember...
...no piece of art is worth a human life.
Sound advice that.
And I try to remember it.
You see if you can.
I discard the razor blade.
We are to take the most
valuable item, or items,
to a place of safe...
Franck?!
Stay back.
Put it down.
Simon...
He's about to look.
I can't let him.
Don't.
From a safe distance...
...you see that
you have been hit.
Simon?!
Simon!
But you continue to watch.
You continue to remember.
I still have it.
I wake up and I still
have the painting.
I get up and I go outside.
There's a noise.
I have to walk away. I cannot stay
here, not with this painting.
I feel my heart vibrating.
My phone vibrating.
I look at it.
The car nearly kills me.
She's in the car.
Who is?
You are!
Oh my God.
Are you all right?
Elizabeth?
I'm not Elizabeth.
Shall I call an ambulance?
I remember.
I remember everything.
Look, why don't I
take you to hospital?
Yeah.
Elizabeth?
Shall I help you with your seat belt?
Why did you lie to me?
What?
You made me forget.
He's got it on him.
Look, he's got it on him.
Okay, maybe I oughta just--
call for that ambulance.
Open your jacket. Who called you?
I'm sorry. Will you
let me go, please?
Tell him
where you left it!
I don't
want you to go.
Never mind her!
Forget about her!
Open his jacket!
What are you gonna do
with the fucking painting?!
Just get him to tell us
where he put it.
Tell us where you left it!
Simon,
can you hear me?
Yes, I can hear you.
Good.
Can you see the blue screen?
Yes.
I'm going to
show you some images...
...while we scan the response
generated in your brain by each one.
The images will continue to
run but you can override that
by thinking
of a particular one.
And every 10 seconds
the least chosen image
will be discarded until
there is only one left.
However, every time
you think of this one...
...you will receive
an electric shock.
And the more you select it
the higher the voltage.
Do you understand?
Yeah.
Hello.
I slept on the sofa.
I was worried about you.
I had this dream.
Wasn't a dream.
I am so...
...so, so sorry.
What is
a person, Franck?
Not my line of work.
It's fine.
Being obsessed with someone is fine?
No.
But to have feelings...
...yes.
What we are...
...is the sum of everything we've
ever said, done and felt...
...all wrapped up
in one unique thread
which is constantly
being revised and remembered.
Soto be yourself you have to
constantly remember yourself.
It's a full-time job
but that's how it works.
When you hit him on
the head you broke the thread.
He's fixing it...
...with false memories,
with fantasies.
There's a space to fill so...
...he fills it with me.
He's in love with you?
We call it transference.
I don't know
what to say...
...now.
Okay. But where is the painting?
The same place
it's always been.
Yes, but now
you are the problem.
Yes.
But I may also
be the solution.
When in doubt
--try something traditional.
Traditional?
Okay. Right, how's this?
How would you...
...like to, with me,
go out somewhere?
What, you're gonna
screw him, is that it?
You'll fuck him just to
get him to remember?
It's not conventional practice,
but under the circumstances...
Pick me up at 8.
Where would you
like to go?
You choose.
I don't care.
Coffee's on.
Okay, but you wear a wire.
Don't be ridiculous.
You can keep the rest.
Thanks, man.
I don't like the idea
of you being alone with him.
I'm not wild
about it myself, Franck.
So if you can see any other way
to deal with this obsession...
...I'd love to hear it.
I'm glad I had you
choose the place. It's nice.
It is. I haven't
been here in a while.
Thank you very much.
So what do you recommend? I...
...usually have the steak,
which is a lie.
I don't usually
have the steak. I...
...I've never
been here before.
Simon. You need therapy.
I've been feeling
a little confused lately.
I just imagined
I'd been here before.
I could have sworn that
I'd met that waiter before.
And then what happens?
I give him what he wants...
...he's mine.
And after that,
he gives me what I want...
...what we want.
Just like that?
He isn't really receiving
electric shocks.
He only believes he is.
Just here. If you just pull
in here on the left, thank you.
This is,
this is me, actually.
Okay?
It's all right.
Okay. Have a good night.
There's a problem.
He's jealous.
Jealous?
Of me? That's so cute.
And that's why he doesn't
wanna sleep with you.
It's complicated
but that's what he said. Yes.
I really wonder how he gets that.
Ask yourself.
Because now
it's my fault?
I'm not assigning
blame, Franck.
But you are always.
You can't do it because
of this, because of that.
There is always something but
it's never your fault, right?
"It's a partnership, Franck."
"He's got to
respect me, Franck."
"We've gotta
make him feel safe."
"We've gotta
show him our fear."
"In an ideal world, Franck,
he'd kill us all."
In an ideal world, Elizabeth,
you'd go hypnotize the guy.
You'd bring me
back the painting
and you'd stop
wasting my fucking time.
Wait.
Jesus!
Fucking hell. Simon, it's Nate.
We need to talk.
Come up.
Right before
you close your eyes
Whispering your prayers
When the sandman
blows your eyes
I'll be there
I must remember
never to forget...
...that you're a criminal.
You got a boyfriend?
Now you ask?
Mmm-hmm.
No.
I'm single.
How is that possible?
I was in a relationship...
...he was violent...
...so now I'm not.
Got his address?
That's very kind...
...but 'no, thank you'.
You should get even.
Get a little angry.
To be angry
is to be a victim.
I've moved on.
That's the only
real victory.
So why are you
doing this, then?
Because it makes a change.
If you had to deal
with morbid obesity and...
...panic attacks...
...you'd see the attraction.
Can I tell you something?
I'd rather not.
Gather roses
while you may
While the bloom is full
For the blossom
soon will fade
And the bloom
grows dun
Right before you
close your eyes
Whispering your prayers
When the sandman
blows your eyes
Who'll be there?
Hey.
Listen, I...
...I...
...can you...
Can you see me again?
It's not exactly what
I wanted to say, but...
I mean, you know...
Yeah. I think so.
Good.
Be careful.
And as the image
grows closer and clearer...
...you find you are watching
what he did to you.
You are watching
the terrible things
that he did.
But, with every blow...
...that you watch
rain down upon you...
...you become only more
determined than ever.
You know that it's possible...
...to change your life
and move on.
That you will not
let this define you.
You will not let yourself
be violated by the memory...
...as you are
violated by the act.
Simon?
This all part of
your plan, yeah?
What are you
talking about?
The two of you.
Planning it together. Gonna get
it out of me and then dump me.
Simon, will you
calm down, please.
How long have you
been fucking Franck?
Where did that
come from?
It's true, though,
isn't it?
You know it isn't.
