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Calico Skies (2016)
(skateboard scraping)
(heavy breathing) (keys jingling) (engine revving) [Phoenix Narrating] Simplicity is when you fix complexity. Simplicity is not something you start with, it is the goal, the finish line. I've been spending all my life looking for simplicity. Little by little I backed away from the fuss, the fury, the sweating and I traded it all for a simple sharp scheme. Do you remember pick up sticks when we were kids? I'm the one on the side. The one you catch right away, the one you don't need to sweat for, the one you easily take out of the game. I might claim antiseptic, simplicity. (gasping) It's gonna burn like the devil It's gonna sting real good You won't be able to wash it off It's like a bad tattoo I guess I should've warned you Before I let you jump in But we're already peaking And it's all down hill from here I'm gonna break your heart It's gonna happen like it or not When you least expect it Don't know when, don't know how I'm gonna break your heart Destiny's spoken, I know it's not right Don't try to fight, it's going down down down Could be I'll find another Wouldn't that just be ripe Or you'll run out of money And I'll run for my life Or the dull conversation will simply bore me to tears Though I haven't cried History hasn't lied for a billion years I'm gonna break your heart It's gonna happen, like it or not When you least expect it Don't know when, don't know how I'm gonna break your heart Destiny's spoken, I know it's not right Don't try to fight (groaning) I wake up. I take a hundred milligrams of Zoloft, sertraline, on an empty stomach. The pill insights an artificial nauseous feeling in me. I toast some bread, I take two Alka-Seltzers. I blend half a carrot, a beet, a celery stick and some protein powder so I don't have to bother eating anything. (blender whirring) 2,750 feet away from my house there's a coffee shop. I don't know if that's the actual distance, Google Map says so. I walk and have my first espresso there. And so that I can mingle with people. I pretend to lift some weights. I buy some weed. I only buy cookies and gummy bears and space cupcakes. I don't smoke, smoke smells. Smoke is for construction workers. By the time I'm back home, I am completely stoned. I play three chords on the guitar. I sleep until I wake up. No alarms, I hate alarms. We would only really need alarms if we wouldn't wake up otherwise, but we always wake up eventually. Goddammit. (moaning on computer) Then I go grab my second espresso of the day at the coffee shop, and so I can mingle with people. When I go back home I visit my brothers grave. Except graves are useless. I don't go to cemeteries. Then I have some Xanax, not a lot, half a milligram, just to avoid the melancholy stabbing me in the face too hard. I watch a movie. When the movie finishes I take Diazepam, what all you losers call Valium. Then I wake up in the morning. I mean, at least this is what I've done so far. Why don't I just kill myself and make it that easy? Like hell. (piano music) I really like this town. It's so nice, isn't it? It's okay, whatever. I love it. It's quiet, peaceful, very respectful, away from the chaos of the city. I see you here pretty often. - You live nearby? - Mm-hm. Very nice community. Don't you think so? If the environment is clean, the faster the conscience gets dirty, my friend. - Pardon me? - Forget it. I'm John. Phoenix. I gotta go to the store, get some hangers, for my wife. Can you believe that? (laughing) Hangers, what a great plan for a Friday night. - You married? - Nope. But you wear a ring. Oh, ah aesthetics. You wear sneakers, doesn't mean you're an athlete. That's bad man, you're gonna put that right in the coffee? Yeah. What's it for? Alka-Seltzer, I mean it's for, because I'm sad. I use Alka-Seltzer for a lot of maladies. What's a big boy like you so sad about? You know, I'm sorry John, I'm truly, banality makes me sad I guess the most. Look I'm sorry John, I'm sorry, I gotta go, I just met you, I'm sorry, sorry, bye. (piano music) Sir? Good morning, sir. I'm the new mail person. I didn't get a chance to meet you yet. Sir? [Phoenix] Mark was always on time. Buy a watch. I'm Ariel, by the way. (rock music) [GPS Voice] In 600 feet turn right onto Dell Avenue. Turn right. (rock music) Head north on Wednesday Avenue towards Padre Terrace. (rock music) Turn right on (indistinct) street, then you will arrive at your destination. (rock music) You have