NETFLIX PRESENTS
It's further ahead.
The first street you see on the right.
Your luggage, miss?
Take it to the front door, please.
Good morning.
-Good morning. -Are you Miss Susanna?
Yes. And you are?
Maria, the new maid. I'm delighted to meet you.
Oh, yeah. He told me about you.
-Who did? -My father.
-Did he? -Yes. In his letters.
Leave the luggage here. I'll take it in later.
-Thank you. And Merry Christmas. -Merry Christmas to you too.
We expected you at lunch.
I know, but I managed to catch the earlier train,
so here I am.
May I come in?
Please.
Rachele…
Mrs. Rachele…
I'm the tax collector.
You idiot!
-Hi, Grandma. -Hi.
We'd known since you were little that you were an idiot, you idiot.
How are you?
How do you think I'm doing? I'm here.
-I look and wait… -You wait for death. Yes, we know.
Yeah, keep teasing me. I'd love to see you at my age.
Do your legs still hurt?
It's not my legs. I'm a burden to everyone, you know.
I always have to ask for everything.
I can't do anything on my own.
Maria. I'd like my pills, thank you.
Yes, ma'am.
How's it going?
-It's going. -Nothing ever changes, does it?
Never.
-Mom! -Susanna. What are you doing here?
Weren't you going to get the noon train?
Yes. I took an earlier one.
-And who brought you here? -I took a cab at the station.
You've changed a lot.
It's only been six months since my last visit.
Yes, but you're different.
Maybe it's Milan.
Yeah. Maybe it's Milan.
-You've been smoking. -No!
Yes, you smell of cigarettes.
-Cigarettes? -Yes.
It must have been the cab driver. He smoked all the way here.
Well…
Is Dad in the garden?
No, what garden? He hasn't left the house in days.
Why? Is he sick?
No, he's not sick. He got lazy.
Go wake him if you like.
-Alright. -He sleeps over there.
-In the guest room? -Yes, we got used to this.
Right.
He snores so loudly. He was driving me insane.
-Ma'am. -Thank you.
-Have you met Maria? -Yes. She opened the door for me.
She's been with us for three months now.
Shall I make breakfast for Mr. Marcello?
No. Let him rest some more. Thank you.
I haven't eaten since this morning.
Could you make me something?
-Of course. -Thank you.
How is she?
Well, considering we picked her in a hurry
because Adele was gone,
she's alright.
Her cooking, though…
She uses too much salt, too much oil, too much garlic.
-She's from the south. -Alright.
Doesn't it bother you, someone like that?
From the south?
No, Mom. She's beautiful.
-So? -So I don't know.
You wake up in the morning and she's in front of you.
Adele was a beautiful woman too.
Yeah, but Adele was 70.
-Was she? -Whatever happened to her?
She'd gotten obsessed with cleaning the windows.
-Windows? -Yeah.
And we all kept telling her, "Careful, you're gonna fall…"
-And? -She fell.
-She fell? -Breakfast is ready.
-What are we having? -Oh! Am I not having breakfast?
-Did you make it? -Yes, obviously.
A woman full of qualities.
You should see her when she peels apples.
She peels off half an inch. There's barely any apple left.
But she's not the one paying for them.
Who's paying?
Are you implying something, dear?
No, I would never.
Bonjour, maman.
Aunt Agostina!
Hi, Susanna. Welcome.
Good morning, sister.
Good morning.
How are you?
Your sister kept the lamp on late into the night,
and I couldn't sleep.
Auntie, lies will send you to hell.
Caterina!
-You are the devil. -How come you're already here?
I took the earlier train. I wanted to spend time with you.
I missed you.
If you'd slept at night, you wouldn't be so worried about me.
If you turned off the lamp at night, I could sleep.
If you didn't go to the bathroom 25 times, you could fall asleep.
Thanks, Mom.
You can't even go to the toilette here?
Come on, Auntie. Don't be upset.
It's this little girl.
She enjoys tormenting me. The devil is inside her.
Well, that's normal. It's Christmas Eve.
I can't wait for midnight.
Well, it's time to wake up your father.
Maria, could you bring him coffee? And tell him that Susanna is here.
Yes, ma'am.
Mr. Marcello?
I see Auntie hasn't gotten much better.
Ah, no. She's still got such an acid tongue.
-She does. -No answer.
-Ma'am, he's not answering. -Just go in. He's half deaf.
Maria?
-What's going on? -What was that?
-What happened? -Mr. Marcello…
-He's… -He's what?
He's dead.
What are you saying?
He's got a knife stuck in his back.
-Auntie! -No…
Mom, Marcello…
-This cannot be! -Calm down.
This cannot be!
-I can't believe it. -Mom…
Mom…
It's stuck.
I locked it.
No one is to enter that room until the police arrive.
Are you mad?