Why would Nate lie
about something like that?
Because he wants
Franck out.
He wants the painting
for himself.
I don't fucking
believe you!
Don't believe what? The existence
of greed in human beings? Grow up!
For the past week, you've made every
kind of excuse not to touch me...
...and now that
the moment's come,
you resort to some
insane fantasy...
Wait.
Wait.
I know what you want.
There's something
I have to do.
I tried to know
when to leave
She sits in the bedroom
and grieves
There's a sequence
that starts an again
She can't get up anymore,
with the pain
The combination
of these drugs
Has left her
hopeless and lost
She wants to count the ways
But she can't count again
And I will be right here
Till all the pain
Just disappears
And I will always stay
How did you know?
You told me.
Close your eyes.
Simon.
Relax.
When the silver
shines so hard
I tried to poison my life
Always dreaming
of the edge of the knife
She always looked backwards
And I couldn't sit here...
You know where it is now? Maybe.
Told her yet?
You wanna talk?
Yeah, it's about time.
So...
...Simon...
...we're all here. Do you
wanna talk us through it?
Yeah.
Good.
Yeah, I really do. I...
I'm sorry,
I just feel a bit nervous.
Come on,
it's all right.
Okay. Do you mind
if I use your...
Yeah, please, please...
I'll just be a minute.
So how long's
this gonna take?
It's all right.
I told him to wait.
He'll lie.
I bet you anything he lies.
He'd better
fucking not.
Don't worry, if it turns
out he's lying, we just kill him.
Hang on, we're gonna
kill him anyway, aren't we?
There's that.
Shh!
Fuck!
Fuck.
- Hello?
- It's me.
Simon?
Where are you?
I'm at Franck's house.
Jesus. What are you doing there?
Elizabeth, they're
going to kill me. No.
You were right. This is what
they always planned to do.
Don't you see, this is why
I had to hide the painting.
Simon, calm down.
Where are you now?
In the hallway.
The doors are locked.
All the doors are locked.
Go upstairs to
Franck's bedroom.
There's a pool...
...and a hallway.
Do you see the bedside table?
Yes.
Open the drawer.
No, the lower one.
Is there a gun?
Yes.
Do you think you can use it?
I don't know.
I've never
used one before.
Do you want me to call the police?
No, no...
No, it's better this way.
Elizabeth?
Yes?
I have something
to tell you.
Are you ready?
I remember.
I remember where I put it.
You don't have to tell me.
No, no. I do.
I might never
see you again.
I need to tell
you where it is.
Tell me now.
It's in a red Alfa Romeo in the
underground car park in Marble Arch.
I love you, Simon.
I love you, too.
Please, Simon.
Calm down, you've got it all wrong.
It's not what you think.
She's using you, Simon. She's
using you like she used us.
She has been using you
from the start, Simon.
Elizabeth?
Elizabeth?
So where has
she gone? Huh?
Don't let her get away.
Not after all this.
I know, Franck.
I know what you
were going to do to me.
She put that there.
It's not real.
She's not coming back, Simon.
Once she gets it, she's gone!
If I wanted to kill you,
why aren't you dead?
Because she loves me.
And I love her!
That's what
she thinks of you.
It's my gun. It's empty.
She took it from my apartment.
Where the fuck do you
think you're going?
I got this.
So...
...who knows?
She does.
You leave her alone.
He found it the first time.
The first time
he came to see me.
Remember?
You thought you'd just
found your car keys.
But you were
right, it's in there.
It's in the car. I took it to pieces.
It's not in there.
No, it's not in his car.
In the other car.
The red one.
Where is it?
Please, I can show you.
I can show you.
Get him dressed.
Go and get it.
And take him with you.
What is this? You're lucky
you're still in, Franck.
Go and get it.
Bring it back here and we'll
keep an eye on her. Promise.
Say something.
Allow the mushy shit.
Doesn't give up,
does she?
Go and get it, boss.
Like he says, you're
lucky you're still in.
Drink?
Yeah. Cheers, mate.
Franck.
You see what she
gave to me, Franck.
That's what she thinks of me.
Oh my God!
Allow me, bruv, I didn't touch her.
Wait, wait.
Fuck!
You knew.
You...
Help me!
...you knew...
...what I would like...
...didn't you?
Help me. Help me.
Okay. Get down the stairs.
Get down the stairs!
No, no, no...
Please?
Please don't.
He can help us. Simon?
Please.
You go.
Okay.
It's really silly of me.
I've been out
of the country. And...
...I'm such an idiot. Everything's a
mess and I can't find the ticket...
...but I really need the car.
1,848.
Not a mistake
I'll make again.
Not here.
Franck knows a good place.
Don't you, Franck?
You can drive.
On you go.
You, too.
You sit in the back.
Tie your hand on to the wheel.
Tie it tight.
Tighter than that.
Here you go.
I would like to
know what happened.
It's all inside
my head, isn't it?
There's something hidden...
...inside me.
What is it?
It's a memory.
A memory?
Suppressed?
Yeah.
Simon...
...maybe there are some things
it's better never to remember.
Don't!
Franck, you're alive because I allow
it, but I can change my mind.
I have free will.
Don't I?
Yeah, yeah.
Don't I?!
Yes.
All right, then.
All right, then,
let's see if I do.
You take me to it.
So...
...it's a year
and a half earlier.
You wanna stop gambling.
That's all.
All in.
You select
a hypnotherapist at random.
And so you go to meet her.
Simon Newton.
Thank you very much.
Hello.
I'm Elizabeth Lamb.
Hello, there.
Nice to meet you.
Simon Newton. Hello.
Have a seat.
Thank you very much.
So...what would you
like to talk about?
Now I have a moderate problem
with online gambling.
I still have enough money to pay
for dinner and things, though.
You get along well.
There is an immediate rapport.
And so treatment begins.
But your addiction
is hard to crack
and repeated sessions
are required.
Cheers. We should do this with alcohol.
You grow close
to the therapist.
I miss you
when I'm not here.
Too close.
And so you
begin an affair.
A strongly sexual affair.
You stay there.
She knows
that it's wrong.
She shouldn't do this, not with a client.
But she does.
If you look at
the Sistine Chapel,
there's tons of flesh
but there's no hair.
The hair serves to remind us
of our biology. Our origin.
But without it there's a
perfection, untainted.
Anyway, art moved on,
as it must, it has to.
But, actually,
no, it was Goya's fault.
'The Naked Maja'. After that,
it's always there, the hair.
Yeah, that's the lady.
That's modern art.
No perfection anymore.
Hey.
Okay, I get it.
She will do
anything for you.
