You see, this is our gang.
They were all supposed
to end up as sausage.
I don't know where he is now.
Maybe he's searching...
Before the war my father ran
a movie theatre in Poland.
He used to tell Oliver
all about film.
Ollie used to say that had he
not become a pianist,
he would have been
a filmmaker.
He especially liked the
stories about
cameramen waiting for
the magic hour.
You know what I mean?
It's that short moment
at dusk and dawn
when the light creates
this gorgeous effect on film.
My father used to say
that every person...
has such a magic hour
in their life...
in which all dreams came true.
Should I speak Polish
or English?
- Polish.
- Very well.
Ahh, competitions!
They're the salt of the
performing arts.
A necessity of every pianist.
They are the key
to brilliant careers.
They create an equal
opportunity for everyone.
They allow us to discover
and promote the best.
With our awards,
we, the judges,
announce them to the world.
THE WINNER
My father loved tango.
And Oliver took it from him.
But my son cound't play such music...
Grandpa,
this tango is for you.
- Is this it?
- No, Ollie.
This isn't your magic
hour yet.
Little Ollie, even before
we left for the States
kept asking us how one
recognized their magic hour.
Dad would only smile
mysteriously.
We visited him for the
last time
after Ollie won the
Montreal competition.
Soon after dad died,
taking his secret with him.
Mr. Linovsky,
please come closer to us!
Mr. Linovsky, how come you
never toured Poland?
I'm mean you were born here.
Since your defeat at
the Chopin's competition,
you've stopped playing
Chopin's music. Why?
But you will play Chopin in Wroclaw...
Are you afraid of this concert?
Did you know that the people
still love you?
That music lovers from all of
Poland will come to listen to you?
I'm very pleased.
Thank you very much.
Maestro, welcome!
I'm so pleased. We're all happy.
I knew your mother,
even before she was married.
She was an incredibly
talented pianist.
- If it only wasn't for that accident...
- Ok, Mr. Juliusz.
Thank you.
You knew very well
that you were supposed to bring
him to the restaurant.
We waited with the mayor
for two hours!
I tried, sir, but he refused
talk to anyone.
After that phone call he
told us to leave him alone.
Then he just sat down at the
piano and began to play.
- And he played wonderfully.
- I don't give a shit how he played!
You should have made him stop.
Do you understand?
No, I don't.
I don't have to go to Europe
if that's what you decided.
Fine, so she did.
Besides that's not important.
Your tour is the only thing
that matters now. Yes?
Especially the opening.
Do you understand?
Especially the opening.
You have to conquer Wroclaw!
Only then you'll win.
I don't want to hear from
you if you fail.
What am I saying?
You cannot fail. Ok?
We're a few minutes late.
But we always wait for
the audience.
Too bad the mayor is not here.
Was he offended?
What did you expect?
After what happened...
Ok, I'll come listen after
the intermission.
Did you save me a seat
in the front row?
Of course.
I'm sorry.
- What's going on?
- No idea.
The doors, doors!
I meant close the doors,
you idiot!
Hey, Waldek! Give us a bottle
and shots for everyone!
The Professor's paying.
Intuition again?
Not only, my friend.
Not only.
- The usual?
- Of course.
Waldek get him a taxi.
He's staying in the hotel.
Did you see that?
The guy's from Chicago.
So what?
Nothing.
If you don't have time
for analysis
and you don't know
the horses
because the races are
in England or France...
I check the monitors to see
how the locals are playing.
Regardless of the nation,
race, convictions,
90% of the bettors loose.
To win, you've got to bet
against the majority.
Dubito ergo cogito,
cogito ergo sum.
- So it's not just the facts?
- Interpretation of facts.
"Imagination is more
powerful than... "
Knowledge.
Albert Einstein.
Do you remember your sayings,
especially the ones before
the exams?
"Concert Cut Short for Quarter Million Euros"
It's "game time eagles" or the one about the frogs?
Wow, the kid got himself into
some trouble...
- Who?
- The guy in the photo.
I met him yesterday at the bar.