-We can't contaminate the crime scene. -Caterina…
-Give me that key. -No.
Give me that key!
-Caterina… -Give me the key.
Your father may still need us.
Dad doesn't need anyone anymore.
Dad is dead.
No…
Maybe the killer's still here.
Auntie!
Auntie.
-Aunt Agostina? -Agostina, wake up.
Try these.
No. She's not waking up.
My Heavens! What was that?
-Smelling salts, they work wonders. -The room is spinning.
-Maria… -No, this is Susanna.
Pardon.
Maria, can you call a doctor, please?
I'm afraid I fainted.
-Yes. -No, this is enough.
You think we'll keep looking after you now Marcello's dead?
Mon Dieu…
Marcello is dead?
-Oh God. -Leave her.
She'll be quiet for a while.
Poor Marcello.
Lately his business wasn't going well.
But I never thought he would go this far.
Sticking a knife in his own back? I don't think he did it himself, Mom.
I've read somewhere that depression--
Ladies, I understand you don't want to hear this.
But Mr. Marcello… was murdered.
We must call the police.
Oh, yes, Maria. Great. Good thing you're here.
At least you still have a little bit of clarity.
Good. Yes. Mom! Stop drinking.
What?
I've just lost my son-in-law.
I'm going to call the police.
-Someone cut the phone wire. -What?
-Listen… -What was that?
Caterina's shutters. I'd recognize them anywhere.
-I'm gonna close them. -No, Caterina, wait.
It's dangerous. The killer might still be here.
Oh! God, a heart attack. Oh my God. A heart…
Someone has to go upstairs.
To close her shutters!
Are you sending the youngest?
-I just got here. -So?
I'd love to go, but…
I get it. I'll go.
Maria.
It's one of a kind. So only if it's absolutely necessary.
-Mom! -What?
Well, it's a Ming.
Come on, Mom, enough.
Mom…
Let's go take a look.
Don't worry, ladies.
There is no one here.
Did you check the closets too?
Yes. And under the beds.
-Behind the doors? -Yes.
Inside the chests?
Miss, would you like to come up and check?
I was just asking.
Actually, ma'am, I was thinking about the dogs.
Dogs? What dogs?
Our dogs. They didn't bark all night.
Ah. So?
They bark at the slightest noise.
And if they didn't bark, it means no strangers came into the house.
So the killer knew this house.
-Yeah. -Maria, please.
-What? -The Ming.
-Here. -Oh God.
-Shall we have tea? -Yes.
I'll make some.
What happened last night?
Nothing out of the ordinary.
I wouldn't say that, considering what happened to Dad.
Please make an effort. Every detail matters.
Who used the phone last?
I think I did.
I called the wood store this morning at seven to place an order.
-What time did the wood arrive? -It never did. They feared the snow.
So at 7:00 a.m. the phone was still working.
Yes.
Which means the killer was still here.
My God, the anguish.
Who could resent Dad?
Who was he doing business with lately?
I don't know. He never talked about work.
-Grandma. -Yes. What?
You said his business wasn't going well.
Yes. He was broke.
No!
What? He was broke.
So much so that he asked for my bonds.
No way he did that.
Well, he did.
And he got mad because I didn't want to give them to him.
And why didn't you want to since he was so desperate?
You just keep them under your mattress.
How do you know where I keep them?
How original!
Well, it's not like your bonds are worth millions.
Maybe not.
But it's a nice amount.
So why not give them to the family that's been hosting you?
Are you throwing your hospitality in our faces?
A week is hospitality. Ten years is usucapion!
Mom!
-What? -Excuse her. You know she doesn't mean it.
Ah. Yeah, sorry.
I'm a little shaken.
Did he have issues with suppliers?
Not that we know of here.
He was on good terms with everyone and his new partner.
A new partner?
Yes. The omnipresent Honorable Mr. Giannutri.
Why omnipresent?
He never misses a chance to show up for dinner.
-Especially since Maria's cooking. -Don't be silly.
He would show up even when I was cooking.
When have you ever cooked?
Caterina, please.
Did he have a reason to resent Dad?
I would rule that out.
Mr. Giannutri has cats at home. When he comes here, the dogs go crazy.
Had it been him, they would have smelled it.
That's true. Right. Good, Maria.
So he's not benefiting from Dad's death?
No.
And who does?
Who will inherit Dad's assets?
I suppose it'll be me.
Yes. Half goes to the wife and half to the children.
But I don't know. I'm not a notary.
Unless Veronica's in the will.
Who's Veronica?
Veronica, Dad's true love.
We all know they're very close.
-Weren't they seeing each other again? -Were they?
Yes, but just as friends.
Isn't she in Paris?
No, she's been back here a while. She's bought a house.
-Is this true, Margherita? -Didn't I tell you?