You fall in love...
...with a kind of perfection.
The kind you like.
You're an elephant?
No, I'm not an elephant.
No, it's the Goya. It's 'The Witches In The Air'
that I was telling you about.
But then
you become possessive.
Suspicious. Night and day...
...you fear that you will lose her.
It torments you.
And you become jealous.
- Who are you texting?
- Sorry, work.
You start to believe that
you depend upon her.
That without her
you will die.
You start to hate her
as much as you love her.
And then one evening...
...after you've accused her
of looking at another man...
You keep
your mouth shut!
Why don't you just sit down. Don't
they make a beautiful couple?
You can just look at him now.
Just feast your fucking eyes!
Elizabeth. No, I'm leaving.
I'm leaving.
She knows
she has to get out.
She has to break it off
but you won't let her go.
You persist.
You apologize. You write long letters
vowing never to do it again.
You weep, you call.
She is frightened.
I need to talk to
you for 2 minutes.
Really frightened now.
Please let me come in.
And she knows
if this goes on...
...there can be
only one outcome.
Hi. How are you doing?
I just need you to let me
apologize and see that you accept that.
I need to see
that in your eyes
and then I'll leave
you alone. I promise.
In the end...
...she knows that you will kill her.
Please, stop!
Simon, you're hurting me.
It's okay.
No, it's not okay.
The police are not interested.
Lawyers advise her to change her
name, to leave the country...
...but she will not do this.
She will not be
a victim twice over.
Instead,
she will take control.
So she perverts
the therapy...
...you've insisted
on continuing.
Simon...
...it's not the gambling
that you want to forget.
It's me.
You want to forget me.
You made me forget?
She makes you
want to forget.
You're forgetting me.
You're forgetting us.
And you feel so much more relaxed.
So much more free.
Leave.
And gradually--
day by day...
...week by week you do.
You call less often.
The passions subside.
You're late for therapy.
Then one day
you don't come at all.
At last you have suppressed
the memory of me.
But you knew.
You knew I'd come back...
...one day.
Your memory
is not destroyed.
It is locked in a cage.
And with enough...
...force...
...enough violence...
...the lock can be broken.
It comes back,
the memory.
Not completely.
Not entirely,
but enough to drive you...
...to make you feel
you have been cheated.
Enough to make you angry.
Franck!
What did she look like?
You.
God, are you all right?
Elizabeth.
No, I'm not Elizabeth.
Shall I call
for an ambulance?
I remember.
I remember everything.
Why don't I take
you to hospital?
As the memory comes back...
Okay?
Shall I help you with your seat belt?
Why did you lie to me?
What?
You made me forget.
Okay, maybe I should just
call for that ambulance.
Elizabeth!
Will you let go of me, please?
I don't want you to go.
I don't want you to go.
And then...
Look, I'm sorry, whoever
Elizabeth is, she isn't me.
A few months
later you came back.
Mr. Maxwell?
Mr. Maxwell?
That's...
...that's me.
Is something the matter?
Of course not.
I'm Elizabeth...Lamb.
You've come to
find your car keys.
Well, they're just
right in here.
Stop.
Can you give her
the keys, Franck?
It's in the back.
Is it there, Elizabeth?
Elizabeth, is it there?!
I'm sorry.
I don't want it.
I don't know that
I ever really did.
Maybe you can
tell me sometime.
No!
No.
No, no, no...
Simon, you don't
have to do this.
I want... to forget
that you did all this.
No.
Please!
Bring it to me.
Stop, please!
Are you okay?
No!
Hey!
Shall I tell you something?
I'd rather not.
There's a parcel
for Le Pere.
Thank you.
Hello, Franck.
It looks good...
...don't you think?
Hanging on the wall.
I thought it might make me
think too much of him, but...
...instead I think of you.
You want me to send
it back, don't you?
Or sell it. ..
...and divide the money.
But...
...you know I can't do that.
Not when it means
so much to me.
Not when I've worked
so hard for it.
Simon, you're forgetting me.
You're forgetting us.
Even when you have forgotten
the one you love...
...you will gamble...
...lie, cheat...
...and steal.
Sold!
Steal for her a painting.
Simon, a painting...
...for the woman you hurt.
For the woman
you left behind.
Now perhaps,
some day, you'll find me.
I hope that you do.
But, if it's all too much...
...if you wish
that we'd never met...
...that it had
never happened...
...I can make it
go away, Franck.
All you have to do
is touch the screen.
Press right here...
...and follow my voice.
The choice is yours.
Do you want to
remember...or. ..
...do you want to forget?
19 million, it's against you, sir.
20 million pounds.
20. Here's the bid
at 20 million.
21 million.
Back in the aisle.
There is a painting,
it's by Rembrandt.
'Storm On The Sea Of Galilee',
it's called...
...and he's in it.
Old Rembrandt,
he's in the painting.
He's in there, right in
the middle of the storm,
looking straight out at you.
But...you can't see him.
And the reason
you can't see him
is because
the painting has been stolen.
Lots of paintings have been stolen.
They're still missing.
'Pride Of Lions' showing here on my left.
Thank you.
I start the bidding here
at a thousand guineas.
It used to be anyone
could steal a painting.
There was no need for a gun.
AM it took was a bit of
muscle and some nerve.
And that...
...was that.
But not anymore.
Those days are gone.
A business can't function
taking big hits
like that.
So now we have procedures...
...and precautions
and security measures.
Now we have a policy.
We have bag searches and magnetic
alarms and silent scanners...
...and X-ray machines
and cameras.
Also we have drills. And the
first thing they tell us is...
Do not be a hero.
This is a robbery!
Now no piece of art
is worth a human life.
It's a sound
piece of advice, that.
No piece of art is
worth a human life.
But...
...in the event of an event...
...or situation we are to remove
the most valuable item...
...or items and take them
to a place of safety.
I.E., the fast-drop slot...
...in a time delay vault.
That's about all
you can do really.
Come and enjoy the auction.
I mean, if you wanna let people
in, if you want them to bid...
And when you're
trying to og the star
of the show for
25 million sterling...
...you definitely
want them to bid.
650,000.
Sold to paddle 88.
Congratulations, madam.
Ladies and gentlemen...
...there will now
be a brief interval.
When we reconvene, our head
auctioneer, Francis Lemaitre...
...will lead the auction for
Goya's 'Witches In The Air'.
Thank you very much.
So we notify the cops
about big ticket sales...
...and we even keep half a dozen
Ukrainian ex-naval commandos...
...in a van outside, just in case
it all kicks off. Or so they say.
Simon, are you coming?
I'm about to start.