Hold on, I'll get the paper.
What's going on?
Karol, do something.
Don't just stand there.
Take him to the restaurant.
Ok, but I'll charge that
to your account.
What account?
Your empty one.
Oliver,
tell me something.
I'm mean you're pretty famous.
You've played concerts,
you've mad recordings.
How can somebody like you
be broke?
Because a pianist always
comes last.
Have you ever seen horse
races?
What?
No.
Hold on.
Sit, sit.
Nothing's happening yet...
You see the grey horse.
Do you see him?
Fourth position.
Hold on.
Now look.
Look at the grey one.
He's hidden,
but he'll make a break for it.
Now!
Now! Look.
Look what's happening.
Look. Did you see that?
You know what Ollie?
I think...
I just had a decent idea.
That grey horse, Ruten,
we'll keep an eye on him.
This is an odd place.
I spent more than half
of my life here.
What's up?
- Champ!
- What's going on?
What are you playing today?
- Which races? Polish or foreign?
- We'll see, we'll see.
Sit down, Ollie.
- New guy, does he play?
- Absolutely!
He lost 250 thousand
Euros yesterday. Right, Ollie?
You're shitting me. Where?
Ask him, but he doesn't
speak Polish well.
Whatever. Tell us how you're
going to play.
Here you go.
No way. Fables yes,
but Dandy in the third?
No chance.
He's out of shape.
- How about in the second?
- I'm skipping it.
Four horses have a shot
at winning.
Are you also not playing
in the second?
Paderewski.
What about Paderewski, Ollie?
He'll win.
What?
Paderewski? Maybe if he grows
a fifth leg. He's dead meat.
I wouldn't be so sure.
Last time he lost by 17 lengths.
- He's a rag.
- Tadziu, calm down.
Let's go.
What's he up to?
- How are you betting?
- Well, sweetheart,
give me...
Maybe not.
We'll bet later.
This is the city's
wonderful girl.
She's a little weird.
She reads books,
- likes classical music.
- Mr. Frank,
I think I've seen this gentleman.
Somewhere before.
Really?
It's Mr. Oliver Linovsky.
Come on.
Why didn't you bet?
I have to think something over.
I've seen something invisible.
He's called "Horse" or "Banker".
He used to be a jockey.
He came here from Bulgaria.
He sells information about
horses from Polish stables.
Nobody knows if it's true.
Anyway, do you know what
he'd say about Paderewski?
If he knew anything,
of course.
- Horse good - second time.
- What does that mean?
It means that a good horse
that's running after a long break,
will take it easy in order
to win in the next race.
And today is the next race?
Let's go. We'll skip Dandy.
Ok. In the first race
give me fifteen.
- And Paderewski in the second.
- Paderewski?
Here you are.
But speak to me in Polish.
Which is Fables?
Do you see him?
We just won 400.
Let's get out of here.
It's stuffy.
Tell me about the army?
They shipped you straight
to Germany?
To Berlin.
I wasn't even 18 years old.
I left my girlfriend
in the States.
I didn't know she was pregnant.
Then I got a letter that
she died in childbirth.
What about the kid?
Never seen him in life.
His name's Jack and he lives
in Chicago.
Ok, Ollie, let's go.
They're racing.
Paderewski's running.
Is that Paderewski?
Someone gave you a tip?
Good job.
Everyone was mad at me.
My entire family.
Here was I,
with an American passport,
first in Germany
and then in Poland,
in those hard times!
I got married.
Then I found out that
I had a kid in the States.
I didn't know what
it meant to be a father.
I was a kid myself.
We'll win and you'll go back.
Ok?
We'll win and I'll go back.
...What was that about?
The ability to read...
Paderewski's got great papers.
What happened with that
last horse, Dandy?
- He won, that's all.
- But why didn't you bet on him?
A mistake.
I've got no excuses.
If I ever want to change my
bet to somebody else's, hit me.
Ok, but I'll charge that
to your account.
You'd beat the older?
Damn it. We won't make it.
I have 15 minutes.
How did you become so honorable
all of a sudden?
