A film script has just crossed my desk, and I do think it has great potential. The financing may be hard to get, and critical support is far from assured, but that’s not taking anything away from the sparkling exuberance of the script as such. But judge for yourself.
OPEN ON ROOM SOMEWHERE IN BUCKINGHAMSHIRE. RENT GIRLS AND BOYS ARE SITTING AROUND OVAL TABLE DISCUSSING THEIR STOCK-IN-TRADE. THROUGHOUT SUBSEQUENT EXCHANGES CAMERA PANS ROOM, CUTTING ON CLOSE-UP OF SPEAKER, THEN REVERSING TO TESSA FOR REACTION SHOTS
TESSA: In an ideal world, I’d like a hard one. But I’ll take a soft one if I have to. Better than none.
BORIS: A soft one is like polishing a turd…
TESSA (DISMISSIVELY): Oh shut up, Boris. You’re the only one here who goes in for coprophilia.
MICHAEL: I don’t know how to take this…
TESSA: The way you always do, Michael. Bend over and take it like a man.
PENNY (WAKING UP): I’ll take a hard one any day. A soft one is useless, worse than none.
TESSA (SARCASTICALLY): Oh good morning, Penny. Glad you could join us. We’re talking about leaving the Brussels home and starting our own. You know, the Common European Home, COM for short? What did you think we were talking about?
PENNY (DISAPPOINTED): Oh that. And I thought…
ANDREA: No one here gives a turd what you thought, Penny. Anyway, all you ever think about is flashing your thunder thighs.
BORIS: And speaking of turds…
TESSA: Oh shut up, Boris. No one here is speaking of turds. We’re talking about keeping our johns well happy after we go freelance. Without getting the Brussels cougar daddy really livid.
ANDREA: I’m with you, Tessa. The soft one will do me. And if you wanted a hard one, that would do me too. COM to think of it, the hard one would do me even better. (GUFFAWS)
MICHAEL: I think I’m speaking for all the rent boys and girls here when I say that we’re all unreservedly, unequivocally and uncompromisingly committed to the hard one. But we are all – just as unreservedly, unequivocally and uncompromisingly – committed to Tessa, who prefers the soft one. Sorted.
PENNY: The hard one worked for me, last time I did my TA training…
DAVID: What’s that, TA, Penny? Tits and…
PENNY: Not funny, Dave. That’s Territorial Army, I’ll have you know. I’m an officer there…
BORIS: When it comes to TA, you’re a bloody general, Penny.
TESSA: Penny, either listen or go parade your TA somewhere else.
PENNY (IRONICALLY): Yessir!
TESSA: Anyway, I did Brussels the other day and I know how we can keep them sweet.
DAVID (SCOWLING): I get it. By poaching their johns.
BORIS: And by polishing a turd.
TESSA (IRATE): Oh, shut your gobs, lads, for crying out loud. They won’t mind it all that much if we poach some of their johns, long as they get their cut. You do us right, we’ll do you right, they told me at the home.
LIAM: Why do we need to leave the home then? If we still kick our hard-earned back their way?
TESSA: So they don’t send the boys in. Get it? Or shall I draw you a picture?
DAVID: I don’t get this. Are we leaving COM or what? I thought we were starting our own home, smaller and leaner.
TESSA: You thought right, Dave. A new home run by the old home’s rules. What’s there not to like?
BORIS: With you as the bloody madam, no doubt. (STABS FINGER INTO MICHAEL’S CHEST) You said I’d get the madam’s job, you turd.
MICHAEL: I did, unreservedly, unequivocally and uncompromisingly. But seeing that Tessa here is doing such a sterling job…
LIAM: Not a euro one?
BORIS: No one’s laughing, Liam, you turd.
TESSA: Boris, one more ‘turd’ from you, and you’re back to walking Fleet Street. You follow?
BORIS: Yes, madam.
TESSA: So we’re all in agreement then? We’ll hold on to the soft one and wave it at COM? See if they swallow it?
ANDREA: Oh they will. Especially if they can get freebies at our new small home. And come and go as they like.
BORIS (WITH RESIGNATION, OR RATHER WITHOUT IT): Fine, have your soft one, you bloody turd polishers.
DISSOLVE TO OVAL OFFICE AT WHITE HOUSE.
TRUMP: So I hear the Limeys beat off Switzerland.
PENCE: It’s ‘beat’, sir, not ‘beat off’. And it’s Sweden, not Switzerland.
TRUMP: Sweden, Switzerland, ain’t no goddam difference. Don’t be like Tessa, Mike, always correcting my English.
PENCE: I think she’s going soft on you, sir.
TRUMP: Not me, you asshole. She’s goin’ soft on COM.
(FADE TO DARK SCREEN WITH CREDITS CRAWL COMING ON)