1
Sit. Sit.
Come back.
A pain au chocolat, bud?
Please, one.
Bud.
I can't give you no more for free, huh?
Not every time.
Not no more.
I have to subsist.
I know.
I know. I know.
I... I don't carry money when I run.
I'll give it to you tomorrow.
- Tomorrow 100%?
- 100%.
Lou come by,
ask if you're feeding here too much.
Oh, that's 'cause he thinks...
...that I'm coming out of retirement,
but I'm not, so this is okay.
If you go back fighting,
you're heavyweight now.
Not middleweight.
- Come on. Let's go.
- Wait.
Bye, Claude.
Come on.
Come on.
Hey.
Hey, Hernandez,
no plantain for Silly.
I'm serious, dude.
She shits on the rug,
and she feels
ashamed of herself.
No plantains.
Why does Hernandez always have
to mop the floor so diligently?
It depresses the hell out of me.
How do you mean?
He's always mopping the floor...
...like LIFE magazine is gonna come,
and they're not.
He mops to mop.
You're trying to change the subject.
From what?
You working with me
training Kid Sunshine,
like we talked about.
I'm going to J.J.'s tonight.
He wants to open a Bud's Place in the city.
J.J. huh?
Just checking it out.
Just being friendly.
Okay, I'm intrigued.
What's his weight?
We got to get him down to welterweight.
I thought you wanted to turn him
into Floyd Patterson.
Mercury Williams' people
came to us last night...
...$500,000 and 2% of the pay-per-view.
For WBO at the Garden?
I mean, really getting shortchanged.
But the point is, it's Madison
Square Garden next month.
Kid goes for the welterweight title.
HBO wanted to bring
their cameras in here...
...and shoot Kid training.
'Behind the scenes, ' they called it.
I told them no.
You told them no?
Relax.
The fight is what's consequential.
Oh, the fight's what's consequential.
HBO's not consequential.
It's not consequential at all.
It's just the only game in town.
Boardwalk Empire's not consequential.
Girls isn't consequential.
Oh, Silly.
You know how much coffee
costs these days?
Uh, a buck fifty?
You say that like it makes
some sort of sense.
It does.
It's a large cup, hot,
doesn't taste like ass.
It's a decent deal.
Can I have a section of the paper?
You can have the whole thing.
I'm gonna take a shower.
How come you never get The Ledger?
Who cares what's happening in Jersey?
I do.
I fuckin' live here.
You do too, you know.
Don't remind me.
No Broadway, no Derek Jeter,
no Rockefeller Center,
but I got you...
...my own personal
national treasure.
You stink.
Take a shower.
Sorry.
I'm not used to you
wanting it all the time.
I always want it all the time.
I was training.
I couldn't have it.
What the fuck?
The water's not hot.
- Is it cold?
- It's lukewarm.
Better take that.
That doesn't bother you?
Lukewarm?
You really should take a shower
while it's hot at all.
What are you doing with that pen?
Better if you get The Ledger.
You're making me depressed here.
Give me a week,
a week and a half.
All right?
If I haven't gotten something
together by then,
you can... you can do
whatever the fuck you want.
Waitress at Beau Morley's.
You trying to make me depressed?
I was circling practical things.
Well, you're making me
practically suicidal.
Give me a week.
Okay?
I know I've been saying it,
but things are coming together.
All right?
No red pen for a week.
You're not gonna make fun of me?
Good.
Let's go see a movie.
Want to see a movie?
You want to see a movie with me?
De Niro?
Yeah.
That is truly terrible.
Well, how'd you know who it was, then?
Oh, please.
Give it up.
You won't see the
Sandra Bullock movie, right?
Right.
Well, I don't want to see
any action movies.
- Oh... here we go.
- What?
I'm allowed to not want to see
a bunch of people...
...get killed today,
aren't I?
I don't want to fucking fight about it.
I don't want to fucking
fight about it either.
Look, just pick something.
I don't care what it is.
I just want to sit
in a dark theater and kill time.
I was thinking I want to try auditing...
...some classes at Columbia...
Robert Thurman's classes on Buddhism.
Robert Thurman?
You say that like
I'm supposed to know him.
I know Thurman Munson.
Robert Thurman was the first white guy...
...the Dalai Lama ordained as a monk.
And he's Uma Thurman's father.
He's a monk
and he's Uma Thurman's father?
He resigned his monk's vows of celibacy...
...and married a Swedish woman.
Of course he did.
She probably looked just like
Uma Thurman.
What's... what's infinite nirvana
compared to Swedish skin?
That's who you want to be your teacher?
I love it.
You never cease to amaze me.
He gets a pass...
...because he crammed with,
you know, holy-moly man,
but the rest of us can't get a break...
Forget I fucking mentioned it, okay?
You don't get it.
It's not about being holy.
It's about nothing being sacred or holy.
Tried to explain it, and
you don't fucking listen.
Right, right.
I don't listen.
It's me.
It's me.
It's better with butter.
There's still time
for you to get some butter.
Please shut the fuck up.
Oh, that's right.
There's no... there's no trailers here.
Shh.
I told you that was gonna happen.
You got one of them Steve Jobs,
and now all you do is check it
and check it and check it.
I'm checking it constantly...
...because I'm in a state of disbelief.
Nobody ever fucking texts
or calls anymore.
It's like they gave me
the number of a ghost.
Where have all the hangers-on gone?
You used to complain
about them being around.
I've lost 73 Facebook friends
in the last few months.
Your shoelaces are untied.
Are they really your friends?
Anyways, very least,
you can not check your phone...
...in the middle of the movie.
Movies like that
bug the hell out of me.
I mean, why don't they just move?
I thought the movie was solid.
So if you don't mind, I want
to be alone with my thoughts...
...for a little bit before you
pollute me with your negativity.
And where would they move?
Where are they gonna move?
Far away.
You're in love.
Some assholes tell you
not to fall in love.
Move away from the assholes.
I think wherever they went...
They went... please.
They move to Rome.
They move to Paris.
Who the fuck is gonna care?
They can do their own thing.
They can lick pears
and chew salami.
Even if you move,
your problems don't vanish.
They do if your problem
is where you live.
Oh, look.
- Did you hear that?
- Yeah.
It was spitting something up.
He was not.
He was laughing.
I made him laugh.