You can pay tomorrow?
How much did Max send you?
Not even 10%.
He took off.
Ollie, I don't know.
I have a problem.
- Hi!
- Hi, sweetie.
- Hello, Mr. Frank.
- Hello, love.
For Grandma.
Listen, Ollie.
Ruten's about to run in Paris.
It's that grey horse
I showed you at home.
I remember.
It's his first race in France.
He's up against some
good horses.
He likes a wet track
and Paris has had dry weather.
So let's not play him.
I already did.
I'm sorry.
I like him.
How so?
A Polish horse,
but born in the States.
It's going well. Look.
Don't let them pass you!
What are you doing?
What was that?
You got it?
I won.
I can't believe this. How could
he loose on a horse like that!
He could've won the race.
Damn it.
It's a great horse.
We can win a fortune on Ruten.
Do you know why?
Because in the west countries
he'll always be an underdog.
Why?
- Because he's from Poland.
- So what?
People know that Polish breeding
isn't as good as in the past.
But they're forgetting
that he's bred in the USA.
If he won today...
Just think of that.
But he didn't.
Do you believe we'll win?
Yeah...
It's impossible.
How could you cheat? In every
race you have 10 horses,
10 owners, 10 trainers,
10 jockeys,
and each one of them wants
to win.
Maybe in small races...
What?
Some coffee?
Good idea, good place.
You shouldn't reject intuition
but you should support it.
- With analysis, logic.
- Welcome, professor. Lunch?
No, thanks. Just coffee.
Is Hubert in?
He's with some new employees.
Should I get him?
- Don't bother him. Two coffees.
- Of course.
Concerning intuition,
a guy comes in to the track
to bet on horse number 5.
And as he walks over
to the counter,
intuition appears above
his head and says:
"Put it on 2, put it on 2".
He says I don't want to play 2.
Intuition says "Put it on 2."
Ok, I'll play 2.
He puts his money on 2.
The horses take off.
2 is in the lead.
He runs very well,
but in the last moment 5 takes
off and wins the race.
The guy yells "Oh, shit!"
And intuition replies
"Oh, fuck it!"
That's intuition.
- Chris, may we?
- Go ahead.
I don't know what to say.
Really.
What are you doing?
Are you crazy?
Did you see how they listened?
Did you see them?
Everyone.
Waiters, cooks, bussers,
with gaping mouths.
They stood and listened with
gaping mouths.
You played wonderfully,
Ollie. Really. I swear to God.
I've never seen anything
like this.
And to think you've played
classical music in a joint like that,
I tip my hat.
You're right,
now I can only play in joints
like that.
It's over.
You know what?
I'll show you something.
Where is it?
In May of 45,
Truman came to Potsdam to
sign Germany's capitulation.
Everyone was trying
to come up
with a way to celebrate
this occasion.
They were looking for a pianist
or orchestra to put on a concert.
Finally someone remembered that
we had pianist in our battalion.
They said he would've
had an impressive career
had it not been for the war.
He played Rachmaninov,
Beethoven.
Anyway,
he played for Truman.
He was brilliant.
At one point the President joined
in and they played together.
Do you understand?
They played together for
half an hour.
A kid from our battalion
and the president.
The crowd was wild.
The people screamed.
Later he said that before the
concert he nearly shit his pants.
He hadn't played for a year.
What was his name?
Liszt.
Eugene? Eugene Liszt?
Eugene Liszt.
How do you know?
He was my professor in
the States.
You're shitting me?
Gene was your teacher?
I'm sorry.
I can't promise that.
Yes, that was before
the accident.
Why are you asking about this?
It's irrelevant.
They wrote that I was
a tyrant to my son.
That I forced him practice
6 to 8 hours a day.
Maybe...
It's true,
I didn't allow him to play ball,
ride a motorcycle.
But it was my duty.
My duty as a mother and artist
to his great talent.
Over here.
He almost fainted but
he's conscious.
Your father will stay with
us for two, three days.
Then we will release him home.