-No. -Well, I have now.
Yes, she's bought a house near the lake.
They go for walks together and they go horseback riding.
But I hate horses, so I happily avoid it.
Horseback riding.
Aren't you jealous?
Me, jealous? No. Of Veronica? As if.
She's such a boring woman, so… insignificant.
Insignificant?
Then it's weird Dad liked her.
You know, youthful mistakes. No big deal.
I don't get what he saw in her.
De gustibus.
At what time did Dad go to sleep last night?
-Are you asking me? -Yes.
I don't know.
If you'd slept with him, you'd know.
If you'd slept with him, you would know.
What are you implying, Margherita?
Agostina, don't pretend. You've been in love with him for years.
-In love with him? -Yes.
How dare you! I'm an honest woman!
Yes, because no one wants you.
-Well, that's true. -Thanks, Mom.
Sorry.
What do you know?
What do you know about what it's like to find out that,
among billions of people in the world,
your soulmate lives in your own home
and is your sister's husband?
And you must repress everything!
We had Leopardi in the house and we never noticed.
You have a heart of stone.
You are cold, Margherita.
And we're here wondering why Marcello died?
He was alone!
You could be with him but didn't want to, and I wanted to but couldn't.
Auntie, do you hear yourself?
Mom's had you here for years and this is how you thank her?
Flirting with Dad?
Never!
I never flirted with your father, you curly little snake!
My feelings were platonic.
Are you done?
Yes.
How did you find her? Did she have any references?
Her sister is Giannutri's housekeeper.
She worked in town, but she didn't like it there.
When Adele died, she came to stay with us.
Am I a suspect now?
Everyone is.
And you are the one who cared least about Dad.
I wouldn't bet on that.
Why would I kill him?
Dissatisfied servants are always the prime suspects.
What makes you think I was dissatisfied?
You were too sure about the dogs.
How do you know they didn't bark all night?
I didn't get much sleep last night. I had a bad feeling about something.
Why?
Mr. Marcello was nervous last night.
When I brought his herbal tea…
You brought him herbal tea?
Yes, around midnight.
How do we know you didn't kill him?
Apparently, you were the last one to see him alive.
What's funny?
-You know of anyone who saw him after? -No.
Anyway, I had no reason to kill him.
And I might be the only one here.
Maria!
How dare you take such liberties?
Oh my God! They stole my bonds!
-The bonds! -Maman!
-What are you saying? -They stole them!
-My life savings! -Oh my goodness. The bonds!
-We have a killer here. -Auntie!
And a thief too!
-No. -Mom!
Do you want a drink, Grandma?
Yeah, perhaps a Negroni.
I'll make it right away, ma'am.
Damn them!
Grandma, you kept them under the mattress.
What?
Well, it's the first place a thief searches.
Maybe maman meant to get them stolen.
What do you mean?
That you made them disappear.
You wanted to sell them to not give me my inheritance.
What inheritance? I'm still alive, you know.
Do you really think Mom would put on such a farce?
-She cared so much about those bonds. -I sleep on them.
All night. I never leave my room.
Liar. I hear you moving all the time.
Do you ever sleep?
Your Negroni, ma'am.
Thank you.
I have delicate nerves.
-And I'm a light sleeper. -How odd for such a heavy woman.
-Life is funny. -What do you mean, Margherita?
-Help! No. -Nothing.
No, miss!
Oh God.
Was it you?
-What? -Did you steal maman's bonds?
I thought you meant if I killed Marcello.
Shame on you. Stealing bonds from Mom so you can sell them
and keep all the money.
Look, Agostina.
I'll listen to you for a bit, but enough is enough.
Everyone knows you married Marcello for his money
and you wanted to bleed him dry.
What? Everyone knew he was a cheapskate!
-I don't think so. -You don't?
-No. -You're even stingier.
I mean, have you seen this house?
What's wrong with it?
I had to wait for Marcello to die to change this crap wallpaper!
-Mom, you're overreacting. -Sure. You live in Milan anyway.
And?
And I live here, in this museum!
Oh God…
Twenty-five years with a man who snored like a pig.
I give him two daughters and what do I ask?
To grow together. But nothing. Everything stays the same.
It's stuck. Immobile. Day after day.
And you accuse me of being with Marcello for the money!
Shame on you!
I'm going to the police.
If they arrest one of us, we clearly deserve it.
Mom, but…
No buts.
Your hat…
Shall we go to the liquor cart?
Yes.
The car won't start. Someone cut the engine wires.
-Holy smokes! -Yes…
You'll agree this exonerates a lot of us.
What do you mean?
Well, I don't even know where the engine is.
It's one of those sentences you read in novels.
"They cut the engine wires." But how do you do that?
Can you imagine maman doing it?
She can't even reach the car.
-Why mention me? -What are you getting at?