You couldn't tell?
Oh.
Ho-ho-ho.
Uppercut, uppercut,
left, right, left.
Right?
Right.
You want money, huh?
They called you The Saint.
Yep.
You want money?
I'm Ray.
That's good.
Don't be a fuck, honey.
That's okay, ma'am.
He ain't got to talk to me.
Too bad your saint...
...didn't have a stronger chin.
Oh, sure,
you had blazing speed...
...but no whiskers.
Jesus got hit hard,
but he stayed the course.
Come on, Bud.
You're a fuckin' bum.
What do you know about saints?
I could smell you all the way from here.
Oh, so what?
I smell.
You never heard of Saint Francis,
ignorant motherfucker?
Here, here, take this.
Oh, no, that's okay, ma'am.
That's fine. I'm fine.
Thank you very much, ma'am,
kindly.
You should absorb some dignity
from your woman, Saint.
Wouldn't kill you.
We're done.
Come on.
Wise men may be free of greed
but not you.
I can't believe you tried...
...to give that rambling twat $2.
It's cold.
Yeah, I know.
I'm fucking freezing.
Did I tell you how those yogis...
...generate heat in the cold
through meditation?
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
You told me something about
the breathing techniques...
...to fire up the heart pulmonary
or something.
That's not exactly it.
Well, it had something
to do with breathing.
Sorry.
I'm not a yogi.
How late you gonna be?
If it goes good, late.
He might want to drink
or watch fights or something.
Text me if you're gonna be out all night.
Good luck.
Welcome to The Silver Apple.
I parked out front,
in front of the fire hydrant...
Yeah, that's my spot.
Cops know that.
I got, like, a shitty car.
Hey, that's my spot.
Whoever parks there is with me.
Don't be so dubious.
They closed your restaurant.
You know, people in Jersey
don't have any taste.
I should have known
not to bother with them.
All that money down the drain.
What are you doing for work now?
Lou wants me to work with him.
Work with this kid,
uh, Kid Sunshine.
Teach him the science of the game.
Hit and don't get hit, no?
You say that like it's easy.
It's easier said than done.
No, I believe you.
I believe you.
But Lou Powell...
Thank you, sweetheart.
He digs the smell of sweat and piss.
Lou don't care if it's MSG or VFW halls.
He's a gym rat.
Well, hooray for him.
Whatever's clever,
but you're someone...
...who's not afraid of the finer things.
Am I right?
Mm-hmm.
Yes, that's pure silver
you're holding, by the way.
You feel the weight?
Why don't you come work for me
for a little while?
Hmm?
Pickups. Deliveries.
You go around the city with Roberto.
Make sure everybody we
associate with is...
...is full of good cheer.
I must warn you of one thing,
though.
What's that?
He listens to glam rock
all day on the radio,
so if you're similar to me,
you're gonna have to...
...figure something out...
Some kind of arrangement.
I used to like the
New York Dolls, not no more.
What kind of music you got on your iPod?
Oh, fuck me.
Is that a Walkman?
Well, I-I got an iPhone.
I just don't have any music for it.
I believe it's important
to turn yourself completely over...
...to digital technology.
My entire life...
...is in the iCloud.
What kind of music you dig on?
Uh, Laura Nyro.
It's this beatnik chick.
My... my girl recommended her.
I-I don't really listen
to anything other than...
...what she has in
her cassette collection.
She never got into iTunes or anything.
She never even got into CDs.
You know, I never used to
listen to anything.
You know, Lou says
that you should never jog...
...with music.
Says if you run to
the theme song to Rocky,
you'll just be a bitch fighter.
Well, he doesn't say
the word 'bitch, ' though.
He says
'sentimental fighter.'
Sentimental fighter?
Yeah, an emotional fighter.
Lou says the worst thing you can be...
...is an emotional fighter.
You know,
that's why it's science.
You know, you got to be
like a scientist.
Otherwise, you get all
emotionally involved...
...and unbalanced.
Yeah.
You see my face right now?
This is me marveling.
I marvel at you lads.
You're monks in the gym.
The most peaceful place on earth.
Oh, the sound of the...
...the ropes and the
bags and the breathing.
It's funny that it all
leads towards violence.
Hmm?
All that peacefulness.
But, hey, what do I know?
I know one thing;
I want The Saint...
...and his scientific mind...
...on my side.
Roberto fights dogs, doesn't he?
I got nothing to do with
the dog fighting...
...and neither will you.
You just go around with him
for a couple of weeks,
and in the meantime,
we start bringing
your restaurant down here...
...to the West Village.
You mean like it was in Jersey
but in Manhattan?
Exactly.
Oh, I dug your place.
Bud's.
Hmm?
I mean, this place here,
it's all trumps and strumpets,
but Bud's...
An everyday guy can watch
a fight, lay down a bet,
and I'll own it, of course,
but after a while,
you make enough money;
You buy a stake...
We become partners.
I even got a spot picked out.
So it'll be Bud's,
or it'll be some other guy's.
What say you?
Let's break out the special
California chardonnay.
Pour yourself a glass too.
Oh, I get to drink with the big shots?
Wow.
She's not normally so trenchant.
She must have
a schoolgirl crush on you.
Oh, yeah.
You seen her over
from back in the day?
S.I. swimsuit pics?
Oh, you fuckin' monk.
She was 19 with no top off.
Ow.
She was versatile too.
She could do the beach.
She could do heroin chic.
That was a great time in fashion.
I miss heroin chic badly.
It'll come back, though.
Emaciated, suicidal teen haute couture.
Ooh.
Still there if you look closely.
Yup.
Ah, I forgot.
I gotta...
...Hey, Champ.
Hey.
How's it going?
Hey. Why are you so tight?
What's going on?
You're smelling good.
What...
...What is that?
What fragrance is that?
What are you wearing?
It's CK Obsession.
You got to let me borrow that.
They sell it everywhere.
I want to share with you.
J.J., you got a sec?
I got to jaw with you, man.
Been watching MSG fights?
No, I've been with my friend here.
Can't you see that?
Yeah, I see that.
It can wait.
I can tell you now,
or I can tell you later...
...and you'll be mad at me.
You'll make me join the
Church of Scientology with you.
Washington went down in the 12th.
A real barn burner.
Drink.
Come on.
We'll be back.