Uh...
Yeah.
Here we go.
So, what happens,
of course, is that
just as we up our game,
the villains up theirs.
They don't just
turn up on spec anymore.
We have precautions,
they have plans.
They do research,
they do recces.
They learn about our
cameras and scanners...
...and Ukrainian ex-naval commandos
but some things don't change.
It still takes muscle
and it still takes nerve.
Good afternoon, ladies and
gentlemen, and welcome to Delancy's.
We are extremely
honored to be selling
Francisco de Goya's
wonderful work...
...of 'Witches In The Air'.
Goya, the father
of modern art...
...and the first great painter
of the human mind.
Let's start the bidding
at 5 million pounds.
Thank you, sir. 5 million pounds.
An opening bid.
5 million, 500 thousand.
6 million.
In the center here
at 10 million pounds.
11 million on the aisle.
12 million. 13 million.
17 million. Thank you, sir.
18 million.
19 million. Bad luck. 20?
21 million pounds.
Take your time.
22 million. Thank you.
Telephone bidder now. 26 million.
26 on the telephone.
27 to the lady on the aisle.
Small one?
Small one.
27 million,
500 thousand I'll take.
Last chance.
Hammer's coming down.
I'm selling for 27 million,
500 thousand pounds.
Sold. Paddle number 104.
Get down! Get down!
Gas. Gas!
Everybody out now!
Everybody get out the building now!
Come on!
Gas attack.
Gas attack, gas attack.
Attention please.
Attention please.
Please evacuate the building.
Please do not
use the elevators.
Make your way to the
nearest emergency exit.
So when it happens,
as one day it must...
...it is imperative
not to panic.
Follow the drill and let
the training kick in.
If circumstances allow...
...if, remember only if...
...in the event of an event...
...or situation...
...we are to remove,
where possible,
the most valuable
item or items...
...and take them to
a place of safety.
Stop right there.
Step back.
Remember, do not be a hero.
Put it down.
No piece of art is
worth a human life.
No, no, no...
Don't.
Fucking idiot!
Riz, let's go.
Afternoon, Sister.
And how are you feeling?
Um... Fine.
Been up?
Mmm-hmm.
Walking?
Yeah. Walking and everything.
You know who you are?
Yeah, I think so.
How do you feel
about going home?
Jolly good! Right,
come on, troops, let's go.
Thanks.
Oh, fuck off!
Fuck's sake.
Hello?
Hey, Simon.
Franck wants to see you.
Where is it?
I don't know.
I'm sorry, Franck.
You must have taken it. You
must have put it somewhere.
Yeah, I must have.
I know I...
Well, did you
or did you not?
I can't remember!
I got hit on the head!
That you remember?
Yeah, I got a big fucking scar on
my head to remind me, don't I?
What did you expect?
You assaulted me. I had a shotgun.
Simon, the plan was simple.
All you needed to do was take the
painting and bring it to me.
I know, I...
So, where is it?
I don't know, I can't remember.
I can't remember.
I'm sorry,
I can't remember.
Franck!
Amnesia's bollocks. Everyone
knows amnesia is bollocks.
No, it's not.
It's not
going to work.
- What do you mean?
- He cannot remember.
How did you
work that out?
Look at him. Any man who
knew would have told you by now.
Hey.
You know what?
I ought to kill you.
Why don't you?
Finish the job and put
me out of my misery.
And then...
...you can find your
own fucking painting.
Riz.
Give him some food.
Well, his brain
is intact on a gross level.
On a smaller scale,
who's to say?
What I'm saying
is we don't know.
The memories may come
back, they may not.
All you can do
is wait and see.
Isn't there something
you can do?
For memory?
Nothing. Except time.
Some sort of medicine?
There's no drug
therapy for amnesia.
What about other
sorts of therapy?
Here.
- Pick one.
- Ow!
Hypnosis?
He said it might work.
What am I gonna tell him? I stole
a painting and now I've lost it?
You know,
you make something up.
What if that doesn't work?
Doesn't work?
Simon...
Doesn't work?!
Okay, okay.
Urn...
That one.
Why her? I don't know.
I like the name.
Right.
You walk across
a wide open space.
Exactly the sort of place which
might once have made you panic.
You are in Cape Canaveral and you
are Head of Mission Control.
The rocket is ready to launch
and although you are excited...
...you will not prematurely
release the rocket.
And now you watch as the
spider leaves its web...
...and crawls slowly across
the floor towards you.
There is 30,000 feet of air
between you and the ground...
...and the sound of those perfectly
functioning jet engines...
...is making you feel calm
because you know...
...that you are not hungry...
...and that these are feelings
of stress and loneliness...
...and that you will see
the ball cross the green
and disappear
into the hole.
Um, okay, um, my name is not Simon Newton.
My name is David Maxwell.
Uh, I cannot find my car keys.
Please stop doing that. Stop hitting it.
Say your name.
Okay.
My name is David Maxwell.
Yeah, set.
Seriously,
what if I say too much?
We wake you up.
Mr. Maxwell?
Mr. Maxwell?
- Mr. Maxwell?
- That's me. I'm sorry.
Something the matter?
Of course not.
I'm Elizabeth Lamb.
I'm... Mr. Maxwell.
Please.
Okay.
You've
come to find your car keys?
Yep.
They're just in here.
I wish.
Hang up your coat.
Have a seat.
Have you ever been
hypnotized before?
No. Um...
No. No, at least not
that I can remember.
I suppose you've
spent some time
trying to remember where
you put these keys?
I've tried everything. I just keep
coming up against a brick wall.
Of course. So...
...I don't want you
to do the work today.
I want you... to sit back.
And I want you
to close your eyes.
We're starting, right.
I want you to think
about someone else.
Someone who could
do it for you.
Another man.
Like you but not you.
I want you to focus on him.
Let him take over.
Is he there?
Yes.
Is he under already?
Do you wanna
give him a name?
Simon.
Simon Newton.
Get him out of there.
No, no.
Right, Simon.
Welcome to the session.
Thanks. It's really
nice to be here.
Now I want you
to relax, Simon.
I like your voice.
And now your mind
is starting to think.
So think about those keys. And you
now can feel them in your hand.
The shape. The metal.
And you can see the color.
Blue.
They are on a blue key-ring.
And your mind
starts to think about
the last time
you remember them.
I'm trying to walk...
...and they're in my pocket.
And I want you to
picture them in your pocket...
...exactly as they were
before you lifted them out...
...and you
placed them somewhere.
A safe place...
...that, when
the time is right,
you will be able to reach for
them and they will be there.
Where did you say they were?
