SHOOTING DRAFT
INT. TRIBECA LOFT - DAY
The CAMERA TRACKS slowly through clouds of moving dust. Shafts
of muted light pierce the dense atmosphere. An eerie
netherworld envelops us. Strange ghostly forms appear and
disappear in the distance. They seem like apparitions.
Broken timbers and dangling cables emerge from the smoky
light. We see hints of a huge demolished space.
An old white plaster wall FILLS THE SCREEN. Momentary blips
of light flash across it. SOUNDS of street traffic are heard
dimly in the distance.
With startling impact, the SOUND of a sledgehammer explodes
out of nowhere. The wall shudders.
HAMMER BLOWS assault the audience. They are loud and jarring.
The wall buckles.
Chunks of plaster CRASH to the floor. The air fills with new
swirls of white dust. The SLEDGEHAMMER smashes INTO VIEW.
Beams of sunlight cut through the cracks, piercing the
atmosphere like searchlights in a fog. A huge section of
wall falls toward camera as more plaster billows into the
air. We hear voices talking.
DARA
What a mess!
JI
I told you!
Through jagged holes we can make out three dim figures on
the other side of the wall, all wielding SLEDGEHAMMERS.
JI
I can't breathe.
DARA
Use your mask, dummy.
One of the figures adjusts something over his face. Isolated
rays of sunlight dance around him casting long shadows in
the air.
JI
(singing)
"Volga boat..., man." Whoomph!
His hammer pounds the wall. Dara laughs.
ANGLE
The CAMERA MOVES IN and for the first time we see them. DARA
PARK , in her late 20's, has a bandanna around her hair and
a workman's mask over her nose, but we can tell from her
eyes and cheekbones that she is beautiful. KWON JIYONG , in his
late 30's, is also hidden behind a mask, but he has a strong
forehead and handsome features. Sweat is dripping down his
brow, leaving streaks in the dust. YOUNGBAE , early 30's,
removes his mask revealing a good looking young man with a
fashionable two-day stubble. Both men have their shirts off.
ANGLE
BLACKNESS AND A LOUD THUD. Suddenly a shaft of light
penetrates the darkness. Another thud and more light. We see
a hole. The hook of a crowbar enters it, grappling with
something around the edges. Then, with a tug and a loud yank,
a huge section of tin ceiling crashes to the floor. Huge
clouds of dust fly into the air. Dara looks up, astonished.
DARA
Ji, look, there's a whole eight
feet up there.
JI
And about eighty years of dust.
DARA
We have all this height, Ji. We
could add a second floor and put our
bedroom upstairs. That would leave
all this space.
JI
(eyeing her curiously)
For what?
DARA
For space. Just space.
JI
Be great for bumper cars.
Bae laughs as he looks at Ji. Their bodies, covered with
white powder, appear as strange, ghostly figures.
Bae
JI, this may be none of my business,
but I'm concerned you're doing too
much coke.
Ji glances down at his white body. They all laugh.
Dara
Hey, Ji, turn around.
Ji obeys. Dara doodles on his chest, drawing a bow tie and
the outline of a tuxedo jacket. Her lines are quick,
accomplished, and subtly .
Bae
(offering his body)
How 'bout me?
Dara nods. She reaches out and superimposes an armless female
torso over his. His stomach jumps sensually as she touches
it. Dara pulls back to admire her work. He looks like a
Greek statue.
Bae
I'll never wash again.
Dara laughs.
ANGLE
Ji, Dara, and Bae are holding their sledgehammers. Dara
begins to count.
DARA
All together now. One,
(they strike the wall
with their hammers.
The wall shakes)
two,
(they pound again.
The wall begins to
give)
three.
In unison, they hit it once more. A massive section of plaster
and metal topples to the ground. New clouds of dust fill the
air. Suddenly, Ji spies an old jar lying on the floor.
Something rattles inside it, a penny.
Ji
Hey, look what I found. There's a
penny inside.
(he hands it to dara)
For luck in our new loft. It's a
good omen.
DARA
(shaking her head,
disagreeing)
You're the good omen.
She glances at him lovingly. Bae looks at the two of them
and grins.
As the dust settles we see, for the first time, the outlines
of the space they are working in. It is a huge loft over
four thousand square feet. Banks of windows run east and
west. Dara steps back and admires the room.
Dara
It's gorgeous.
Bae
You guys lucked out. Hell, I bet you
could sell it tomorrow and double
your investment.
Dara
Sell it? Bae, we just bought it.
Bae
What I wouldn't do for a place like
this.
Ji
It's gonna be great.
EXT. MARKET SECURITY BANK & TRUST - HEADQUARTERS - DAY
It is morning rush hour. Ji and Bae, both wearing suits
and ties, exit the Wall Street subway station and approach
the Headquarters of Market Security Bank & Trust.
Bae
Oh, by the way, JI, I had to move
your 3:00 with Key Kahan to 4:00 so
you could squeeze in Onew Alan. He
called yesterday and said he has to
see you today about the Danway stuff.
Three o'clock was the only time he
could make it. Also, the board meeting
in L.A. has been confirmed for the
12th. I got you on a 9:00 a.m. flight.
JI seems preoccupied.