I know a lot of good shit about you, man.
They won't be back.
No?
No.
Text Ellen.
I should call her.
Text her.
Tell her you're staying at
a hotel for the night.
You... you're too drunk to drive.
You are, by the way.
Is there, like, a... is there
a Holiday Inn or something?
Don't know.
Don't do dumps.
Oh, you say that like I have a choice.
I don't even have hot water.
We can't have you staying
at the Holiday Inn...
...all alone and all pale.
I get off in an hour.
I got a guest room at my place.
You'll have your own bathroom
with a shower,
Bud.
Come on.
Go to his body. Come on.
Side to side.
Side to side.
All right. Good. Good.
Keep coming in.
Coming in.
Yeah.
All right, Kid.
That's it.
All right. Good.
Keep coming in.
- On your toes. That's it.
- All right.
- Good.
- Step into him.
- Good.
- That's it.
That's right.
That's right.
- Get him off him.
- That's it.
Good. Good.
- Stay on him.
- Stay. Stay.
- All right. Back it up.
- Don't let him off the hook.
That's right.
That's good.
Do it again.
That's right.
You're gonna help Lou train Kid,
but you're also committed to J.J. Cook.
Right.
Sounds conflicting.
Look, it's not like I told Lou.
I was gonna be at the gym forever.
I just said I'd... I'd help him
with Kid Sunshine...
...for this title fight;
By the time we have to...
...move to Manhattan,
the fight'll be over.
You've got it all figured out.
You know, I thought you'd be happy.
This way, if this works,
you don't have to work that shitty job.
You could be matre d'
at Bud's like before.
How was the Holiday Inn?
Asleep the second I got there.
Why do I feel like
my good news is bad news here?
It's a big move, is all.
It's a couple U-Haul vans.
We've moved before.
From two blocks away.
Don't you miss having, like,
a big, nice place like before?
That place was party-worthy.
I honestly don't miss it.
To me, this place is cozy.
Even if we had a baby,
I think we could stay here...
Please, don't get on that again.
Sorry.
All right,
what's your weight today?
All right, you got to lose
9, 10 in the next few weeks.
I can do it.
Stay away from the sweet stuff,
and I'm not talking about candy.
Right.
It's hot in here.
Makes you feel tired, huh?
Nah, I'm fine.
You drink?
- Nah.
- Sleep around?
- Nope.
- That's good.
All right, to the body.
Now to the head.
To the body.
Generate momentum off the toe.
Off the toe, not the heel.
Come on.
Get it up.
Get it up.
See?
All right.
All right, all right, all right.
Hit the lockers.
Thanks, Saint.
Don't mention it.
Hey, let me see your hands.
Who taped your hands today?
My homeboy Lonnie.
No more Lonnie.
I'll do it tomorrow.
It's too tight.
There's too much tape.
What are you looking at,
old man?
Nothing.
You're smiling about something.
I suppose I'm smiling because...
...you're having fun.
Hell I am, man.
It's disgusting here.
It's full of sweat and old memories.
Sure. Sure.
Good night, old man.
Silly, come on.
Silly?
You seen Silly?
I saw her about five minutes ago.
Silly?
Come on, girl.
Hernandez, you seen Silly?
Silly?
Come on, girl.
Silly, is that you?
What are you doing in there?
Hey, chill, man.
Put down the guns...
Is this your car?
Well, look who's driving Bimmers.
Is this your fucking car?
Damn skippy.
Can't you see the resemblance?
That's my fucking dog.
I know.
I took her for a joyride.
You were training.
Gave your pooch a couple
of frankfurters.
Pooch loves frankfurters,
you know that?
Yeah, I know that.
She'll eat whatever you give her.
She'll even eat plantains.
Give a pooch fruit?
I don't understand that.
Give a pooch meat,
breed the killer instinct in them...
...that I understand.
Pooch will even eat
another pooch, you know that?
Yeah, it depends on the dog.
No, no, no.
Any pooch.
Fuck anything too.
Well, the vet took care of that.
Ouch.
Still, pooch
would fuck anything.
Could you let her out, please?
Kind of muscular, your dog,
You ever think of fighting her?
- No.
- Why not?
It's not just pits.
That's a common misconception.
Yeah, I know.
I'm not into that. Okay?
It's not humane.
It's kind of funny
coming from a boxer, no?
No.
Whatever.
If you ever change your mind,
let me know.
Can make big bills,
the three of us.
Can you let her out, please?
The windows are rolled up.
It's cold; I didn't want
her to catch a cold.
It's fucking frosty out here.
Please just unlock the door.
I got to go home.
No.
We're working tonight.
Tonight?
Or should I call J.J.
and tell him
you're not up for it?
No, no, no.
I'm up for it.
Great.
Let's rock and roll.
All right, you know, I got to...
I got to go change.
I'm stinky.
And put on that aromatic
Calvin Klein scent?
Don't fret about it.
We got to get to know
each other anyways.
Oh.
J.J. told me to give you this.
He loaded it with all that
crappy music you like.
Let's go.
We're gonna have to leave
the pooch in the car.
The guy we're gonna go see has a cat.
I don't know.
Dude, my boy runs
this fucking joint.
Nobody's gonna fuck around
with my whip anyways.
It's only gonna be 15 minutes.
All right.
We'll be right back.
Stay here.
Yo, check this shit.
Cuban heel, yo.
You know what I'm saying?
Cuban heels.
Yeah, I like... I like
that whole dance too.
Yeah, fucking right you like it.
That's some fucking Riverdance shit.
I want to do, like, a crazy
Miles Davis voice for this.
So just play along.
Okay.
Jeez.
Gee whiz.
Can we come in?
This is my pal Bud.
Boy, uh,
I was just getting ready for bed.
Oh, we just walked up all the stairs.
Maybe we could all have
a glass of milk together...
...before bed.
I don't have any milk.
You're being rude, Stanley.
Since it's your bedtime,
straight, no chaser.
You owe 10 grand to J.J.
That's more than I owe.
No?
I explained our system to you last time.
You pay interest for every week
you don't pay.
Don't I know you?
He's Bud Gordon.
Gee whiz.
Why do I know that name?
The Saint.
Bud 'The Saint' Gordon?
I lost money on you.
You beat the hell out of Jackson
for four rounds.