Nothing.
But maybe you and your sister know your way around that.
Sure.
-Do they look like mechanics? -I don't even have a license.
Auntie, I won't feign stupidity to get off your list of suspects.
Yeah, I know how to open a hood. But that doesn't mean I did it.
-Someone's here. -Where? Oh God!
Maybe the killer's back.
-Let's hide upstairs. -Maria, take the Ming!
Quiet.
Are you leaving me here?
Yes!
The vase. We'll break it on his head.
Auntie!
Help.
Come in.
Veronica.
Did I scare you?
I didn't mean to.
Why are you here?
Who sent you?
Who are you looking for?
Is this a bad time?
Yes, insignificant is definitely the first word that comes to mind.
The second is dull.
I know it seems in poor taste, but…
an hour ago I received a nasty phone call.
They said that Marcello had been murdered.
Who would pull a prank like that?
So morbid.
And at Christmas.
I'm distraught.
I tried calling so many times,
but I couldn't get through.
So I walked here to check for myself.
Where's Marcello?
Look, it's all fun and games.
Until it isn't anymore.
Excuse me.
Marcello.
It's me, Veronica.
Marcello. Open up.
Did he lock himself in?
Open this door. I want to see how he's doing.
Marcello is dead.
Dead?
So…
Who was it? On the phone?
Was it a man or a woman?
A woman.
How did he die?
A knife in his back.
How did you know that was his room?
Right!
I want to see him with my own eyes. Open this door.
I'm not leaving until I've seen him.
Well, if you insist.
The key is over there on the piano.
I know the way.
The key won't turn.
It's not the right key.
May I?
Here.
Someone switched the key.
Who?
Maybe you.
You didn't answer Mom's question.
How did you know my dad was sleeping there?
This was our bedroom.
I know he took the upstairs room with you,
but I also know that he had been sleeping here for a while.
You're wrong.
Marcello bought this house when we were still engaged.
I went with him to the notary.
He bought it from my grandmother.
What?
Was this your house?
Yeah, for generations.
This wallpaper was chosen by my great-grandfather.
I've heard that this pattern is back in fashion.
I'm not convinced.
I was so young.
Your father was my riding instructor.
What?
Your riding instructor?
Well, this is my house now, not yours.
It's not yours.
Why?
Because when the police arrest you,
you won't have time to enjoy it.
Assuming you ever did.
Veronica.
Have you been coming here a lot lately?
No. Never.
You're lying. The dogs didn't bark.
Enough with the dogs!
They're mutts, not two bloodhounds. Let's not rely on them too much.
Dogs are dogs. And they know you.
You must be Aunt Agostina.
Just because my sister had two daughters,
must I be forever known as Auntie Agostina to everyone?
Agostina, please. It is not the time for this kind of conversation.
Maman.
Marcello told me a lot about you.
Did he?
And what did he tell you?
Do you remember?
A lot of things.
Did he tell you about our elective affinities?
We exchanged many books.
Actually, you gave books to him.
I'm not buying this phone call.
Why should I lie?
To have an excuse to come here.
To whom am I speaking?
Esposito Maria Concetta.
The new maid.
Do maids receive guests here?
On a day like today, we dropped the formalities a bit.
Ladies, it's been a pleasure.
I wish I could have met you on another occasion.
See you at the funeral.
No, you can't leave.
Why?
Because you're a suspect too.
How cute.
The suspect stays.
At least until the storm is over.
-I'll get lunch ready. -Give me the Ming.
Who might the killer be?
The not-very-heartbroken wife?
The little rebel?
The devoted firstborn?
-Or the drunken stingy mother-in-law? -I'm not stingy.
Or the spinster sister-in-law?
Or the old flame?
Or the new maid?
Or the new maid…
You're a suspect, too, Veronica. Like all the others.
You're forgetting I just got here.
So what? You might have come back to mislead us.
Anyway, I have no doubt.
The killer is one of you.
Inspector, you're forgetting one person.
Who?
You.
Me?
I know you struggle to put yourself on our level.
You've been questioning us for hours.
But if we're suspects, so are you.
I arrived this morning.
You might have come back to mislead us.
You were here tonight, weren't you, sis?
In Dad's room.
No, what do you mean?
I heard you behind the door.
It was 3:00 a.m.
Susanna, is this true?
Yes, it's true. I was here.
But I didn't kill him. How could you think that?
You were here? But why?
And why pretend to come back?
I don't know. I thought it was a good plan.
-To kill him? And get away with it? -No, Auntie.
So I could talk to Dad quietly, without any of you knowing.
This is absurd!
It's not, Mom! You know how hard it is to have some privacy here.
But we are a family. And we're so close.
And family members tell each other everything.
Well, they're wrong.
If we all kept our stuff to ourselves,
without offloading onto others,
families would be much more pleasant.