We've lucked out this time
but I warn you
that his condition
is a preliminary to heart failure.
Please don't disregard this.
No more smoking, no more drinking.
He should get plenty
of fresh air and walking.
I take it he doesn't move
around too much?
A change of climate would
do your father good.
That's impossible.
He won't go anywhere.
Try to convince him.
It's important.
"Happy Birthday to our
favorite Math teacher"
"HOW TO UNDERSTAND A HORSE?"
Got it! This one?
Yes. Thanks.
- But I can't pay out today.
- Ok. Hello.
Got the programs?
You were smoking.
Me? Never.
It didn't flush.
Give me the programs.
Well, what did you choose?
The sea or mountains?
Ollie,
no montains.
I'm not going on any vacation.
It costs a fortune.
Besides, vacation in the middle
of the racing season?
I won't let you go back
to that smoky betting place.
Listen. I can't afford a vacation.
Don't you get it?
Yes, we can.
What do you mean, "we can"?
You won the lottery?
Maybe there's something
I don't know about?
I haven't paid them anything.
I'm not going anywhere.
Because on the local track
you can win shit, not money.
You were supposed to talk
to me in Polish.
Fine, then I will tell you
in Polish!
How dare you talk to me
like this?!
How dare you!
What do you know about life?!
Where are we going?
I'm sorry.
I didn't mean to offend you.
Most of these horses here have
gone though hell, like Bella.
They were saved from
"the transport of death".
She used to be the top
class race horse.
But when her career was over...
Let's go say hi.
...And it turned out she's barren,
the owners decided to sell
her to a slaughterhouse.
But fortunately Frank
showed up.
This is my beloved Bella.
She used to be a pretty
young girl.
Now we're a little older,
huh grandma?
We won quite a few money
together.
What is it? Here you go.
All of them are racehorses?
Most are farm-horses,
which are treated the worst.
Luckily, Scarlett showed up.
She started a foundation
with her husband,
and now I help out along
with other volunteers.
I'm paying Bella's rent.
If you hadn't distracted her,
she could've sent my goddamn coupon.
I could've won 20 thousand.
Your "idea" doesn't interest me.
Why?
Look who's running.
You can't bet on him here.
Exactly.
I don't understand.
Frank knows?
I'll tell him today.
I didn't come for you.
I can see.
How much money do you have?
What money?
For Baden Baden.
Travel, stay and about a thousand
to play. Do you have that?
We're going?
We're going!
But remember, this is a loan.
The track isn't as dry
as they say it is.
If it rained for at least 2 days,
Ruten would be unstoppable.
To rain.
I thought you wouldn't
need me anymore.
What do I need you for?
Your German contact?
No,
a Polish equerry.
He says Ruten is in top
condition.
Also, he gave me a tip
in the fifth.
You said that tips aren't
reliable.
Let's go.
See? The equerry's trust
worthy.
But we're still lost?
This gentleman doesn't play,
does he?
Just for fun.
It's more like finger exercise.
Good one, finger exercise...
Professor Karloff is
a great pianist.
He teaches around the world.
Once also in Poland.
Do you gentlemen have
time tomorrow?
I'd like to invite you for some
champagne to "Roemischbad. "
It's not far from here.
Unfortunately, I have to say no.
I have business to take care of.
- Too bad. And you Oliver?
- I'd love to but...
You have tomorrow off.
Well then?
At four by the thermal pool.
See you.
I don't like the fact...
that you didn't play
in Wroclaw.
Ollie, 3 thousand people
came there.
They came for you,
for your talent.
I know, but...
How?
I wouldn't trust that professor.
Intuition again?
No.
I think he likes to play
with people.
I thought a lot about
you today.
Is it true that you broke off
your European tour?
You've already heard?
Dear Oliver,
may I call you that?
You know our circle.
You shouldn't have done it.
I hate to meddle in your affairs.
It'll be difficult to get
back to...
My place in the line?
The queue wasn't too long.
Could you wait for me
by the table?
I'm pleased.
Dieter!
Did you know, that not long ago,
I considered you the greatest
talent in the world? Not only I.