He punches you hard once in the fifth,
and you're out.
Boy, that was some disappointment for me.
Yeah, for me too.
With the Garden cheering you.
I thought for sure...
...this scrawny kid from Atlanta
is not gonna take the title.
He was long, like Tommy Hearns.
Tommy Hearns my ass.
He lost his belt the next fight...
...to some kid from the Poconos.
Eh, the whole thing made me shit funny.
If we look under your mattress,
in a Hefty bag,
there's how much?
$300.
No. $275.
I had Chinese delivered.
Hutch.
Put him down, will you?
I'm taking fucking Hutch.
You can't.
He'll die without his insulin.
He's diabetic.
Just put him down, will you?
Wait, wait,
you're good for the money?
Yes.
Or you got somebody who can
lend you some money?
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
Please don't take Hutch.
He needs his shots.
You're holding him all wrong.
He doesn't like to be held like that.
He's good for it.
Look at the man.
I don't know.
It's a lot of money.
Come on, man.
He's good for it.
I'm gonna listen to
my associate tonight, Stanley.
We'll both find out
if he makes good choices.
Come here.
Come here, boy.
Come here, Hutch.
Oh, Hutch.
Stanley,
you got any Chinese food left?
I look fucking amazing eating noodles.
Look at this.
Hey, uh,
hey, mind if I ask you something?
What?
Were you really gonna take his cat?
Dude,
I go into this shit...
...I'm Johnny Thunders
going into a guitar solo.
I don't know how the fuck
it's gonna go down.
So what's gonna happen
with Stanley now?
Come here.
Stand here.
Hold on.
Wait.
Have a... have a baby carrot.
It's okay.
I'm not hungry.
Have a fucking baby carrot.
Have a baby carrot.
- It's good, right?
- It's good. Yeah.
Let me tell you something.
J.J. is interested in money,
but he's more interested in people...
...and owning them.
Stanley owns that apartment.
We let him stay there.
We own Stanley.
He loves owning people,
J.J.
Hang over their lives,
cloud-style,
like a fucking Wu-Tang Clan.
We're the fucking ultimate wingmen.
Look at that.
All right, let's fucking go.
Come on.
One more collect.
Light load tonight.
But this dude is into us deep.
It's gonna be tricky.
How deep?
Large?
Large.
He's rich, huh?
No.
Not really.
He lives in a one-bedroom
on West End Ave.
Teacher.
Math, I think.
Math teacher?
Yeah.
J.J. loves to hook
pedestrian people.
He loves hooking
commonplace folk...
...even more than high rollers.
I didn't understand it
for a while myself.
How'd you meet J.J.?
He read about me online.
Local boy goes to Iraq,
gets a Purple Heart.
Article said
I was a super sniper,
killed lots of Iraqis.
I come home;
There's, like, a million
purple flowers in my house.
I thought the guy was a faggot.
But then the landlord tells me
I got no home.
You ever been homeless?
No.
Those old men
down on the corner,
around an old oil drum with
holes up and down the side,
feeding it whatever,
they pass gloves back and forth,
stamp their feet.
I didn't last three days of that shit.
Nasiriyah was easier.
I went to meet J.J.
I've been in business ever since.
Later I find out he paid
my landlord to evict me.
That didn't make you mad?
Nah.
Showed me what a badass
businessman I was dealing with.
What if you wanted to
get out of the business?
Why would I want to do that?
Just, you know,
theoretically speaking.
J.J. said you was
one smart bruiser.
'Theoretically speaking, '
that's fucking good.
You're fucking smart.
Even with my tiny,
feminine hands,
it can be problematic to put
these amazing gloves on.
But once they're on,
they're amazing.
In the glove box.
Pass it to me.
Don't worry.
It's not loaded.
Well, then what do you have it for?
I'm gonna scare the fuck
out of this guy.
You come in with a Beretta
and a silencer,
he's gonna shit his pants.
How many cokeheads you had
to collect money from?
Coke?
J.J. deals coke?
Just pass it to me.
Let's go.
You have the doorman call him.
Colby, ninth floor.
Don't worry.
There's an elevator.
- What do I say?
- Don't say anything.
Say your name.
Say you're here on behalf
of the installment plan.
Simple.
You can't say it yourself?
Dude is scared of me.
He won't let us up if he hears
my moniker or voice.
The doorman will say there's two of us.
There's a side entrance around the way.
No cameras on that entrance.
You let me in from inside.
The doorman won't hear you
open that entrance.
It's past the elevator on the right.
Then we go up together in the elevator.
Ah. Fuck.
Oh, I should have fucking known.
I'm so fucking stupid.
Hey, calm down.
Calm down.
God damn it.
I just want to talk.
You want to talk?
Or you want to punch me in the face...
...while you strap me down?
Dude, that was, like,
a one-time thing,
and I apologized for it,
like, a billion times.
Bud, could you wait for me in the car?
No.
Don't go, man.
You want this guy coming in?
Bro, this is a former boxing champ.
Think I hit hard?
This guy hits so hard he should be in jail.
Fuck. Just don't... Just don't go.
What do you got... what do you
got going on in here?
Little teachers' convention?
No.
Grading papers, huh?
No, I'm just watching a movie.
I turned down the movie volume
and put on some music...
...because the movie sucked.
What... which... which... which movie?
Wolverine.
Bud, I'll be down in a minute.
Oh, I'm sorry.
I'm sorry, Silly.
I know.
I know.
It's too much time in this little car.
We're almost done.
Huh?
I'm not gonna take you on...
...any more
of these trips anymore.
Okay?
I didn't know he was coming.
I wouldn't have taken you to the gym.
We're almost done.
Okay?
We'll be home soon.
Yeah, I know
what you're thinking.
You're thinking,
'What are we doing here?'
Huh?
Well, we're making our way
back to the top of the heap.
I know it doesn't look like it,
but we are.
We don't need no coke-fueled
self-deception either.
No fucking messages or calls.
Okay.
They'll see.
I'm gonna be held
in high regard again.
I'm a select champion.
I never once doubted it
since childhood.
Not once.
You know?
Cash moves everything around.
Got the money.
Dollar, dollar bill, y'all.
Souvenir.
Our first date.
Keys.
What happened back there?
Oh, my God.
Are you fucking dense?
What always happens, man,
the same shit that always happens.