Fine. What did you want to tell him?
I needed to confide in him.
And then find a way to tell you. He hasn't told you, has he?
No, he hasn't told me. He's dead.
So, Susanna, are you gonna tell me or what?
Yes, sorry.
I don't know…
-Open it. -But it's not midnight yet.
Auntie.
All right, it's understandable.
Murder or not, it's still Christmas Eve. We should still stick to traditions.
Marcello is having a baby.
Not with me.
Not with me either.
-And with whom? -Mom.
With me?
-No, Mom… -No.
I'm pregnant.
You are?
Yes.
Oh no.
What a fucking day.
Lunch is ready. Shall I serve it?
Maria, it's not Christmas yet.
-And there's nothing to celebrate. -But we're not celebrating.
We're honoring Mr. Marcello with the meal he'd asked me to cook.
Since Marcello is dead, obviously we are celebrating today.
Shall we begin?
Alright, let's get started.
Olivier salad.
It's good, but a little heavy on the gut.
So nice.
Delicate.
Prawn cocktail.
Pumpkin ravioli.
So good!
Right?
Excellent.
Roasted quail accompanied by Mostarda di Cremona.
My goodness.
Let's do a toast.
Very good.
Well done.
Thank you, ma'am.
Where did you learn to cook?
From my grandma, from books.
It relaxes me.
Isn't it hard for you to be holed up here,
away from everyone?
No.
It wasn't hard.
I understand.
You understand? What is there to understand?
Well, she clearly didn't work here for you.
There were other reasons.
Yes, that's true.
I was here for him.
But now that he isn't here anymore,
I might as well leave.
If you'll excuse me.
I'm afraid I don't quite understand.
So Marcello and she…
-Oh my God, she's passed out again. -Auntie.
What a pain.
I would've never guessed.
You've done well.
One thing surprises me.
You're such an ordinary woman.
Maybe he was tired of great women.
I guess he paid you.
Every single thought you have is about money.
Anyway, no.
You may be surprised, but I liked sleeping with him.
Good.
I'll have to tell the police that you were seeing someone at night
and that everyone knew.
I'll have to tell the police that you were seeing someone at night too
and that nobody knows.
Stop fighting me.
After all, it suited you too.
What do you mean?
I did what you didn't want to do anymore.
Well, not with Marcello.
Why did you let her go?
She might have been the killer.
Where do you think she's going?
There's a storm out. She's coming back.
Who is it?
Slowly.
Maria.
The gate.
Someone locked it with a big chain.
We are prisoners.
-Mom. -Good Lord!
Just like in a mystery novel.
There's a killer among us.
But what helps her hide is that the others are lying too.
For reasons that don't relate to the crime.
So if we're gonna find out who did it,
we need everyone to reveal their secrets.
Who's going first?
-Well, I already said mine, didn't I? -Me too.
Me too.
Then I'll go.
But it's not my secret.
It's Agostina's.
What?
This must be yours.
Or rather, you wrote it for Marcello.
She left it in a book that she had given him.
As if he ever read anything.
He gave it to me without even opening it.
He didn't realize there was a letter inside.
So Marcello never read it?
Yes, he did.
I gave it to him, and he laughed a lot.
He laughed?
Honey, Marcello was a handsome man.
Charming, attractive…
But he had the tact of a gynecologist.
So, Auntie… your love wasn't so platonic.
Shame on you. You wanted to take Daddy away.
Never! No.
I went into his room last night…
to tell him I was ashamed of what I'd written.
You went to his room?
Yes.
To ask him to forget certain unseemly words.
When was that? Before or after Maria's herbal tea?
I don't know.
Maybe before. I didn't see the tray.
-And we're supposed to believe you? -Yes.
I'm telling the truth.
I can't breathe. Maman, my pills!
Where are the meds?
There's a box on her bedside table.
A big box, it's always there. Hurry.
Come on.
-Margherita. -Yes?
-Forgive me. -Don't worry, it's okay.
If I die…
You won't die, trust me. You'll have time to hurt me some more.
Are these pills coming or not?
-They're not there. -What? They always have been!
-The box isn't there. I don't know. -Dammit.
-I'll go. -Mom!
Maman!
A Christmas miracle.
Here they are!
-Grandma! -Yes, I can walk.
But I'm so tired.
Where did you find them? I searched everyone's room.
I found them in Mom's room, under her bed.
-What? My bed? -Margherita!
Dear sister, I understand.
If you tried to kill me, you have plenty of reason.
Stop it!
Well, someone here is trying to frame me.
Why look at me?
I don't think one of my daughters or my mother
would put Agostina's life at risk
just to frame me.
We're family, aren't we? Despite everything.
And Maria…
Well, she already took my husband. I doubt she wants to hurt me some more.
Not at all, ma'am.