Bae
(continuing)
Hey, Ji, relax. This isn't brain
surgery you're going into.
Ji
I hate pitching to these Japanese
guys. They make me nervous. I mean,
what am I supposed to say, "Who do
you think'll win that big Sumo
championship"?
Bae
Ji, you'll be fine. You're great
with people.
Ji's jacket flares open. He is wearing yellow suspenders.
Bae notices.
Bae
(continuing)
Hey, nice. I like those.
Ji, not completely comfortable wearing them, buttons his
jacket.
Ji
...Dara.
Bae smiles and then turns to admire a car going by.
Bae
Jesus, look at that, a Testerossa.
That's the car I'm gonna drive when
I'm making two hundred grand.
Ji
Better pay off your Mustang first.
INT. BANK HEADQUARTERS, ELEVATOR - DAY
Ji and Bae are standing on a crowded elevator. It is deadly
quiet. Suddenly Bae elbows Ji and winks. There is something
he wants him to do. Ji hesitates a moment, annoyed, and
then relents. He clears his throat.
Ji
So Bae, what did the doctor say?
Bae
He said it was contagious. Very
contagious. I shouldn't be going
into work today.
(he coughs loudly)
But what could I do?
He sneezes. People on the elevator freeze.
Ji
And what about the rash?
Bae
Not good. It's spreading everywhere.
Ji
On your s again?
Bae
Everywhere. He said be sure not to
touch anyone.
We see people trying to inch away. Bae coughs again. They
hold their breath. The elevator stops at the next floor. All
the passengers get off.
INT. BANK HEADQUARTERS, EXECUTIVE OFFICES - DAY
Ji and Bae are laughing, walk through a large office area
bustling with activity. Employees, in various cubicles, are
talking on telephones and punching information into computers.
Ji heads into his executive office. Bae steps into a cubicle
across the aisle. CL, Ji's secretary, approaches him.
CL
Morning, Mr. Kwon.
JI
Morning CL. Listen, when the
Kobiashi people arrive, have Elenore
take them right to the...
CL
They're already here.
She points to a windowed conference room. Ji turns around
and sees a large group of JAPANESE MEN standing inside.
JI
They're early!
CL
I know. And Andy Soongman called. He
said they need $900,000 transferred
to Albany by noon.
Ji
Noon? Damn!
He hurries over to Bae's cubicle. He is on the phone. Bae
cups the mouthpiece.
Bae
Hold on.
Ji
Listen, Soongman needs $900,000 in
Albany by noon. Can you transfer it
to his payroll account?
Bae
Sure. Just let me have your MAC code.
Ji pulls out his wallet and extracts a small address book.
He jots the code numbers on a piece of paper and hands it to
Bae.
Ji
Discretion, huh?
Bae
You bet. I'll do it right away.
INT. WELL-APPOINTED EXECUTIVE BOARDROOM - DAY
Ji and a group of fifteen somber Japanese businessmen are
sitting around a large granite conference table. Sam stands
up and speaks a simple greeting to them.
Ji
(in Japanese)
Good morning, Gentlemen. On behalf
of Market Security Bank & Trust, I
welcome you to our city.
The men smile happily and nod their heads in unison.
MEN
Arigato.
They look to Ji, expecting more. Uncomfortable, he clears
his throat.
Ji
I'm afraid that's the only Japanese
I know. But I realize it's not our
language fluency, or lack of it,
that brings you to Market Security.
Rather, I'm sure, it is our banking
expertise, our ability to represent
and anticipate all of your banking
needs. As you know, we are not the
largest banking establishment in New
York.
(his throat goes dry
and he takes a sip
of water)
But, with combined assets of over
200 billion dollars, we have a firm
commitment to the international
marketplace.
A SECRETARY enters the room and hands Ji a piece of paper.
It reads "DARA ON LINE 2. URGENT." She hands him a phone.
Ji looks surprised. He nods apologetically to his guests.
Ji
Excuse me.
(he picks up the
receiver)
Hello?
CUT TO:
DARA
dressed in a long, clay covered smock. She is in a potters
studio. SEVERAL OTHER POTTERS are in the background working
at their wheels. A five-foot high ceramic vase stands beside
Dara. It is still wet. She toys with it as she speaks into
the phone.
DARA
A man and a woman are lying in bed
when the woman's husband suddenly
comes home. Frightened, she tells
the man he has to leave instantly
through the window. He has no time
to dress.
CUT BACK TO:
Ji
straight-faced, listening and trying to look as if it is
important.
JI
Uh hmm.
DARA
It's raining outside. The man, running
along the street, sees some
joggers approaching.
The entire contingent of Japanese men is staring at Ji.
DARA
(continuing)
One of the joggers calls out. "Hey,
do you always go jogging ?" And
the man says, "Yes, always."
Ji
Okay.
DARA
And then the other jogger says, "And
do you always wear a ?" The
man looks down, embarrassed, and
replies, "Only when it's raining."
Ji squelches a smile.
JI
Well, that's just fine.
DARA
Now just relax and have fun, okay?
It's not the end of the world if you
lose this account. You've always got
me.
JI
Thank you. I'll remember that.
DARA
See ya.
He hangs up and stares at the Japanese men. A short smile
crosses his face.
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