That guy had to be fucked with.
That's what we do.
We're in the fear business.
What?
Are you a baby?
Hey, baby. Oh, baby. Ooh.
Anyways, you can talk to J.J.
about that shit.
We're gonna see him in a minute.
We're stopping by
his new art gallery in Chelsea.
J.J. has an art gallery?
Yeah.
J.J. has an art gallery.
'Cause that's where the real money is.
'Cause you put shit in the right frame,
and these fuckin' dopes that
went to Brown and Princeton,
they'll think it's cool,
and they'll be like,
'Here's a million dollars
for that fucking turd.
'Oh, please, come on my face.
I'll pay you a million dollars for that.'
Jackasses.
Bud,
that's Petals,
and that's Kathryn.
We know you.
They know you.
They're card girls from the Garden.
You weren't supposed
to tell him, J.J.
He was supposed to guess.
Now we'll never know
if he remembers us.
My bad, ladies.
We were just babies back then.
We were barely legal.
Mm, and then the years passed,
taking with them
the semblance of youth.
It's not like we're fucking old.
No.
Not yet.
Get this, Bud,
their first night at the Garden...
...was your last night at the Garden.
See how the past is not yet finished?
I hope we're not bad luck.
You were all bloody back then...
What's its name?
Oh, her name is Silly.
I like dogs because they're like people...
...except they can't talk.
They're like people.
They're like people.
They're like people...
...The cement glaze on the floor
I had put in a month ago,
it's from Morocco.
You can get it wet and not worry.
What do you think of this piece?
The trailer?
Right.
This is it.
My gallery's first show.
I-I didn't know that was the art.
It's... you know,
I don't know much about art.
Mm-hmm.
The girls seem to like it.
This artist is highly sought after.
No one in the art world
understands how I booked him.
What they don't realize,
of course,
is that while he may have
an MFA degree from Yale,
he's also addicted to spread betting.
What I like is, he told me...
...the silver aluminum
of the Airstream trailer...
...is an homage to Andy Warhol's
Silver Clouds.
You know Andy Warhol?
Yeah, yeah. I heard of him.
Oh, yeah.
He's my favorite.
He's from my hometown,
Pittsburgh.
We both got the fuck out.
He sure understood about silver...
...how it could appeal to people's vanity,
suck crowds in with its flash
and its coolness.
See how the Airstream projects
a sexy invulnerability?
You feel like maybe you could be
inhuman, unassailable...
...in a silver thing like that.
Am I right, Roberto?
I always feel that way,
so I'm a bad barometer.
Mm.
Let's go inside and have dinner.
I'll show you what I mean.
Oh, Kathryn...
...Kathryn, sweetie,
can you just step up for me?
Sure you can.
There you go.
You feeling okay?
Good.
Right this way, boys.
Come on.
I... I don't want to go in by myself.
Just go in.
I'll be in in a minute.
It's like being in...
Go.
A sleek, fresh bunker.
You should come to my house
in Riverdale sometime.
I designed it myself.
I keep it on the DL,
but if I wanted it to be,
that house would be famous;
Architecture Magazine,
this and that.
It's not that I don't have
a fondness for notoriety.
It's for legal reasons...
...that I remain...
obscure.
Steve Jobs,
a pioneer of digital music,
his legacy is tremendous.
When he went home,
he listened to vinyl.
You like country music?
Oh, who am I talking...
...Mr. Monk.
I play jazz at the Apple
in case a paint job comes in.
You look pale, sport.
I get headaches sometimes.
Oh, yeah.
Walk on Query Street...
...I'm exhausted.
Mostly it's from being at the gym.
Oh, yeah.
Coming out of retirement?
No.
That's funny.
No, no, I'm just helping
with Kid Sunshine.
Kid Sunshine, talk of the town.
A week ago,
nobody hears of this kid.
Now everyone's talking about him.
Champ, you get the little
digital jukebox I sent you?
I did.
Yes. Thank you, J.J.
Silly's hungry.
No, please, don't feed her.
Hey. Hey, please.
I told you not to do that.
He likes it.
Don't you?
Yes, you do.
You know, it's a girl.
She's a girl.
And... hey, come here.
Come here, Silly.
- Come here.
- No, she wants the...
...What the fuck?
Sit down. I apologize.
The girls will be reprimanded.
I can assure you of that.
I'm a soft touch for animals.
Here. See this?
I keep her in my backyard
with an electronic fence.
She's just a little, tiny doll.
Oh, you phantasm, you.
Look at her go.
I love to hold her.
You're not afraid she'll kill you?
Pussy.
Have you ever seen anything...
We don't like him, J.J.
So beautiful?
You know, there was never a name
for that color.
We need more blow, J.J.
The snow leopard is the most rare...
...and elusive animal in the world.
It's mythical,
ultra mysterious,
powerful loners,
alone its whole life.
The furthest thing from ordinary...
...on this planet.
Ordinary is our enemy.
Ordinary people doing ordinary things,
like the laundry.
When I left Pittsburgh,
I promised myself I would never do...
...those humdrum things again,
and I have not,
and you will not.
You will be burnished.
I will aluminize your world.
You'll be untouchable.
Ellen?
Couldn't sleep.
You're a sight for sore eyes.
Why are your eyes sore?
Why are your eyes sore?
There's some coffee in the fridge.
Is it that very ordinary deli shit?
What's so wrong with ordinary?
Breathe through the nose
as much as you can.
Keep that mouth closed.
Keep your brain stale.
Keep your brain in your toes.
Let the cold move your brain
into your toes.
Go get some water for Kid,
please.
Small bottle.
I don't want him drinking much.
Stretch it.
Are you getting the paper as well?
Would you like
to make a donation...
...to the Make-A-Wish Foundation?
Hey, you need me, Lou?
I'm giving Kid a rubdown.
I thought after, you could do
some footwork drills with him.
How about tomorrow?
- Everything all right?
- Yeah. Yeah.
I'll see you tomorrow, Kid.
All right, Saint.
You good?
Yeah.
- Hola.
- Roberto?
You know what time it is, man?
It's in the fucking paper, man.
- What?
- You killed him?
You fucking shot him?
Hey, hey.
You should talk to J.J.
about that.
Okay?
Big comandante J.J.
Too high for me, partner.