So…
I'm the only one left.
Yeah, you're the only one left.
I think you know that Marcello wanted to include you in his will.
No. I didn't know.
Yes, she knew.
Last night you were here. I heard. You were talking about it.
When I went to take back the herbal tea mug
I heard them talking and I didn't go in.
I'm sorry, but you were the last person to see him alive.
That's true. I was here.
But I didn't kill him.
Only you would gain if I went to jail.
In my opinion, because you knew Marcello wanted to include me in the will,
you stopped him just before he did.
No, that's not true.
I didn't know whether he had already gone to see his notary.
If he's changed the will, I'm the main suspect.
But if he hasn't,
then you are.
Who might know about it?
I know.
He told me.
He hadn't changed his will yet.
When I told him about the baby,
he said it was a good thing I told him
as today he was going to his notary to include my child.
Ah, well.
You find Aunt Agostina's medicine box right under my bed.
You know about the notary.
Are you trying to get back at me?
-No, Mom. I'm only telling the truth. -I don't think so.
And what an elegant way to avoid suspicion,
that today your father would have increased your inheritance.
-I don't care about money. -Ah, you don't care?
And who will support this baby?
I don't see a man, do I? Or is he somewhere and I don't see him?
Stop blaming her. The same thing happened to you.
What are you saying? Are you drunk?
Don't you remember when you met the tall guy--
Maman!
Here you go.
It's impossible to keep her away from drinks.
She said she was so tired.
Ah, well…
-Mom. -Yes?
What does it mean that it happened to you?
No, it doesn't mean anything.
You shouldn't listen to Grandma when she's sober,
let alone when she's drunk.
Mom.
There's nothing to know.
The question is not when you were conceived,
but with whom.
Caterina, what are you saying?
Why? Isn't that true?
Dad…
wasn't my dad?
Did he know?
Of course he did.
We met when I was three months pregnant. And we got married shortly after.
Why did he do it?
I guess because I was very pretty.
Well, your grandfather had quite a bit of money at the time,
and Dad needed a nice dowry to buy his dream house.
But he was a good father.
He loved you like a daughter.
He never treated you differently from Caterina.
Maybe that's why I always gave in to his whims.
So my real father…
Who is he?
My first love.
Umberto.
He died in an accident.
Not a day goes by I don't think about him.
Especially when you're here with me.
When you smile, you look so much like him.
So…
looking at me makes you sad?
No. Not at all.
You're the living proof of our love.
When you entered my room, you must have looked under the bed.
Yes.
Yes, I saw the bags.
Were you going to leave?
Well, I was waiting for the right moment.
But I wanted to let the holidays pass.
You'll break it.
Mon Dieu.
Good. It's like straw anyway.
Straw!
I feel so alone.
You're not alone. You have your family.
Ah, what a family.
I'd rather not have a heart. At least I wouldn't hurt so much.
Even Susanna had more experience than I had.
Only Caterina is left.
Soon I'll be the only virgin left here, just me and the olive oil.
How do you seduce a man?
How do you do it?
Maria, can you teach me?
Seducing a man is not hard.
What's hard is stopping your life from revolving around him.
Of course.
But I'd think about that after.
Now I should solve the root problem.
You have to go out. You're always holed up in here.
Right.
Where should I go?
Take a walk.
Sign up for a course. French lessons, dance lessons…
Where you can meet someone.
Where else are you gonna find a boyfriend?
-Here. -Exactly. And it's not okay.
No, it's not okay.
But no one looks at me.
I don't possess
that indescribable charm called grace.
I disagree.
You just don't know how to sell yourself.
Really?
Well, I don't know.
It's not like in novels,
where they take the glasses off the ugly girl
and she suddenly becomes beautiful.
If I take off my glasses…
Glasses or no glasses…
It's more…
It's more about smiling, you know? A nice smile, a good posture…
Conviction. You must feel beautiful, always.
Always.
Even when I attend Holy Mass?
Especially when you attend Holy Mass.
What do you think people go there for?
-To listen to the priest? No. -No.
They go to watch.
Well, actually…
I've also allowed myself a peek.
See?
We must dress up to the nines to be in front of Our Lord.
To the nines.
Show me what you got in here.
Well…
Do you think that I, within myself…
might have untapped potential?
A lot.
WHITE NIGHTS FYODOR DOSTOEVSKY
Where is Veronica?
I don't know.
I haven't seen her in a while. Was she up there with you?
No.
God, did she run away?
I knew it was her.
Mom, this is her purse.
Yes.
Wait.
Open it. See if the room key is in there.
-Ah, yes. -Go on.
Quiet.
Don't touch it. We must not erase the fingerprints.
What do you mean?
I don't know, I just thought it.
-Did you see? -Yes.
Aunt Agostina.
Aunt Agostina?