arrived. Sweet beat and you Move my body right Take me away, I don't want to stay Take me away, I don't want to stay Take me away, I don't want to stay (mechanical buzzing) (groaning) [Phoenix] Ow. (groaning) - You know what man? - Huh? I'm getting so used to this I'm thinking this looks good on you. (laughing) Are you done? You know what, it doesn't matter what kind of job you do as long as you're good at it. Yeah you're gonna recover pretty good. You know the process by heart. It's none of my business but, you need to get out once in a while my friend. All that mold you have under the rug, is going to infect your lungs. (suspenseful music) Once a week, but only once a week I do drugs. I start with Xanax which I mix with half a glass of pure malt whiskey, and I chase the whole thing with two Vicodin. Don't get me wrong, it's all absolutely legal, you only need 20 bucks and a doctor prescription. But the wise blend of these three guys here have such a mystical effect, compared to this a shot of cocaine is a little peck. In this state I can spend hours reading nutrition facts on food boxes. They can tell you your whole family has been exterminated by a group of Islamic fundamentalists and react to the news with a cheerful shrug. Saturday is for grocery shopping. (electronic music) (ball bouncing) What the hell's going on around here? Hey, hey go out there. Here you go, hey hey. Catch, good catch, what's your name? What's your name? - Geronimo. - Like the Indian? - Hi. - Hey. - I'm sorry for that. - That's okay. My son Danny gets a little wilder out here. Danny, I thought his name was Geronimo? [Luigi] I'm Luigi. - Luigi? - Yeah. Wow, Phoenix. (laughing) - Thanks for the ball. - Sure, sure, sure. My wife Charlotte is making home made to eat tonight. Why don't you join us for dinner? (laughing) [Phoenix] No, I mean, I can't. - Ah come on, it will be fun. - No it won't be. You can bring your, do you live with someone else here? No I'm alone, I'm alone. [Luigi] Alone, come on guy, it'll be nice. No, no. (stammering) That's our house, yellow house, see you at eight okay? - No I wish I... - See you tonight. - No no, what's your name? - See you tonight, okay. - I wish I could but I can't... - Okay okay. - I can't, I don't know how... - See you tonight. So, Luigi's from Italy, I'm from Belgium. We met each other at an airport in Hong Kong. Now we ended up living here in the middle of the desert. Yeah. You know we used to travel so much. We went to Peru, Japan, Greece. Whenever we got a chance to leave we would hit the road. Then you know the last few years our sales are getting lower and lower. [Charlotte] And life's cheap here so... - Mom, can I have some cookies? - Sure. I'll grab treats for everybody. So, Phoenix, what brings you up here? Or down, depends on what direction you're looking at it. I fly, I mean I used to fly, fly an engine. I was a wing suit demo jumper. You know those guys that jump from a plane at an event in an aerodynamic suit that's sponsored by some energy drink. I was one of those guys, I was pretty good, too. - Wow, what a job. - Yeah. And you've always lived here in the middle of the desert? No. That's something, no. Are these the same cookies as the old, not that stinking crap again? Danny, language. They're the same as everybody else's. He's gluten intolerant. Oh. It sounds like you're a real free spirit. I wish I could still travel, you know, but you need freedom for that. You really need to be freed from so many things. Luigi that's not fair. We still have our good times. This is a quiet life, but still a good life. Yeah, but those days will come back, I swear to you they will. He'll grow up, I save money, and we do it again. - She needs guts. - Pardon? I said that in order to do that what you need is guts, (throat clearing) guts. Do you still fly sir? No, not anymore. I bet that requires a lot of dedication. Why is it that you don't fly anymore? Because more than dedication it requires trust, especially trust in yourself. Once you lose that you, you better quit. You seem to me like a very brave, blunt man. That must come out of self confidence and trust. No, if a person has to jump off a very high cliff into the ocean and they just close their eyes and they jump well that's brave, but if you're going to evaluate that from that height, with that wind speed, and the weight of your body you can withstand the impact of that water. No, that's trusting yourself and that's very different. Mom what does trust mean? - Do you mind? - Go ahead. Danny, what trust means is that, although your mom told you those cookies were the regular cookies, even after you took the first bite and you knew they clearly weren't, you believed her. That's what trust means. Trust sucks. It's does. (wind blowing) (dramatic music) Are you here for me, because if you are, I was thinking. Relax, Phoenie, if we were here for you, you wouldn't be standing in that doorway right now. [Phoenix] Okay. You would've been quietly positioned horizontally a while ago don't you think? All right, quit being a prima donna already. [Phoenix] Okay sorry. Get lost, get lost for my entrance. Maybe you can get back here, back here. 