No, no, I'm not your
fucking partner anymore.
That's over.
I don't think so, man.
Told you J.J. owned people.
One of the people he owns
is Colby's super.
J.J. has video footage
of you in the lobby,
your beautiful face.
Claro, that's not
what the cops have, though.
Our super gave him
some looped-up shit.
You ain't in that version.
Course, that's how it is now.
Things change.
Your situation is pliable.
It's up to you, bro,
if you want to be in the clear or not.
Me, I'm gonna cozy on up...
...and go to sleepy time.
Bye.
Um, it's over on McDonald.
Yeah, it's really nice.
But I only take her,
like, once a year.
And every time, they tell me,
'She's so big.'
Do you want to get that?
Or somebody else got it?
Yeah, I think they got it in the back.
Yeah, don't worry about it.
- I hope.
- I know. Right?
- Is Ronnie working today?
- Yeah.
Anyway, sorry, you were saying.
So you only take her
once a year, anyway, but...
Yeah.
Because I always get worried...
...about, like,
how often you're supposed...
...to take 'em in for shots and everything.
- Yeah.
- Anyway.
- Hey.
- Hey.
Were you wanting anything?
Coffee.
You're not eating?
You see these spoons?
The spoons are fine.
Yeah, if you like someone
else's clam chowder.
Picking a fight with the Starlight?
- Not hungry.
- Oh, yeah, sure. Since when?
Okay, listen to me, just listen.
Something bad happened last night.
I didn't know it, but it did.
I give up.
Denzel Washington.
- What?
- Not Denzel?
It's not a fucking impersonation.
I'm leaving if you do that again.
You hear me?
Fucking control yourself.
I'm sorry.
I'm sorry. I'm sorry.
Um...
...Something bad has happened.
I'm in trouble.
Now you're scaring me.
It's 'cause I'm scared.
Now, look,
whatever I say for the rest
of this conversation,
just act normal.
You're the one who's slamming
the table and making a scene.
Okay, I don't want to get
into a fucking debate about it.
- Just act regular.
- Okay. Okay.
A man was killed.
A man?
What man?
Just some man.
And the thing is,
I'm being framed for it.
Or being threatened
to be framed for it.
Framed?
Framed by who?
What the fuck are you talking about?
J.J.
That's who.
J.J.?
Why would J.J. frame you?
I thought he wanted to
go into business with you.
He wants to own Bud's and me.
And I should have known.
J.J. doesn't have partners.
Can he frame... how would...
...how would he frame you?
My prints are on
the murder weapon.
- Murder...
- Shh.
Roberto had me hand him his gun.
Roberto left the gun behind
for the cops to find.
They got me walking in on tape,
but that's not the tape
the cops have yet.
I don't know what you're talking about,
but what are you gonna do?
Roberto's coming by
to pick me up later.
We're supposed to go
on our rounds.
So we call the cops.
My cousin Reggie on the force in Hoboken.
They got me on tape, Ellen.
My prints are on the gun.
They got me.
These guys are pros at the game.
I'm a layman.
Your cousin Reggie can't do shit.
Who died?
He was a schoolteacher.
Shh.
Shh. Shh.
Don't cry.
Don't cry.
A schoolteacher?
Yeah, he was also a cokehead,
if that helps.
Come on.
Hey. Use this napkin.
Come on, just act like
everything is everyday ordinary.
Oh, now you want ordinary.
That's good.
Don't get hit.
Don't get hit.
Come on. Push me back.
All right, pivot off the front.
Pivot off the back.
Pivot off the front again.
Off the back.
Some water now?
Not yet.
Come on.
Hey, there.
Ellen's walking Silly.
And at Pittsburgh,
there wasn't much else to do...
...but learn to pick locks.
In fact, this place reminds me
a lot of Pittsburgh.
Faint smell of
Dutch elm disease.
What do you want?
Well, a cup of coffee would be kind.
It's chilly in here, Bud.
There's some coffee on the stove,
if you don't mind it
not being fresh or gourmet.
Not being fresh or gourmet is fine.
It will complete the experience
of this apartment.
Is the building a landmark?
I don't know.
Worn flights of stone stairs
look like they've seen wars.
I bet, you excavate the basement,
there'd be armloads of tumbrel
and peasant rags.
I'm sure some fool
wants to preserve it.
It's dark in here, but did you
lose a few pounds?
Possible.
Yeah.
Kid Sunshine, sometimes
it seems like he's training me.
Or maybe you're having
a nervous breakdown.
That'll make people lose weight
sometimes, if you're lucky.
Yeah, maybe that's it.
Kid Sunshine,
I wanted to talk to you about him.
What do you want to talk
about Kid Sunshine for?
Well, he's got to fall down,
Bud.
Ow.
You weren't kidding about this coffee.
You got any sugar?
We're all out.
In the first round, to be exact.
You put your money
on Kid Sunshine,
you're gonna come out
like gangbusters.
That's an inside tip.
This is a great fighter
we're talking about.
He's gonna win.
Oh, that's kindly of you.
The insider's tip...
...Let me give you an inside tip.
I don't dig taking chances.
I dig sure things.
If Kid goes down in the first...
...and I got a ton of money
on him going down in the first,
that is very sure.
Yeah, but is that believable?
In the first round?
That's gonna be shady
to the commission.
Come on.
All fighters are vulnerable
in the first round.
You know that, Bud.
I don't need to tell you.
Hmm, especially
with two knockout guys.
Hell, if you told me Mercury
went down in the first,
I'd believe you, but
it's not gonna be Mercury.
We, um... we sent the footage of you...
...in the lobby on the West End
to one of my pocket cops,
and if Kid doesn't go down in the first,
the tape turns up immediately,
and the superintendent
will tell the cops that...
...you threatened to kill him,
thus the cover-up...
...and the fake tape.
Super used to be a soap opera actor.
He's quite convincing, actually.
Come on now.
Hey, hey, hey.
You caught sight of
this side of darkness before.
You knew it was there.
Don't act like a birthday boy.
Yeah, maybe.
Maybe. I just...
...why... why do you always want
to send it all to hell so often?
Hell, my friend, is rising
first thing in the morning...
...and throughout the day.
I'm just a surfer.
Can't you see that?
No, I guess I can't.
Mmm.
Really?
I think you can.
I think you've surfed some yourself.