In the wardrobe.
What's in
the wardrobe, Simon?
The...
I'm sorry about that.
Was I hypnotized?
No, you were just
finding your car keys.
Whoa, whoa, whoa.
Let me fucking
get in through there.
Really sorry. I kept thinking about the painting.
She just kept saying "keys".
Well, that's it, then,
it can't be done.
She got his name
in 30 seconds.
And she found
the car keys.
Whatever is in his head,
she can find.
What am I supposed to say,
that I lost my keys again?
You're the clever boy.
You got us into this
so now you think of
something to get us out.
And you make it work.
Hey!
Fucking pedestrians!
Hey!
St. Pancras please.
You must think
I'm stalking you.
No, I just think you've put
yourself under a lot of pressure.
To be honest, I'm not
here to look for my keys.
I found them,
thank you.
I'm looking for
something a bit more...
...personal. And...
...I can't tell
you what it is.
It's not porn.
I promise.
And I just really
need to find this thing.
Hypnosis
is the perfect tool.
I don't need to know
what it is.
So I 'd
like you to close your eyes
and imagine
you're in an elevator.
A wide elevator with velvet
walls and thick carpets.
And as the doors close...
...your eyelids
become heavier.
And as your
eyes become heavier
and the elevator
begins to go down...
...you realize that this is
the elevator of relaxation.
And now you're on the
third floor going down...
...and you could get out
but you want to go on...
...deeper.
Deeper.
Deeper into relaxation.
And you feel that perhaps
you'll never want to get out.
It's so safe here.
So comfortable.
So relaxed.
I don't wanna talk
to Simon anymore.
I wanna talk to the men who are listening.
The men who hurt him.
Oh, fuck.
You feel safe?
- Safe?
- Yes.
I don't think
you'll hurt me.
You're right.
Absolutely.
It would be irrational.
And yet we are
like that, aren't we?
All of us sometimes stupid.
Irrational.
It's fear, I think.
Fear of the unknown.
There are four of us
but we are frightened of you.
You don't need to be.
I'm so glad to hear that.
Simon is an unusual subject.
He floats in and out
of trance very easily.
But...
...he's got
a lot on his mind.
Fear. Resentment. Anger.
Why do you think
he did it?
Greed, most likely.
Does he strike you
as greedy?
Everyone is--
sooner or later.
Simon wanted the painting,
that's it.
For himself?
Well, it's not like
he did it for someone else.
Quite sure of that,
are you?
Please don't.
So, can you do it?
Hypnotherapy will work.
But?
Only if it's a partnership.
Very well.
The finder's fee is 3%.
It's not enough.
See what I mean?
It's not about the money. I have to
have equal status in the group...
...otherwise Simon
won't respect me.
If you wanna
make progress...
...you really
have to move beyond
getting one over
on people, Franck.
Hypnotherapy
is a means of altering
unwanted or
dysfunctional behavior.
The unwanted behavior
in Simon's case is forgetting.
You mean
he's doing it deliberately?
Not in the sense
that you mean, Dominic.
We keep secrets from
lots of people,
but most of all we keep
them from ourselves.
And we call that forgetting.
Now, Simon...
...I'd like you
to close your eyes.
Okay, okay.
I'd like you to think
about being at home.
Home is a place
where you feel secure.
In control.
You are feeling
refreshed and positive.
And when the doorbell rings...
...you feel
a rush of enthusiasm.
Hello? Parcel for
Simon Newton, please.
Er... coming.
Hey, Mr. Postman.
Thank you very much.
You are excited...
...but you stay calm...
...because you know that
this is no ordinary package.
Inside this package...
...is the memory that
you have been waiting for.
And you know that
when you open it up
you will find what
you did that day...
...what you did with the painting.
And now...
...taking your time...
...you open it.
Now you're not
going to rush...
...because it's a big step
even to have got this far.
Slowly...
...so as not to
upset the contents...
...you open it.
Franck. May I?
Yeah.
Are you okay?
Fine.
How did you meet them?
Riz...
...I used to buy
drugs from Riz.
That was it really. Well, the
thing is, I needed money.
What for?
Gambling debt.
I was--I am...
...addicted...
...to gambling.
I was really
good at it, you know.
I wasn't quite
good enough, though.
And not really good enough
isn't really good at all.
Not at that level.
I tried to give it up. I tried
everything I could to kick it.
I should have tried hypnotism.
You should.
Maybe next time?
Anyway, I did what
all bad gamblers do...
...I borrowed more and played for
higher and higher stakes hoping...
...that my luck would change.
And when
that didn't happen...
...I panicked.
To various people...
...in various ways I am in
for money I don't have.
Never will.
This painting came in.
This fucking painting.
Are you a gambling man, Simon?
Because I'll wager you,
anything you care to name...
...that I can flog this in the
autumn sale for over 25 million.
Sterling.
And I know it sounds
ridiculous, an inside job,
but it just seemed
like the answer.
I didn't know any criminals so I
thought Riz might. He brought me here.
He introduced me to Franck.
Franck cleared my debt
in return for the painting.
I owe him a lot of money.
And I don't know
what I'm going to do.
He's afraid that once
he's remembered, you'll kill him.
- That's ridiculous.
- Is it?
Let's talk about killing. Have
you ever killed anyone, Dominic?
No.
Well, yeah, in Iraq.
Loads, obviously.
But that's artillery,
isn't it?
You never get to see
exactly who you've...
Nate.
Killed anyone?
Define 'killed'.
That's
exactly why he won't open up.
His behavior isn't dysfunctional,
it's entirely logical.
It's straightforward
self-preservation.
Why do you think he cheated
you in the first place?
So what do you suggest?
How do we make him
feel more secure?
In an ideal world
he'd kill you all.
That would do it, right?
Ideal.
Most likely.
Okay. But supposing, for the sake
of argument, we don't go for that.
Then what?
He needs to see you
weak and exposed
to whatever it is
you fear the most.
Nonsense.
Not gonna happen.
He needs to know
that you're vulnerable.
If you're suggesting what I think...
I'm a professional.
I'm not going to
put you on the stage.
The answer is definitely 'no'.
Now the next voice
you hear-- will be Simon's.
And he is going to say the word
that I have prepared for you.
And when he
speaks that word...
...you will descend into your
very own world of fear...
...from which only
he can bring you back.
Strawberry.
Simon.
Simon, say it!
Strawberry.
That was incredible.
Are you all right?
Yeah. Why?
He doesn't know.
Oh, I'm sorry, man.
Shall I
scrub your back?
How did you...?
Well, I used to...
...I used to, you know...
So...