Call me Tina.
You're gorgeous. What did you do?
Women work miracles.
Yes, we noticed.
I did a good job, didn't I?
Yes.
Really good.
Ah, you're here.
You didn't leave.
I was in the toilette.
You left your purse here.
I guess I trust you.
We looked inside.
Oh, come on!
How long did I hold your attention? Half a minute?
And what did you find?
A gun.
A gun?
Who was I supposed to shoot?
Marcello, for example. In case you didn't find a knife.
I've never touched a gun in my life. They won't find my fingerprints on it.
First, the pills under your bed.
And now the gun in my purse.
The killer's trying to frame us.
One by one.
The killer is playing with us.
Oh God!
Parbleu!
Take the Ming. Now.
Where do I find the Ming?
Ladies.
Enough.
We have no phone and no car.
We're far from the police and we're in the dark too.
-This is enough. We have to go now. -I agree, but how?
Didn't you say the gate was locked?
We can try to climb over it.
Oh Jesus! And how?
Well, let's go, then we'll see.
Yes, let's go.
I'll come too. I'll take a stole.
I'll stay here.
You stay and keep an eye on her.
Do you want one?
They're not poisoned.
Thanks.
That's not why you should thank me.
For what, then?
For starters,
for revealing Agostina's secret and not yours.
What do you mean?
You have a lover.
-Do I? -Yes.
I don't know who he is, but I'm sure of it.
Is that why you think I killed Marcello?
I didn't say that.
Then why did you say it?
I want to see if you admit it.
It's blackmail.
Curiosity.
You don't look like an inconsolable widow.
You're wrong.
I loved Marcello very much.
I believe you.
But he wasn't the love of your life.
Maybe I wasn't his either.
I had packed my bags.
I'd have left him before New Year's.
I told him last night.
Funny, isn't it?
Are you leaving to be with your lover?
No way.
Well, yes.
I have a man.
I'm happy.
But I'm leaving to be on my own.
My biggest dream is to come home at night and…
and find it empty.
I don't know how you lasted 25 years.
I wasn't cut out for marriage.
When things got serious, I packed my bags and off I went.
Paris?
Et tout le monde.
And now? Do you have a man?
I have a liaison with this gentleman.
I'd love to let you know who it is, but maybe I shouldn't.
Tell me who yours is.
Do I know him?
Yes.
-It's not Marcello, is it? -Of course not.
And do I know yours?
Yes, I think so.
You tell me first.
No. You say it first.
-Shall we say it together? -Okay.
Let's count to three.
-One… -One…
-Two… -Two…
-Three… -Three…
-Mr. Giannutri. -Mr. Giannutri.
Oh, wow.
Damn you. Damn…
-Must you always take my men? -Actually, I met Marcello first.
Let me go!
I think we can do it.
I think so too.
Shall we try to climb?
Let's climb.
Who's going first?
I'll go.
-Be careful, Cate. -Yes.
-I hurt my hand. -Come down, miss.
-Come down. -Come down.
Yes.
It's snowing too hard. We'll never make it.
Let's try tomorrow morning.
-Okay. -Shall we head back?
-Yes. -I'm so cold.
Was it Mom?
Good God.
Maybe the killer's back.
Let's go.
We should stop fighting.
Why?
Because clearly we have similar taste.
I'm surprised too.
We're so different.
Kiss me.
What?
Have you kissed a woman?
No.
Me neither.
So kiss me.
But why?
Because I want to know what it's like to kiss you.
Let's try.
Mom!
Oh my Heavens…
Caterina, go take your grandmother.
Eh?
From the storeroom.
Is she still there?
Yes, I think so.
Let's go.
Is everything okay?
Well, I'm a little sore here.
-Is there anything left to drink? -Let's look.
Listen. Your mother is a killer.
I figured out who did it.
-Really? -Yes.
I don't want to be the one to tell you what happened.
You must do it yourself. It's time to tell the truth.
Okay.
A Christmas tale.
Once upon a time, there was a man surrounded by seven women.
Last night, that poor man went to bed.
And the roundabout of his women began.
Like every night, perhaps.
But this time, his daughter Caterina was hiding behind a curtain.
She saw and heard everything.
Here's what happened.
At 10:00 p.m.…
First scene.
Never. I will never give them to you.
His mother-in-law, who has been staying at his house for more than ten years,
refuses to give him her bonds.
Second scene.
Marcello.
At 10:30 p.m.,
his sister-in-law Agostina comes in and begs him to forget
what she had written to him.
As if he would remember.
He has another problem.
He just wants to get rid of her.
Marcello, I just wanted… Marcello.
And at 11:00 p.m., the onslaught begins.
His wife tells him she's leaving.
She's waiting till after the holidays for her daughter.
I'll let the holidays pass. I'll leave by New Year's Eve.