Only difference is,
you got rolled.
How about
the Yankees signing, huh?
Looks like they just bought
themselves another championship.
And people say boxing is crooked.
Prevaricators.
Are we having an awkward moment?
If it's any consolation,
a lot of the money we make off Kid...
...will go straight to Bud's Place.
I've sketched out some design stuff.
I'm thinking linoleum,
hyperborean-style.
I know we said it'd be the same
as it is here in Manhattan,
but I need to express myself creatively,
and a few clued-in alterations.
I'm gonna make it fit
in better in Manhattan.
Bud's needs some irony...
...if it's gonna fly downtown.
As it is, it's too sincere.
Also, we'll have $1/2 million set aside...
...for Kid,
to take the edge off.
He's got the whole world ahead of him.
You can't stand it.
Are you analyzing me?
Don't hurt yourself.
Tell Kid to call me.
Confirmation call.
Put me at ease.
There's a long limousine
driving by outside.
I looked in,
but the windows were darkened.
Thought it was Bruce.
Yeah, I don't think so.
Yeah, you're right.
The Boss wouldn't be
so ostentatious.
Sure he would.
The Boss has hair plugs.
- No way.
- Yeah.
Bruce Springsteen
has hair plugs?
All those guys have hair plugs.
No way.
You have dinner?
No. I'm not hungry.
I'm gonna go take a shower.
Can I get in with you?
Sure.
I know it's only lukewarm.
It's fine.
You want to hear
some neat stuff I read...
...about the Fuji River?
You remember that TV show we saw...
...about Sonny Liston
and the phantom punch?
A lot of fighters have dropped for money.
A lot of good guys.
It's complicated.
You have to consider
the men we deal with.
You didn't drop.
Yeah, I guess
I was fortunate that way.
I think you have to tell Lou.
No.
If I tell Lou,
he'll have Kid take the fall.
He's not gonna let me do another round.
Kid Sunshine would be crushed
if he wasn't champ?
Not even about that for him.
If he wins, it's not about him.
It's about something else.
I can't explain it.
It's...
...I wish I was like that
when I was a fighter.
I wasn't.
I was up here.
Big ideas.
Big ideas.
I used to make fun of stuff.
And when people's love for me cracked...
...and I saw that love for what it was,
I called them 'player haters.'
'Haters gonna hate, ' I used to say.
What a stupid thing it is to be a player.
'Meanwhile, in your life,
'you hardly notice the world around you.
'Lights changing,
'sirens dying along the buildings,
'your eyes intent on a sight
you do not see yet.
'Not yet there, as long as
you're only yourself,
'with whom, as you recall,
you were never happy
to be left alone for long.'
I don't know if that was a poem...
...or you're just talking
really great tonight.
Bud?
Yeah?
That sweatshirt stinks.
- Does it?
- Yeah.
- Sorry.
- I'm doing laundry tomorrow.
Could you put it in the bag?
Yeah.
Now, you always do laundry.
I should do that stuff sometimes.
I don't mind it.
It's peaceful,
the laundromat.
Everything whirling around in soap.
I read.
Do you ever think that...
...you'll just go through this life...
...and be forgotten?
Well, we'll all be forgotten regardless.
Even the most famous person,
someday, no one will know they were here.
Brad Pitt, someday,
all his movies will be dust.
That's fucking depressing.
I don't think so.
You should read this book I'm reading.
It's all about how the ego
suckers us into thinking...
...that we're all separate from each other.
But actually, in reality,
you, me, this bed,
this wall...
Silly...
...Don't say her name.
She'll wake up.
We're all the same thing.
We're not separate at all.
And this is all just our mind.
Is that supposed to be solacing?
No.
It is what it is.
If this is our mind,
the mind is a scary place.
It can be.
Well, there's no way out, so...
...might as well learn to enjoy it.
You got any ideas about
a good way to enjoy it?
Is that your car?
Yeah.
Is there someone in it?
What's wrong?
You're sad.
Well,
lonely.
Maybe it's just it being
Christmas Eve and all.
I get lonely around Christmas.
They kill so many trees.
Statistics are reprehensible.
Oh, shit.
Did you hear that?
What?
I think I hear...
...thousands of trees crying.
Shut up.
It's not funny.
- It's a little funny.
- It's not funny.
Asshole.
Oh, yeah?
Oh, yeah, bring it.
This is the most gourmet shit I ever had.
I can't seem to find my appetite for it.
What is that again?
It's... scallops with raisins, basically.
What's that?
This is the egg caviar.
Good?
No.
You ever had caviar before?
No.
I figured as long as
the hotel is paying for it,
I should try it, but...
...it's kind of funky.
You know, Kid can't eat
before his weigh-in,
but he's not missing much.
You got a phone call this morning...
...from a woman named Mae.
You were out with Silly.
It was an unknown number.
I thought it might be best if I answered,
considering everything
that's going on.
She sounded very strange
when she heard my voice.
Then she said,
'Merry Christmas'
and to wish you luck.
That's all.
Okay.
- She works for J.J., right?
- Yeah.
- I think I've seen her before.
- Yeah, yeah, probably.
She was at some of my fights
back in the day.
Look up at me, Bud.
When people ask about you,
I don't tell them
everything that I know.
You haven't always
been good to me.
Breaks my heart.
I love you so much, but...
...I don't know if I can
be your girl anymore.
I'll always be your friend,
but...
...I got to look out for
myself a little bit.
You know?
All those lights and all those buildings...
You know, if I... if I
could do it over again.
I'd do it... I would have married you.
I would have had a little baby with you.
No, you wouldn't, Bud.
You're gonna do this to me now?
Out of nowhere,
you're just gonna do this?
You're supposed to be my fucking friend.
You know I'm your fucking friend.
We're not happy, Bud.
You fuck around on me.
So you don't love me anymore?
I'll always love you.
But you're not, like,
in love with me anymore?
Not... not enough to make it work.
'Cause if you were in love with me,
we could make this function;
I-I could change.
People can change.
That's the whole Buddha thing,
right?
I mean, things are always changing.
A couple months ago, you said,
'Let's do couples therapy.'
I said no, like a fuck-head,
but I would do it.
I would do that couples
therapy shit with you.
So you're gonna leave me too,
huh?
You're gonna turn on me
just like everyone else...