...we got enough, I think,
to make our boy feel secure.
Safe to remember, all that.
I think so.
Now we progress.
I like that, it's good.
Soon we'll have the painting.
And what about
poor old Nate?
Does he still fall to pieces at
every mention of the little berry?
No. Sustained post hypnotic
suggestion is more difficult.
More difficult,
but you can do it, right?
Not to everyone, of course.
5%? Correct me if I'm wrong.
5% of the population?
Yes. Can be described
as extremely suggestible.
Wow, 5%.
Who'd have thought?
And what can you make them do?
Well, I'm just asking.
I'm interested.
All right.
Well, let's see, if you
had the right person...
...if you get a hold
of them, dig right in...
...if you get them
under your spell...
...if you work hard
--and take your time...
...and do it right...
...you can make
them want to do...
...almost...
...anything.
There you are...
...in an open-top car...
...driving through the French countryside
with a beautiful young woman.
And the radio plays
some forgotten song...
...and the sun burns the back of
your heads in the warm wind...
...and with
every mile you travel...
...all your problems seem so
far away and so long ago.
And soon a field of sunflowers
gives way to a low building...
...of stone and tile.
The girl's dress,
her calves...
...leads you through a corridor
to a vast room of paintings.
Caravaggio's 'Adoration'.
Cezanne.
Vermeer's 'Concert'.
Van Gogh.
Modigliani.
Manet. Degas.
And Rembrandt himself.
'The Storm On
The Sea Of Galilee'.
These are
the lost paintings...
...all the stolen and
destroyed, but now together...
...authenticated, safe.
She takes your hand and leads
you into a final room.
And it's in here...
...in this
magical safe place...
...that you feel ready.
And you reach
into the package...
...and you lift
out your memory.
The memory of what happened that day.
The memory of what you did.
And now...
...safe and relaxed...
...you decide to watch.
You decide to remember.
...fifty thousand pounds.
Sold to paddle 88.
I remember that day.
I remember.
I take the painting.
I carry it in front of me.
And I cut the canvas free with
a razor blade.
I conceal the painting.
I carry on.
Remember...
...no piece of art is worth a human life.
Sound advice that.
And I try to remember it.
You see if you can.
I discard the razor blade.
We are to take the most
valuable item, or items,
to a place of safe...
Franck?!
Stay back.
Put it down.
Simon...
He's about to look.
I can't let him.
Don't.
From a safe distance...
...you see that
you have been hit.
Simon?!
Simon!
But you continue to watch.
You continue to remember.
I still have it.
I wake up and I still
have the painting.
I get up and I go outside.
There's a noise.
I have to walk away. I cannot stay
here, not with this painting.
I feel my heart vibrating.
My phone vibrating.
I look at it.
The car nearly kills me.
She's in the car.
Who is?
You are!
Oh my God.
Are you all right?
Elizabeth?
I'm not Elizabeth.
Shall I call an ambulance?
I remember.
I remember everything.
Look, why don't I
take you to hospital?
Yeah.
Elizabeth?
Shall I help you with your seat belt?
Why did you lie to me?
What?
You made me forget.
He's got it on him.
Look, he's got it on him.
Okay, maybe I oughta just--
call for that ambulance.
Open your jacket. Who called you?
I'm sorry. Will you
let me go, please?
Tell him
where you left it!
I don't
want you to go.
Never mind her!
Forget about her!
Open his jacket!
What are you gonna do
with the fucking painting?!
Just get him to tell us
where he put it.
Tell us where you left it!
Simon,
can you hear me?
Yes, I can hear you.
Good.
Can you see the blue screen?
Yes.
I'm going to
show you some images...
...while we scan the response
generated in your brain by each one.
The images will continue to
run but you can override that
by thinking
of a particular one.
And every 10 seconds
the least chosen image
will be discarded until
there is only one left.
However, every time
you think of this one...
...you will receive
an electric shock.
And the more you select it
the higher the voltage.
Do you understand?
Yeah.
Hello.
I slept on the sofa.
I was worried about you.
I had this dream.
Wasn't a dream.
I am so...
...so, so sorry.
What is
a person, Franck?
Not my line of work.
It's fine.
Being obsessed with someone is fine?
No.
But to have feelings...
...yes.
What we are...
...is the sum of everything we've
ever said, done and felt...
...all wrapped up
in one unique thread
which is constantly
being revised and remembered.
Soto be yourself you have to
constantly remember yourself.
It's a full-time job
but that's how it works.
When you hit him on
the head you broke the thread.
He's fixing it...
...with false memories,
with fantasies.
There's a space to fill so...
...he fills it with me.
He's in love with you?
We call it transference.
I don't know
what to say...
...now.
Okay. But where is the painting?
The same place
it's always been.
Yes, but now
you are the problem.
Yes.
But I may also
be the solution.
When in doubt
--try something traditional.
Traditional?
Okay. Right, how's this?
How would you...
...like to, with me,
go out somewhere?
What, you're gonna
screw him, is that it?
You'll fuck him just to
get him to remember?
It's not conventional practice,
but under the circumstances...
Pick me up at 8.
Where would you
like to go?
You choose.
I don't care.
Coffee's on.
Okay, but you wear a wire.
Don't be ridiculous.
You can keep the rest.
Thanks, man.
I don't like the idea
of you being alone with him.
I'm not wild
about it myself, Franck.
So if you can see any other way
to deal with this obsession...
...I'd love to hear it.
I'm glad I had you
choose the place. It's nice.
It is. I haven't
been here in a while.
Thank you very much.
So what do you recommend? I...
...usually have the steak,
which is a lie.
I don't usually
have the steak. I...
...I've never
been here before.
Simon. You need therapy.
I've been feeling
a little confused lately.
I just imagined
I'd been here before.
I could have sworn that
I'd met that waiter before.
And then what happens?
I give him what he wants...
...he's mine.
And after that,
he gives me what I want...
...what we want.
Just like that?
He isn't really receiving
electric shocks.
He only believes he is.
Just here. If you just pull
in here on the left, thank you.
This is,
this is me, actually.
Okay?
It's all right.
Okay. Have a good night.
There's a problem.
He's jealous.
Jealous?
Of me? That's so cute.
And that's why he doesn't
wanna sleep with you.
It's complicated
but that's what he said. Yes.
I really wonder how he gets that.
Ask yourself.
Because now
it's my fault?
I'm not assigning
blame, Franck.
But you are always.
You can't do it because
of this, because of that.
There is always something but
it's never your fault, right?
"It's a partnership, Franck."
"He's got to
respect me, Franck."
"We've gotta
make him feel safe."