'Cause I got fucks to do. This isn't organic is it? This is shit. I knew it. What the fuck are you doing? (gun shooting) (mumbling singing) Getting too old for this shit. Manners. Feet on the coach? Fuckin' animal. - Excuse him. - What? [Long Haired Man] So since you're the pro, where's all the soft dirt around here? I don't want to be here all night, I'm hungry. It's, other side of the driveway, right over there. [Long Haired Man] You dig this time. - Do you ever have food here? - What? - Are you okay, you eat? - I'm okay. Since we came here to this god forsaken place we brought the delivery for next week. The bags are in your usual spot in your shed. Okay. - Okay, okay. - Move. (dramatic pop music) In a dream I see my self conscious manner of fallacy No care, no need Morning Phoenix. Luigi thought it would be nice to fix the roof so we came by, is this a good time? [Luigi] I have the tools. - Oh no. - I'm on it. - Oh it's not necessary... - He's on it. So, how are you? Baby, baby? Listen to this. [Luigi] I'm listening. "So gentle and so virtuous she appeared my lady "when greeting other people "that every tongue tremblingly grows silent "and eyes do not dare gaze upon her. "She passes by, hearing herself praised, "graciously clothed with humility "and she appears to be a creature "who has come from heaven to Earth to show forth a miracle. "She shows herself so pleasingly to her beholders "that she gives through the eyes a sweetness to the heart "which no one can understand who does feel it "and it appears that from her lips "moves a tender spirit full of love "which says again and again to the soul, sigh." (phone ringing) - Yeah? - It's me. - Oh hi Rosa. - How are you? I'm good, whatever. [Rosa] Sometimes I think I'd rather you tell me you're not good. Really, I'm not good Rosa, I'm dying, I'm dying. [Rosa] You're so annoying, I don't know why I keep calling you. Why don't you ever call me, by the way? I never got nothing to say okay, that's why. Nothing ever changes in my life. So anyway how are the kids? [Rosa] Well Mark joined the school football team so we go to the games once a week and a make a family night out of it, it's nice. And tomorrow Mary goes to Kabul with her girls, she's all grown up. Well, (stammering) tell them that I said hi. [Rosa] They know you say hi. You say hi every time. How about you show your face for a change? How about you come to the party Saturday night? Peter and I would love it. The anniversary party? [Rosa] Yeah and I already told you should, you can keep being involved with the family and stop pretending that you're dead to this family. I'm not coming to your party, I can't. [Rosa] You're useless. Well, wow, that's a news flash. [Man On TV] And he's on his way to first base. And the Marlin's dugout right now, yelling at Myers. - They're not real happy. - I tell you what. I tell you what I don't care if he matters or not... - And here they go. - Look at him go. That's what you have to do. (knocking on door) [Man On TV] The Marlins are coming out. [Man On TV] You can't let your big guy go down and not do anything so that's what you gotta do. (knocking on door) Who is it, who's this? [Macarena] It's Macarena for the tattoo, the new guy from the yellow side. I don't know noting about no new guy guy okay? I don't know bro, I'm the new guy, tattoo guy, yellow. Hang on a second, hang on a second okay? [Macarena] Okay. [Woman] Hi. It's Phoenix from the desert. [Woman] Wait. (phone ringing) - Hey it's me. - What? Okay, South American, I don't know, maybe Mexican I guess, young, at my fucking door. [Man] Sounds like the new guy I put in touch with you. What the, what the, look, I'm sorry, I was just a little scared. But why didn't you guys say something to me? [Man] Chow. Fucking assholes. Hang on a second. - Hi. - Hi. I'm the new guy. Yeah, close the