Scenario for Movie.
Young man and woman in first throes of romantic love. Mid to late ‘20s. Think Robert Pattinson or Adam Driver with Emma Stone or Zoey Deschanel - or a more contemporary equivalent couple. We could be in the UK, Australia or the US. Whoever’s interested.
She works in a museum. He’s a gardener, but an aspiring musician. An A&R man sees one of his gigs and is convinced he’ll be the next big thing. He offers to fly him to Italy to record and shoot a video in Venice. Brilliant.
But, oh no – obstacle! We switch to China. A young man reports loss of smell, a cough and a fever. Hmm, say his parents, that’s odd. Two of our co-workers have been reporting the same but the authorities have told us to say nothing. To no avail – the virus spreads.
Him in Italy. Her back home. Distance damages the relationship. He starts seeing an Italian. the song is recorded and the video shot but the isolation is killing him. One night – comic interlude – he has too much to drink, commandeers a gondola and punts around shouting “Honk if you’re lonely”.
Meanwhile she repairs to the coast. Reads, writes, walks, cooks. Is melancholy. Then, an elderly relative of hers gets the virus. A dark and sombre interlude. But she recovers! Our protagonist is now determined to make the most of life. No virus will keep her down. She’s moving on from him (or is she really?).
He stares into a Venetian canal and realises where his heart lies. She gets on with the simple things in life. He appears at her door. Ripple dissolve to end titles as we are left in doubt whether they will repair their broken hearts (although we strongly suspect they will).
Not only that but I’ve already organised the soundtrack.
Tracklist:-
This year, The Mountain Goats
Me at the museum, you at the winter gardens, Tiny Ruins
Spread the virus, Cabaret Voltaire
Me, I disconnect from you, Tubeway Army
Country mile, Camera Obscura
Virus, Path of Least Resistance
Isolation, Joy Division
As alone, Florist
Honk if you’re lonely tonight, The Silver Jews
Sick, Chelsea Wolfe
Wake up Boo, The Boo Radleys
Transit, Fennesz (feat. David Sylvian)
Winterlong, Pixies