1
There's a part of me that
feels a man has got to just do
a thing that wakes him up
in the middle of the night.
Things that he can't...
can't live without.
Can't survive without.
Good morning, Daddy.
You wanna see what I'm working on?
Mm-hmm.
Oy.
What if it's just me and
you, you gonna buy a painting?
Daniel, I love you, you know.
I know.
What do you think?
I think it's incredible.
Olivia.
Hi.
Hey, buddy.
Hi.
I got to steal him for a sec.
All right.
Okay.
This is the artist.
Daniel.
Hello.
Henry.
Nice to meet you.
And this is my lovely wife
Olivia and my son Marco.
Tell me about your work.
Are you trying to
recreate still lives?
Let's go see the lights, Mommy.
Not really.
How long does it take you
to paint one of these?
Um, how long does it take me to mix
the paint and put it on the canvas
or how long does it take
for the idea to develop?
How long does it take you
to paint a painting?
A month.
Really?
A month.
Depending on the size
of the canvas, yeah.
Of course.
Well, have you thought
about painting anything else?
Let me find Eric for you.
You okay?
I don't see any green dots, Eric.
I really need these to move.
It's opening night, all right.
You've got 30 more days.
Besides, Apples to Pit sold.
That's something.
Where is he?
I talked to him on the phone.
He wants to talk to you.
He wants you to deliver
the paintings personally.
Do you think it's to
commission new work?
Mm, that's the idea.
I'm gonna go see that guy
about the commission.
You deserve it.
Hello.
I'm looking for...
Warner Dax.
I'm going to the pharmacy now
and then do some shopping.
You're stopping
at the pharmacy, right?
Life is a lot less complicated
when you can't hear women.
Are you comfortable?
No, please.
Sit down.
How's your family?
They are fine. How do you
know about my family?
I read it in your artist bio.
Do they support you?
I thought you wanted
to see more work.
A family that supports you.
That's grand.
I'm very lucky.
Artists don't have families.
You paint from photographs,
don't you?
They're my photographs and I
refer to them while I paint.
I would like to see something.
I would like you
to film it for me.
Anjelica has a video camera.
She'll give it to you.
Okay.
Film the sunrise.
I would like to see the ocean
and the sky in one frame.
No land, no beach.
I'm a painter.
Well, then I'd better offer
this to someone else.
Perhaps someone who
has the good sense
to see an opportunity
when it is presented to them.
One thousand dollars.
Two thousand.
If I intended to pay that much,
I would have offered it to you.
All right.
Good.
- You want me to...
- I want you to do exactly what I ask
and if you do it well, perhaps
I'll have something else for you.
How long do you want it?
As I said, the sunrise.
Film it on Tuesday morning
and then bring it here
Wednesday evening, about 8:00.
Don't make any copies.
The sun will be
rising and setting somewhere
every second for the
rest of your son's life.
What's his name?
Marco.
Do you spend much
time with him?
As much as I can.
You have children?
You mean, do I have someone
to leave my money to?
This is not bad.
I can create a painting
using these images,
or you could commission me
to paint something else.
So you are quite happy to whore yourself
out and paint anything anybody wants?
Look, do you want me to
paint something for you?
What do you wanna paint?
I don't understand you.
You asked me here.
I want you to film
something else for me.
What?
I'd like to see children.
Children?
Yes.
I'd like to see children
playing on a jungle gym.
You know the park at the end of
Venice Beach near Windward Street?
I want you to go there.
Around 4:00 tomorrow.
No, go at 4:00 exactly.
All right, look, I don't know
what you're into, but...
I just told you I want
to see children at play
and you accuse me of being
some kind of deviant.
Is there anything else
you'd like to say to me
or would you just
like to leave now?
I work tomorrow,
I can do it Friday.
Don't you think a man has
to do whatever he has to do
in order to support his family?
I'll give you $2,000.
Bring the footage
exactly 5:00 on Friday.
Would you give me the
card in there, please
I found a huge one.
You did?
You wanna pick it?
Yeah.
These are growing
in really well.
Did you film what I asked?
Yes, wanna see it?
Sit down.
Have you told your wife
that you're working for me?
Of course, she's my wife.
I share everything with her.
Oh, really, everything?
Yes.
Well, if you tell anybody else,
these meetings are over.
What do you do for a living?
That's a very American way
to qualify a person's value.
I was in commodities.
Does it make any difference?
I'm very tired today. Why don't
you show me what you filmed?
Come on, come on.
Would you ask Anjelica please
to bring me some water?
You'll find her
standing by the door.
- Warner would like...
- What is this?
Can't you even take
a fucking direction?
I told you the jungle gym.
I thought the other kids
were more interesting.
I don't recall asking you
what you think is interesting.