door, come on in. (dramatic music) (groaning) (car beeping) (dramatic music) (knocking on door) Rosa, really, wow, I couldn't be luckier. What're you doing here? I almost gave up seeing you alive. Well when you give up on your expectations amazing things can happen, you know? - Look at you. - Huh, what? Leave me alone, what are you trying to, what do you want me to do? I don't know, clean your house for instance. I don't want to. Do something fun once in a while, date someone. I date somebody new every week. - Yeah we all know you do it. - Huh? I really don't understand what you find in women you have to pay for. I really don't, other than a good sweat, and you can always go to the gym for that. But there's only one pore I'd like to have sweat into, I mean sweat. I'm gonna make some tea. (laughing) (sighing) So what now, we just sit here ignoring each other? I don't know, what do you want me to say? Something, anything, just let it out already. Fuck you. Well some elaboration wouldn't hurt. If I weren't your sister, I'd be jealous. [Phoenix] But you are. (laughing) You know Phoen? Everybody happens to take a break once in a while, but a six year break isn't a break. Staring, that's your plan. Come on, come on. I don't have any plans, I don't make plans, I don't have any plans okay? You know, I worry for you, Phoen. Stop it. You know what you remind me of? What? That ridiculous trophy on your bookshelf. You know what I'm talking about. Who the hell cares about a second place you snagged in a ski race when you were 14. Goddamn it Phoen you're 40 and you're living in the desert. You won thousands of other rewards. - No one cares. - I know. - If you don't care. - That's not true. I'm sure that's the one thing you dust around here on a regular basis. You're making as much sense as that stupid statuette. I'm gonna go, okay? [Phoenix] Okay. (moaning on computer) (sighing) (moaning on computer) [Man On TV] Long ago, long before the silly bacon in everything fad got started people actually made bacon at home. It's not that hard to do and it can produce some superior quality bacon. Making bacon at home isn't going to save you a lot of money and it's probably not gonna make anything any more healthy than what you get in the store but it will be delicious. (car pulling up) (doors opening and closing) (thudding) (dramatic music) Since I started working here every man in this county has hit on me. Took two months to see the color of your eyes. When I care about something, I take my time. About something, or someone? (dramatic music) (rock music) (suspenseful music) (laid back music) Almost. That one was good. Excuse me what do you mean? - It was good. - Yeah. I threw it all the way over there next to the target, - all that way. - You made it there. I mean, I just... What, you think I should keep practicing? I think maybe you do. Well I'll show you. - Darn I gotta keep practicing. - Let's go, let's quit. (laughing) Yeah. (laughing) You know, today made me think of a good story. You want to hear it? Okay, so a truck driver turns on the radio and he hears the news of an 18 wheeler speeding the wrong way on the same freeway he's on. Well it's amazing what crazy does he thinks. Okay so as he's driving he suddenly has to swivel to the right to avoid a truck and then quickly steers left to avoid another one, and once more to the right and left, right, left, right, left, left. So he turns the radio off and he grumps, "The hell just one, there are hundreds." (laughing) I got it, that's a hard one. It's a hard one, it's so funny. Well you know, sometimes I feel like that driver too. [Phoenix] Ariel. Yeah? (distant arguing) Hey Danny, hey, what're you doing? Hi, hi. Huh, how're you doing? Hey, you know when I was a little boy like you I'd come up here every summer with my parents and spend the summer with them. Yeah, every summer, yeah. Oh, you see that bush over there, right over there. You know when you sit over there the wind makes this noise where the only thing you can hear is the desert. It's really cool. [Luigi] What can I say, I feel like I'm in a cage. Have I ever told you not to do something ever? It's my secret spot, it was my secret spot. - Hi Phoenix. - Oh, hey Charlotte. What's up, you okay? Yeah, I'm just, you know. I gotta, you know what Charlotte actually, I'm not okay. I haven't been okay for a long time, I'm not okay at all. You know what Luigi, it's none of my business but you made it my business when you fucked up my nice walk home. Now here's what