"We've gotta
show him our fear."
"In an ideal world, Franck,
he'd kill us all."
In an ideal world, Elizabeth,
you'd go hypnotize the guy.
You'd bring me
back the painting
and you'd stop
wasting my fucking time.
Wait.
Jesus!
Fucking hell. Simon, it's Nate.
We need to talk.
Come up.
Right before
you close your eyes
Whispering your prayers
When the sandman
blows your eyes
I'll be there
I must remember
never to forget...
...that you're a criminal.
You got a boyfriend?
Now you ask?
Mmm-hmm.
No.
I'm single.
How is that possible?
I was in a relationship...
...he was violent...
...so now I'm not.
Got his address?
That's very kind...
...but 'no, thank you'.
You should get even.
Get a little angry.
To be angry
is to be a victim.
I've moved on.
That's the only
real victory.
So why are you
doing this, then?
Because it makes a change.
If you had to deal
with morbid obesity and...
...panic attacks...
...you'd see the attraction.
Can I tell you something?
I'd rather not.
Gather roses
while you may
While the bloom is full
For the blossom
soon will fade
And the bloom
grows dun
Right before you
close your eyes
Whispering your prayers
When the sandman
blows your eyes
Who'll be there?
Hey.
Listen, I...
...I...
...can you...
Can you see me again?
It's not exactly what
I wanted to say, but...
I mean, you know...
Yeah. I think so.
Good.
Be careful.
And as the image
grows closer and clearer...
...you find you are watching
what he did to you.
You are watching
the terrible things
that he did.
But, with every blow...
...that you watch
rain down upon you...
...you become only more
determined than ever.
You know that it's possible...
...to change your life
and move on.
That you will not
let this define you.
You will not let yourself
be violated by the memory...
...as you are
violated by the act.
Simon?
This all part of
your plan, yeah?
What are you
talking about?
The two of you.
Planning it together. Gonna get
it out of me and then dump me.
Simon, will you
calm down, please.
How long have you
been fucking Franck?
Where did that
come from?
It's true, though,
isn't it?
You know it isn't.
Why would Nate lie
about something like that?
Because he wants
Franck out.
He wants the painting
for himself.
I don't fucking
believe you!
Don't believe what? The existence
of greed in human beings? Grow up!
For the past week, you've made every
kind of excuse not to touch me...
...and now that
the moment's come,
you resort to some
insane fantasy...
Wait.
Wait.
I know what you want.
There's something
I have to do.
I tried to know
when to leave
She sits in the bedroom
and grieves
There's a sequence
that starts an again
She can't get up anymore,
with the pain
The combination
of these drugs
Has left her
hopeless and lost
She wants to count the ways
But she can't count again
And I will be right here
Till all the pain
Just disappears
And I will always stay
How did you know?
You told me.
Close your eyes.
Simon.
Relax.
When the silver
shines so hard
I tried to poison my life
Always dreaming
of the edge of the knife
She always looked backwards
And I couldn't sit here...
You know where it is now? Maybe.
Told her yet?
You wanna talk?
Yeah, it's about time.
So...
...Simon...
...we're all here. Do you
wanna talk us through it?
Yeah.
Good.
Yeah, I really do. I...
I'm sorry,
I just feel a bit nervous.
Come on,
it's all right.
Okay. Do you mind
if I use your...
Yeah, please, please...
I'll just be a minute.
So how long's
this gonna take?
It's all right.
I told him to wait.
He'll lie.
I bet you anything he lies.
He'd better
fucking not.
Don't worry, if it turns
out he's lying, we just kill him.
Hang on, we're gonna
kill him anyway, aren't we?
There's that.
Shh!
Fuck!
Fuck.
- Hello?
- It's me.
Simon?
Where are you?
I'm at Franck's house.
Jesus. What are you doing there?
Elizabeth, they're
going to kill me. No.
You were right. This is what
they always planned to do.
Don't you see, this is why
I had to hide the painting.
Simon, calm down.
Where are you now?
In the hallway.
The doors are locked.
All the doors are locked.
Go upstairs to
Franck's bedroom.
There's a pool...
...and a hallway.
Do you see the bedside table?
Yes.
Open the drawer.
No, the lower one.
Is there a gun?
Yes.
Do you think you can use it?
I don't know.
I've never
used one before.
Do you want me to call the police?
No, no...
No, it's better this way.
Elizabeth?
Yes?
I have something
to tell you.
Are you ready?
I remember.
I remember where I put it.
You don't have to tell me.
No, no. I do.
I might never
see you again.
I need to tell
you where it is.
Tell me now.
It's in a red Alfa Romeo in the
underground car park in Marble Arch.
I love you, Simon.
I love you, too.
Please, Simon.
Calm down, you've got it all wrong.
It's not what you think.
She's using you, Simon. She's
using you like she used us.
She has been using you
from the start, Simon.
Elizabeth?
Elizabeth?
So where has
she gone? Huh?
Don't let her get away.
Not after all this.
I know, Franck.
I know what you
were going to do to me.
She put that there.
It's not real.
She's not coming back, Simon.
Once she gets it, she's gone!
If I wanted to kill you,
why aren't you dead?
Because she loves me.
And I love her!
That's what
she thinks of you.
It's my gun. It's empty.
She took it from my apartment.
Where the fuck do you
think you're going?
I got this.
So...
...who knows?
She does.
You leave her alone.
He found it the first time.
The first time
he came to see me.
Remember?
You thought you'd just
found your car keys.
But you were
right, it's in there.
It's in the car. I took it to pieces.
It's not in there.
No, it's not in his car.
In the other car.
The red one.
Where is it?
Please, I can show you.
I can show you.
Get him dressed.
Go and get it.
And take him with you.
What is this? You're lucky
you're still in, Franck.
Go and get it.
Bring it back here and we'll
keep an eye on her. Promise.
Say something.
Allow the mushy shit.
Doesn't give up,
does she?
Go and get it, boss.
Like he says, you're
lucky you're still in.
Drink?
Yeah. Cheers, mate.
Franck.
You see what she
gave to me, Franck.
That's what she thinks of me.
Oh my God!
Allow me, bruv, I didn't touch her.
Wait, wait.
Fuck!
You knew.
You...
Help me!
...you knew...
...what I would like...
...didn't you?
Help me. Help me.
Okay. Get down the stairs.
Get down the stairs!
No, no, no...
Please?
Please don't.
He can help us. Simon?
Please.
You go.
Okay.
It's really silly of me.
I've been out
of the country. And...
...I'm such an idiot. Everything's a
mess and I can't find the ticket...