Look...
In fact, I'm sure I asked you
not to think at all.
This is a waste of my time.
Get out.
Hey, I'm trying here.
I skipped work, so that
I could get that for you
and I expect to get paid.
You do your job properly,
you get paid.
Get out.
I thought we were cutting
back on him watching TV?
In a perfect world,
we would be.
TV is saving my life right now.
Hey, that commission...
From Warner...
It's gonna come through.
I've been thinking I could
focus on my gardening.
Build a business
of edible gardens.
I met this couple
at the co-op last week.
They're gonna come by
and check out our garden.
I'm gonna build one for them.
You gotta stop worrying.
You know?
Look...
I don't want you to dismiss
me and my work as worrying.
It's gonna work out.
I'm fucking exhausted, Daniel.
Come on, swing with me.
There's skid marks on
that underwear.
Warner...
I'll do things the way
you ask from now on.
- You want me to film the children again?
- No.
I'd like you to film
the new exhibit
at the de Young in San Francisco.
It's on the second floor.
I want to see the whole room.
All the paintings, when a
tour is going through.
Okay.
If I have to go to
San Francisco...
I want an advance.
Oh.
Really?
Yes.
I'll pay you $2,000
for the new footage.
I'd like you to shoot it
on Saturday afternoon
and bring it to me
Sunday morning, 11:00 a.m.
Anjelica will give you
half the money now.
Go find her in the kitchen.
Saturday?
You said you would
do things my way.
Okay.
Hey, Anjelica.
Where are you from?
Argentina.
Ah.
I love your country.
The warmest people I ever met.
How long have you worked here?
For a while.
And you do everything?
Most things.
Do you cook for his guests too?
Not many guests come here.
Family?
Follow me.
This is perhaps Edelman's
most reflective work.
There's a loneliness
in this space,
and the sense there's
a change coming.
A transition.
It's one of his
most celebrated pieces.
Sir, you are not
allowed to film here.
Sorry.
This painting...
No!
Good.
Total will come up here.
Gus, you got a spare apron?
I forgot mine.
You can't keep skipping work.
Hey.
Anything else sell?
I can't lower the prices anymore.
I'm sorry.
Can you do me a favor,
and call this Warner guy?
I can't get a commission
out of him.
Yeah, I'll give him a call.
I was thinking maybe, um...
I'm trying some of that conceptual
stuff you were talking about.
Maybe I could get another show?
Danny, I'll look at any
painting that you make.
But right now you need to go home
and you need to get some sleep.
Yeah.
Thanks.
Hey!
Is he asleep?
He's still in the park,
smoking a joint, waiting for you.
It's 10:30.
Where have you been?
Car got towed.
You couldn't call me?
My phone's in the car.
I'll be right back.
Marco.
Hey.
Hi.
Hey.
Who loves you, buddy?
Daddy.
Yeah, who loves Daddy?
I do.
Sleep next to me, Daddy.
Okay.
Go to sleep, okay?
I'll be right here.
You gonna tell me
about getting fired?
I don't get what you're
doing with Warner.
Filming more stuff for him.
What stuff?
Sunrises,
um, museums,
and children.
Do you have any idea
how fucked up that sounds?
Yeah!
I don't know who you are, Daniel.
You lie to me.
I don't know what you do all day.
You don't share anything with me.
I'm trying.
I'm trying!
You haven't spent a second
with your son in months.
And when you are here, you just
climb into to bed with him
when he's sleeping.
And that's for you, not for him.
I'm exhausted, Daniel,
and you're not here
even when you are.
I think you're just, you're
getting consumed by Marco.
Your identity will re-emerge
when he gets older...
This is the only time I've
had to myself all day.
And you're gonna talk to
me about my identity?
Get out of my bathroom, please.
Get the fuck out of my bathroom.
Daniel's here.
Would you help me
to the bathroom, please.
Wait out here.
I don't wanna get back
in the bed right now.
Okay.
Would you close
those curtains, please.
How was the museum?
I ran into some trouble.
But I got the footage you want.
Could you show it to me, please.
Look at those paintings.
That artist must have
lived some life.
Guess you didn't see
that in my work, huh?
I have a malignant tumor.
I have maybe two or three weeks.
I'm not gonna leave this house.
It faces east.
I'd like you to film
a sunset for me.
Go to Santa Monica on the bluff.
At the end of Wilshire there's
a bench, on that bluff.
Film it on February 25th.
Make sure it's a clear evening.
Where are you?
At my mom's.
You can't just take
off like that.
What did you tell Marco?
For now, just that
we're visiting Grandma.
Please, come home.
Daniel,
I can't live like this.
I don't know how else to say it.
Why are you doing this?