I think, here's my suggestion, you have to stop whining, crying and blaming others for what you are frightened to do, you have to stop. Do you understand? Or you're just gonna disappear, trust me. Oh Danny by the way, you're not intolerant to shit. It's something some doctor told her. (wind blowing) Come on. Hey wait, hey, what're you doing? Delivering your mail, sir. - Okay, what about Ariel? - Who? What do you mean? Who? Ariel, what about Ariel? I'm asking you a question, what about Ariel, Ariel! What? (wind blowing) (crying) Doing this to me? I'm sorry. I'm sorry. Innocence, connivance, complicity, sunbathing in the shadow. Nomad on the river, let it be, stay focused, stay focused. Biologic, technologic organic, artificial, gold. Poetry, no results, no results. (knocking on door) (groaning) Hey. Hey. Wow. - Did I wake you? - No, I mean no. I've thought about it. I thought about it, you know? About what? I think we should just leave. You know, life doesn't last forever and we're not exactly teenagers. I think here the water is too shallow. Ducks don't float. Fuck it, we should just go. (laughing) I know I sound like I'm crazy. (laughing) I know it sounds fucking crazy, you barely know who I am. Your name is Phoenix, Phoenix Anderton, you're 43 years old, you have a passion for espresso and practically an obsession I would say for Alka-Seltzer. You, play the guitar, but from what I can hear outside you don't tune it that much. And you check the mail a lot, especially the second Wednesday of every month. Why, I have yet to figure out. And you, well you, when you touch yourself, you use the internet like everybody else, but at the very end you just gaze off into the distance. It's something that I find very sweet. (laughing) Wow. I mean yeah you do it in the middle of the living room. I happened to be standing outside once. Once? Once or twice. [Phoenix] Well, you're full of shit. Four times. (laughing) When you end up delivering mail to a village of 300 souls the day is long. I was the most talented, wind suit jumper in the world. I'm sure you heard about the feud between the Southern California gangs over the control of the Watts area? Well six years ago they stopped killing each other and decided to split the proceeds that came out of that area evenly, and they needed a place to store those proceeds. I'm talking about cash, guns, diamonds. I dig for them. Every month I get two letters on the same day at the same time, one letter from each gang. Each letter contains only one number, a coordinate, to delimit the Mojave Desert. I put the two coordinates together and I bury their stuff for them so I'm the only person who knows exactly where it is. There's no drive-bys, no sit downs, no bullshit, no fights and it's tax free. Every month they both send tattoo artists who tattoo one number under each one of my feet so in case I have a stroke or I'm incapacitated they'd know where to go to find their loot. There's more money in the Nevada Desert than there is in banks. Okay, you know... One day I took my brother for a flight and I just learned that my fiancee was leaving me so I was unfocused and you know I thought it would be fun to take my mind off of things but we had an accident. I spent three months in intensive care and, my brother died on the spot. So I was done flying and I didn't care much about anything anymore so. That's how I ended up with this job and I never could find a reason to stop doing it so I kind of, well I moved out here and I'm still doing it. I have a sister I love. I like, the blues, old guitars, talk shows, chocolate and you. And tomorrow I want to leave all this sand and shit behind me. I want to run away with you. Destination anywhere and I mean anywhere, I don't care. - I like chocolate too. - Yeah. Anywhere sounds like a long enough drive for you to learn a little something about me. I'll meet you here tomorrow at three o'clock. Really? Tomorrow, three o'clock. Okay, I'm so tired. - Three. - Three. (groaning) Get some rest. You know, I just took the afternoon off. I won't do it again. (laughing) (dramatic rock music) Give me your gun, and then I want you to place your hands - on the wheel slowly okay? - Okay. - Amigo. - Okay. Go ahead. We're gonna go check those holes together, all right? You know the places right. Yeah, you're my friend? You know who you're stealing from don't you? That's right. You know you're not gonna get away with this right? It's okay amigo, drive. Okay, don't don't, okay. (groaning) This is