I've already packed my bags.
I want to leave. I can't take anymore.
-I'm sorry. -Nice Christmas present, Mom.
At midnight, the herbal tea comes.
And with it, Maria.
At 1:00 a.m., after her umpteenth trip to the bathroom, Agostina tries again.
Marcello.
But this time, Dad doesn't even let her in.
At 1:30 a.m., Veronica turns up.
She comes whenever as she has keys.
She needs money. She wants to go back to Paris.
I'll pay you back. Come on, you know me.
They talk about the will.
Lastly, at 3:00 a.m., the icing on the cake.
Susanna comes to give him the good news.
"I'm having a baby, Dad."
And it wasn't the Holy Spirit.
I'm sorry, Dad.
I'm so sorry.
By then, I'm the only one left.
I appear from behind the curtain and I tell him I heard everything.
And I'll make them pay.
Who do you mean?
You all will pay.
You're witches.
Hey.
Dad was exhausted. He couldn't take it anymore.
Do you know what he said?
"It must be nice being dead."
Did he say that?
Yes, he did.
And he repeated it many times.
Then I said, "Okay, if that's what you want, I'll help you."
Oh my God.
You killed him.
No one killed Marcello.
Because Marcello isn't dead.
-We just enjoyed faking his death. -What?
So he could hear, from behind that door,
what you really think of him.
He wanted to know which one of you would cry the most.
Who would talk more about money.
Who about love.
Because today he went to the notary,
and he wanted to change his will.
And the only way was…
to die.
And you helped him.
I never have anything to do.
I used Mercurochrome to make blood and a knife with a broken blade.
Then I called Veronica.
I cut the phone wires.
And the car wires.
And I locked the gate.
I also hid Aunt Agostina's medicines under Mom's bed.
I stole Grandma's bonds.
And I planted a fake gun in Veronica's purse.
Ah. I even switched the room key.
So Dad didn't have to be face down all day.
You've thought of everything.
Except that someone could see him through the window.
So Marcello is alive.
He's alive.
Yes, he's alive.
But now I'm gonna kill that piece of shit.
I'm gonna help you.
Open up! Piece of shit!
You were laughing at me, right?
-Bastard! You were laughing at me! -Open up!
You'll never get my bonds!
Give me that key!
You little prude. Today's youth is so sad.
-Open the fucking door! -Yeah.
Aren't we getting a little too crass?
You shut up! Loose woman! You're pregnant and don't know the father!
-Where is he? -That way.
He's hiding on the balcony!
Careful.
-Dad. -Oh no.
Oh Jesus. Did he die again?
We went in to try and stop him, but we were too late.
He threw himself off the balcony.
Do you have any idea why he would commit suicide?
Well, everyone knows he was in big financial trouble.
To be fair, he never had much business sense.
He even took the liberty of asking me for money.
Me, a poor old woman.
How could he?
Alright. Should you remember anything else,
this is my number.
Thank you.
Detective Giovanni Rigoldi.
Giovanni Ripoldi, yeah.
Ah, Ripoldi.
So if I were to recall any small detail…
can I call you?
If you remember anything else, you must call me.
I must.
Agostina Caccia.
Enchantée.
I presume you live near the lake.
Yes, I'm in town.
It's not that far, then.
Right, I'm going.
-Yes. -Ladies.
Madam.
Miss.
Excuse me.
What is she doing?
Move. He'll run you over.
-So? -Move!
-Auntie. -Auntie?
-Auntie… -Come here.
Caterina.
You've behaved badly.
Women help each other, they don't fight each other.
Not even if a man asks you to?
Especially if a man asks you to.
Well, I mean, if a man asks…
Look at you. I raised a slut.
Sorry, Mom.
Sorry, everyone.
Anyway, he was a handsome man.
-Who? -Who?
The detective.
If you touch him, I'll skin you alive and make you into beauty cases!
And I'll help her.
Susanna. I was thinking…
Is the baby Sir Giannutri's?
As if! What are you thinking?
What are you thinking?
-No? -No! I'm not that desperate.
Am I gonna be grounded for a long time?
Yes!
What are we gonna do?
What do you mean?
Well, we could use a drink, don't you think?
Us, the house… What do we do now that Dad's gone?
I think I'm going back to Paris. I don't have much to do here.
I don't know. I have to think.
Me too.
I've been thinking.
I want to see the detective again.
We could all stay here.
I know it's not my house and I'm just the maid.
But it would be nice to be together.
I like cooking, you like eating…
I like drinking.
After all, we have Marcello's inheritance. And…
And this house.
If you put it like that, I might decide to stay.
Take back my room.
Yes. Let's fill this dump with life.
We have the inheritance. We have my bonds.
And soon we'll have…
a baby.
Shall we toast?
Subtitle translation by: Luisa Zamboni