I'm not trying to hurt you,
Daniel.
Can I please talk with Marco?
He's out with my mom right now.
I'm sorry.
I'll have him call you back.
What's your favorite
part about this?
All the different
colors we get to see?
Yeah.
What are the favorite things that
we feel about watching the sunset?
Uh...
- How bright it gets? How pink it gets?
- Yeah.
Hmm?
Mmm-hmm.
Yeah?
Yeah.
Do you like when it turns orange?
Yeah.
I'm sorry.
Are we in your way?
No, no.
Not at all.
It's really something, isn't it?
Yeah.
Yeah, it is.
You look familiar.
Do you work at the de
Young in San Francisco?
From time to time.
Yeah, I thought
you looked familiar.
I, uh, took your tour.
You were great.
It was fantastic.
Thank you.
I'm Daniel.
I'm Sarah Edelman.
This is my daughter, Winona.
Hi, Winona.
I have a son just about your age.
What's his name?
Marco.
Did you say Edelman?
I did.
Any relation to the
painter Wim Edelman?
He was my father.
I'm sorry.
When did you say he died?
I didn't.
But it was '73.
Hello, Daniel.
Can I see him?
Well, Daniel.
You have the footage I asked for?
I'm Sarah Edelman.
This is my daughter, Winona.
Hi, Winona.
I have a son just about your age.
What's his name?
Marco.
I know you're Wim Edelman.
Daniel, these matters
do not concern you.
Sarah is your daughter?
What did you tell her?
I didn't say anything.
Look.
How dare you?
How dare you
do this to me?
Oh!
Anjelica!
Are you okay?
He doesn't want radiation
or chemotherapy.
This is what he wants.
Understand?
His breathing is fine now.
He didn't aspirate.
Daniel.
Daniel.
What are you doing here?
My intention was not to upset you.
Your intention means
absolutely nothing to me.
Where's Anjelica?
I don't know.
You don't know anything about me.
My life.
I will not tolerate
you doing anything
about the little bit
that you do know.
Wim, I won't say anything.
You call me Warner
and nothing else.
Okay.
Okay.
Go take a shower.
There's a room down the hall.
Eat something.
All the things that
give you pleasure
eventually go.
You should leave here.
Go home.
I have nothing to go home to.
My wife left me.
Oh.
What about your son?
He's with her.
Well, then you've got nothing to
distract you from your work, do you?
Why don't we go outside?
When my daughter was five
I abandoned her and her mother.
Just got on a boat
and never came back.
I couldn't provide for my family.
It was an act of generosity
to leave them.
Generosity?
My work was more
valuable after I died.
You left for yourself.
Not for your family.
You know, I don't
feel like I exist
if I'm not painting.
I don't want to feel
guilty about that.
I don't want to feel like somehow
I'm letting somebody else down,
like I was put on
this planet to provide.
You won't have any choice,
and I'm gonna die alone.
I'm perfectly willing
to pay this price.
Hi, it's Olivia.
Leave a message. Thank you.
I saw your paintings.
Your daughter and your
granddaughter have to see them.
No. No one's ever going
to see those paintings.
I made them for myself.
They know I'm dead.
I can bring them here.
It's too late. I've lived
this selfish life, Daniel.
I thought I might be like you...
But I'm not.
I need my family.
Good.
Because there's something
worse than losing them,
not being able to remember them.
Is there anything I can do?
He lived through his paintings.
He said you were right.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Hi, Annette.
Daniel.
Who is it, Grandma?
Daddy!
Oh!
I missed you, Daddy.
Me too.
I love you so much, Marco.
I love you too.
Come see Sade.
Sade?
My bird.
You have a bird?
Uh-huh.
Where's Mama?
Working.
Look at that hill.
That's huge.
Oh, do you see the
Golden Great Bridge
right over there?
Mmm-hmm.
That's where Mommy's working.
My mom said you were coming.
I'm sorry.
Hmm.
Marco must have given
you quite the greeting.
Yeah.
Yeah, he did.
He tackled me.
He's big, smart.
He is.
He misses you.
Listen, I know I've been selfish and,
you know, I've been caught up in...
You made me feel invisible.
I realize that now.
Biggest skyscraper ever.
Ever!
Bigger than the biggest.
Oh! Argh!
Oh! Party foul.
Mother.
So this is Warner.
You spent time with him?
You were in his house?
Yes.
But they're all for you.
I don't know the man
who painted these.
You were always with him.
That means nothing to me.
I'm sorry.
He died a long time ago.
Donate them to a museum.
Oh, my God.
It's his life.
Yeah.
Thanks for doing this.
Could you do me another favor
and donate these somewhere,
like a museum?
Sure.
Who should I say
is the painter?
Anonymous.