...but I really need the car.
1,848.
Not a mistake
I'll make again.
Not here.
Franck knows a good place.
Don't you, Franck?
You can drive.
On you go.
You, too.
You sit in the back.
Tie your hand on to the wheel.
Tie it tight.
Tighter than that.
Here you go.
I would like to
know what happened.
It's all inside
my head, isn't it?
There's something hidden...
...inside me.
What is it?
It's a memory.
A memory?
Suppressed?
Yeah.
Simon...
...maybe there are some things
it's better never to remember.
Don't!
Franck, you're alive because I allow
it, but I can change my mind.
I have free will.
Don't I?
Yeah, yeah.
Don't I?!
Yes.
All right, then.
All right, then,
let's see if I do.
You take me to it.
So...
...it's a year
and a half earlier.
You wanna stop gambling.
That's all.
All in.
You select
a hypnotherapist at random.
And so you go to meet her.
Simon Newton.
Thank you very much.
Hello.
I'm Elizabeth Lamb.
Hello, there.
Nice to meet you.
Simon Newton. Hello.
Have a seat.
Thank you very much.
So...what would you
like to talk about?
Now I have a moderate problem
with online gambling.
I still have enough money to pay
for dinner and things, though.
You get along well.
There is an immediate rapport.
And so treatment begins.
But your addiction
is hard to crack
and repeated sessions
are required.
Cheers. We should do this with alcohol.
You grow close
to the therapist.
I miss you
when I'm not here.
Too close.
And so you
begin an affair.
A strongly sexual affair.
You stay there.
She knows
that it's wrong.
She shouldn't do this, not with a client.
But she does.
If you look at
the Sistine Chapel,
there's tons of flesh
but there's no hair.
The hair serves to remind us
of our biology. Our origin.
But without it there's a
perfection, untainted.
Anyway, art moved on,
as it must, it has to.
But, actually,
no, it was Goya's fault.
'The Naked Maja'. After that,
it's always there, the hair.
Yeah, that's the lady.
That's modern art.
No perfection anymore.
Hey.
Okay, I get it.
She will do
anything for you.
You fall in love...
...with a kind of perfection.
The kind you like.
You're an elephant?
No, I'm not an elephant.
No, it's the Goya. It's 'The Witches In The Air'
that I was telling you about.
But then
you become possessive.
Suspicious. Night and day...
...you fear that you will lose her.
It torments you.
And you become jealous.
- Who are you texting?
- Sorry, work.
You start to believe that
you depend upon her.
That without her
you will die.
You start to hate her
as much as you love her.
And then one evening...
...after you've accused her
of looking at another man...
You keep
your mouth shut!
Why don't you just sit down. Don't
they make a beautiful couple?
You can just look at him now.
Just feast your fucking eyes!
Elizabeth. No, I'm leaving.
I'm leaving.
She knows
she has to get out.
She has to break it off
but you won't let her go.
You persist.
You apologize. You write long letters
vowing never to do it again.
You weep, you call.
She is frightened.
I need to talk to
you for 2 minutes.
Really frightened now.
Please let me come in.
And she knows
if this goes on...
...there can be
only one outcome.
Hi. How are you doing?
I just need you to let me
apologize and see that you accept that.
I need to see
that in your eyes
and then I'll leave
you alone. I promise.
In the end...
...she knows that you will kill her.
Please, stop!
Simon, you're hurting me.
It's okay.
No, it's not okay.
The police are not interested.
Lawyers advise her to change her
name, to leave the country...
...but she will not do this.
She will not be
a victim twice over.
Instead,
she will take control.
So she perverts
the therapy...
...you've insisted
on continuing.
Simon...
...it's not the gambling
that you want to forget.
It's me.
You want to forget me.
You made me forget?
She makes you
want to forget.
You're forgetting me.
You're forgetting us.
And you feel so much more relaxed.
So much more free.
Leave.
And gradually--
day by day...
...week by week you do.
You call less often.
The passions subside.
You're late for therapy.
Then one day
you don't come at all.
At last you have suppressed
the memory of me.
But you knew.
You knew I'd come back...
...one day.
Your memory
is not destroyed.
It is locked in a cage.
And with enough...
...force...
...enough violence...
...the lock can be broken.
It comes back,
the memory.
Not completely.
Not entirely,
but enough to drive you...
...to make you feel
you have been cheated.
Enough to make you angry.
Franck!
What did she look like?
You.
God, are you all right?
Elizabeth.
No, I'm not Elizabeth.
Shall I call
for an ambulance?
I remember.
I remember everything.
Why don't I take
you to hospital?
As the memory comes back...
Okay?
Shall I help you with your seat belt?
Why did you lie to me?
What?
You made me forget.
Okay, maybe I should just
call for that ambulance.
Elizabeth!
Will you let go of me, please?
I don't want you to go.
I don't want you to go.
And then...
Look, I'm sorry, whoever
Elizabeth is, she isn't me.
A few months
later you came back.
Mr. Maxwell?
Mr. Maxwell?
That's...
...that's me.
Is something the matter?
Of course not.
I'm Elizabeth...Lamb.
You've come to
find your car keys.
Well, they're just
right in here.
Stop.
Can you give her
the keys, Franck?
It's in the back.
Is it there, Elizabeth?
Elizabeth, is it there?!
I'm sorry.
I don't want it.
I don't know that
I ever really did.
Maybe you can
tell me sometime.
No!
No.
No, no, no...
Simon, you don't
have to do this.
I want... to forget
that you did all this.
No.
Please!
Bring it to me.
Stop, please!
Are you okay?
No!
Hey!
Shall I tell you something?
I'd rather not.
There's a parcel
for Le Pere.
Thank you.
Hello, Franck.
It looks good...
...don't you think?
Hanging on the wall.
I thought it might make me
think too much of him, but...
...instead I think of you.
You want me to send
it back, don't you?
Or sell it. ..
...and divide the money.
But...
...you know I can't do that.
Not when it means
so much to me.
Not when I've worked
so hard for it.
Simon, you're forgetting me.
You're forgetting us.
Even when you have forgotten
the one you love...
...you will gamble...
...lie, cheat...
...and steal.
Sold!
Steal for her a painting.
Simon, a painting...
...for the woman you hurt.
For the woman
you left behind.
Now perhaps,
some day, you'll find me.
I hope that you do.
But, if it's all too much...
...if you wish
that we'd never met...
...that it had
never happened...
...I can make it
go away, Franck.
All you have to do
is touch the screen.
Press right here...
...and follow my voice.
The choice is yours.
Do you want to
remember...or. ..
...do you want to forget?