...now that I'm not the man anymore.
That shit is in your head, Bud.
That is your dumb
ESPN-conditioned version...
...of the universe where
you're completely dependent...
...on outside circumstances
and just crumble...
...the second someone
doesn't bow to you.
I loved you despite all that
neurotic, infantile...
...football shit.
It's icy streets.
Careful driving. Okay?
Okay.
Hey, when you walk Silly,
just make sure...
...she doesn't eat anything off the street.
I know. I know.
I won't.
'Cause she wants to eat, like,
chicken bones and shit.
That stuff will kill her.
I'm the one who told you
about the chicken bones.
You really are a fruitcake
if you think that's true.
Wow. I'm not even getting
into that with you.
You're fucking nuts
if you think that,
because I told you
about the chicken bones...
...when I first met Silly
'cause you had no idea.
Okay, whatever you say, cuckoo.
Just... I mean,
the main thing is,
we agree on her diet.
I won't let her eat off the street.
- Okay, I promise.
- Okay.
Hello?
My mom always told me to stay in Montana.
I thought Montana was for squares.
I had a poster of the
Chrysler Building in my room.
Stared at it for hours.
Metal and stainless steel.
My goal was to come here...
...and become one of those
Chrysler eagles.
Who knows?
Maybe I achieved my goal.
I know it was J.J.
who had you go down that night
in the fifth.
Even Lou Powell bought it
'cause you got hit so hard...
...and you were known for being chinny.
You didn't open your restaurant
on bank loans.
Look, I'm not judgy.
I understand.
You wanted to get out
while your brain worked...
...and still have something to show for it.
You could win more by losing.
You know, we could have
a really good time.
Don't be so prideful.
Sometimes I get these headaches.
I used to tell myself
it was because of the punch,
but I think a person's
conscience can take on...
...all sorts of physical manifestations.
J.J. always said
you're one of the smart ones.
Maybe too smart.
No such thing.
Yeah, I don't know about that.
But, you know,
if I get a good lawyer...
...I'm guilty of a lot of things,
but murder's not one of them.
You don't want to fight him.
You know, you're looking at me
like I'm ugly.
Wasn't I pretty yesterday?
You still are.
I'm somewhere else.
God, I wish I could convince you.
The times we'd have...
...Yeah?
You'd take me to Montana?
Show me the fields?
If you wanted.
I'm not completely sure
if they're still there...
...or if I could even find them.
They're still there.
I think I'm all turned around.
I should get back to Kid.
Don't try to go straight on a crooked road.
You'll only get flattened.
Bud?
Sir, do me a favor
and turn off the music.
Sorry. What?
Sir, do me a favor.
Turn off the music.
You want me... you want another station?
No station.
Hey, Kid's not taking any visitors.
Sorry.
I'm visiting you.
Not Kid.
J.J. asked me to check in with you.
You checked in.
Is there a trace of defiance
in your demeanor,
or did I mistake?
You mistake.
Look, what can I do for you?
Why are you acting like
you don't know me, man?
I'm not.
Whatever, dude.
Be that way.
Kid never called J.J.
That's somewhat discourteous,
don't you think?
Discourteous?
I'm sure he didn't mean it that way.
So it's just an oversight?
The kid's gonna do
what he's supposed to do?
Kid's gonna do what he's supposed to do.
Actually, I should get back to Kid.
Hell, why do you have to
get back to Kid?
Get back to Kid.
I can't believe you're gonna act...
...all cold and shit with me, man.
Your fucking dice are loaded.
Make no mistake, people like us,
we're made to go to war
as entertainment for the rich.
This world is run by a pack
of ferociously ambitious...
...teenage girls
at the Saint Anne School.
This shit going down,
honor just don't apply.
There ain't no fucking honor
possible in this situation.
It's, are you smart,
or are you stupid?
And you're smart, Spartacus.
So don't be stupid.
Okay.
'Cause you're fucking smart.
They didn't count on
chop-shop parts like us...
...motherfuckers with fox brains
to outwit the system.
I know it seems like I'm asking
you to betray your friend,
but what I'm really asking you to do...
...is to be enterprising
and entrepreneurial,
because suffice it to say
that I fucking love you, man.
So I'll see you after the fight.
Condolences to Lou and Kid.
And, hey, man,
J.J. says you got to get...
...your Twitter follower numbers way up.
You got, like,
no one following you.
And you're tweeting in the wind.
Who was that?
Roberto, J.J.'s guy.
What'd he want?
Plainly see he's overwhelmed.
Mercury Williams
has too much power...
Everyone's going one way;
You're going the other.
- What?
- Where to?
Nowhere.
Could you just, like,
drive around?
- You want to see the sights?
- No, no, no.
I've seen the sights.
Just drive around wherever.
Okay?
You want to turn up the radio now?
I got to hear this.
Yeah, I can turn the radio up.
You don't got to
attitudinize me about it.
Sorry.
Kid Sunshine grabbing Mercury.
Holds on to him for dear life.
The crowd begins to boo.
Referee Smith has to
break the fighters up.
Kid Sunshine's mouth
is bleeding badly.
Ay-yi-yi.
Now Smith checks to see...
...It's a massacre.
If Sunshine can continue.
And Sunshine is saying he can.
So here we go.
Fight is back on.
And here comes Mercury again.
Mercury comes in
with the left hook.
Kid Sunshine ducks it.
Hits Mercury in the ribs hard.
Well, there's some life from the Kid.
- Where did that come from?
- Wowee.
Well, that's what
Mercury Williams is wondering.
He looks angry.
He chases Sunshine into the corner...
...and lands a hard body punch,
but Sunshine slides out of the corner...
...before Mercury can start
any kind of combination.
Mercury chases after the Kid.
Kid Sunshine stops in his tracks...
...and throws a right hand.
Was that a right-hand lead?
I think it was, Joe.
A right-hand lead.
- And Mercury Williams is hurt.
- Oh, mama.
Mercury shakes it off,
comes after Sunshine,
jabs some at Sunshine's head,
but Sunshine blocks.
They circle...
...And there's the bell.
The round is over.
Fans are on their feet,
loving it.
An action fight.
Shit. What the hell?
What did I do?
You didn't do anything wrong.
Don't worry.
- They want me.
- What did you do?
Come on.
Right-hand lead.