enough. It's enough when I say it's enough. Well listen man I think we should take a break and have lunch or something and grab the rest of this this afternoon, but right now I have to go, I have an appointment. An appointment, you know, I have an appointment. I have a gun. Let's go to the next hole. Okay, okay sure. (groaning) That's it, that's it, it's time to go. Grab the bag, one last hole and then we're done. Macarena look I have a date and I don't want to be late. One last one. Coo coo, one last one. Okay. Hey you know what, Macarena, there's enough money for you okay. Now, like I said, I have a date and I have to find out what else she likes, you know? Yo cabron, you're out of your fucking mind huh? Hey. I said one last one, grab the bag and let's go. (gun firing) (dramatic music) Fuck. (dramatic music) (clock ticking) (knocking on door) You know what, I've been thinking about this all day and I can't help it, I have to say it. There was no reason for you to treat my husband that way, especially in front of my child. He's trying to handle our situation here and you had no right to mistreat him. You don't even know us for god's sake. You really think this is how it works? You keep collecting dust in here and the only time you resuscitate yourself from this shit hole you dug yourself into and try to communicate with the outside world is to insult someone, really? And you think you can do it because you're so self righteous and brave, so ahead of everyone. Well the truth is you're nasty. You are just a bad person, that's all. (dramatic music) He took my gun. What do you want me to do? That's how it all went down and that's all. In my van. Okay. Meet me there. (dramatic music) (phone ringing) [Ariel] Hey this is Ariel, leave a message and I'll call you back... (dramatic music) (grunting) I'm not giving the money back to you. Okay, I buried it. I dug it out, so I'm gonna keep it. Okay, you know that your life is gonna be very short if you don't give me those bags back. You know that don't you? I mean, it's narrowing down to what maybe a handful of minutes perhaps, if not that, and there's nothing that I can do about it. There's nothing. Do you understand that? [Phoenix] Yes sir, I do. So what are you gonna do? [Phoenix] I'm gonna keep it. Phoenix, you know what Fernando told me when I said I was gonna propose you for this job, you want to hear that? I remember we were at a table and we were eating octopus and he said, "if you put a wolf to guard your house "you will get all the protection you need "but you'll always have a wolf at your doorstep "and a wolf can only act like a wolf." And I agree, it's not even his fault. You know I like you but you know what happens when a wolf bites someone inside the house? I do. I believe you're a good man and there is certain things a good man doesn't do and the only way to be a good man in this fucking world is to never love anyone, not even yourself. - (knocking on glass) - Have you changed your mind? (dramatic music) (shouting) I'm tired. Calm down, Charlotte, no. Oh, my god. ("Never Really Gone" by CALICO the band) You taught me everything I know How to be a gentle man When to start, when to fall And you always knew when I needed you On the wrong side of the sun Heart beats faster than a drum Make a stand, never run Without accolades you just drive away Your spirit guides me through the light Helps me find that piece of mind Even though you're not here You're never really gone Phoenix? You're never really gone Phoenix? (phone ringing) In your shadow I grew strong With your words I carry on (phone ringing) I could never blame you for leaving this crazy town Leaving this crazy town Your spirit guides me through the light Helps me find that piece of mind Even though you're not here You're never really gone Never really gone Never really gone Never really gone ("Sweet Beat Angel") Sweet beat angel Move my body right Sweet beat angel Move my body right Take me away, I don't want to stay Take me away, I don't want to stay Take me away, I don't want to stay Sweet angel Move my body right Sweet beat angel Move my body right Take me away, I don't want to stay Take me away, I don't want to stay Take me away, I don't want to stay Sweet beat angel Move my body right Sweet beat angel Move my body right Take me away, I don't want to stay Take me away, I don't want to stay Take me away, I don't want to stay Sweet beat angel Move my body right Sweet beat angel |
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