If it wasn't for that
unfortunate competition...
Remember?
I took away your victory
in Warsaw.
What?
You know professor Jakowlew?
After the second round
of eliminations
he approached me with
a proposition.
I would lend him one point,
in exchange for two in some
other competition.
I don't understand.
A simple favor.
I subtract a point from his
pupil's most dangerous adversary.
Then, in the future
he will return the favor.
- That's absurd. It's impossible.
- You must realize,
that all artistic competitions
are fiction.
Think about it.
How can you measure
and compare
the immeasurable
and incomparable?
Competition is a violation
of art. It feeds on it.
The rules of chivalrous
rivalry are a charade.
Those courtesies,
or vulgar swindles,
are an every-day affair.
I understand your feelings.
Still, I realize that you must
return because you're exceptional.
The newspapers called him
... the big looser".
The jury?
Of course, they cheated him.
Oliver said something...
that sounded pretty naive
and sentimental -
that the prize didn't matter...
but only the music...
and those who love it.
Ollie! Are you asleep?
- Ollie?
- No.
Close your eyes.
What do you hear?
I don't know.
That's the sound...
of 25 thousand Euros!
Ollie I did it!
- I figured it out all by myself!
- You see, that's what I told you!
All the favored horses lost.
I got lucky outsiders three times.
Three times!
Now only Ruten has to win
and I think I'll go to those
god-dammed States.
Pack your things.
Now?
Now the gentlemen are
changing hotels,
because they can afford it!
It's beautiful.
For your wife?
No,
for Mom.
Very nice.
Why didn't you buy anything?
What could I say to my grown up
son whom I never met?
Son, I bought you
a shiny watch?
If I was him, I'd kick my
ass off the stairs.
So you're not going?
I don't know.
Frank,
let's get whisky.
She hired "mechanic".
- A mechanic.
- What?
She hired a mechanic.
Then what?
Nothing.
A few days later we went
back to the States.
You didn't try to live
your own life.
I'll take a walk. Ok?
Only you and I will know
that you were truly great
on the day of your demise.
Perhaps it's just a whim?
Or perhaps it just amuses me
to appall the music world.
I'm afraid you have
no choice, Oliver.
Where were you?
You were gone a long time.
- Did those professors leave?
- Yes.
I did it differently.
I thought we were waiting
for Ruten.
- I already played him.
- For how much?
Come, come!
I played for everything
we had.
For 25 thousand Euros
at 7 different bookies.
Different combinations.
In each Ruten is in first place.
Exacta, trifecta and win.
For every exacta they pay
out 100 to 1.
For a trifecta
- 700 even 800 to 1.
And we got that multiplied by 1000.
Got that?
For every 100,
we get 100 thousand.
For every 700,800 times 1000.
At the track you can win
only what's in the pool.
100 thousand maximum.
But the money at the bookies
is separate from the pool?
That's the whole point.
Ollie,
we can win a fortune!
Even a million.
- Mil?
- Quiet.
Million Euros.
With one condition.
Ruten has to be first.
And if he's second?
That's not an option.
We loose.
Are you asleep?
I can't sleep.
Beautiful rain, huh?
Ruten must be getting
impatient.
Ollie! We're screwed!
Shit!
- What?!
- It's all gone!
What?! How?!
Ruten is finished!
He has breathing problems. Fuck!
But...
- How much money do you have left?!
- A thousand, maybe.
Give it to me!
We have to hedge out bets.
- The race has started!
- Fuck!
Ruten won!
You hear! Come one!
Come one!
Help!
Frank wake up!
After winning he'd always
bring money for the poor kids.
He wanted to build
a daycare center,
ever since the city shut
its down.
He pretty much avoided church.
He said that he didn't
need a middleman to talk to God.
Now we can start.
Rafal!
Did you know that Frank
was twice imprisoned?
First time during the Stalinist
era for his American passport.
The communists considered
him a spy.
Then during the 80's
martial law he got arrested
for the distribution
of banned literature.
After that his family in
America stopped talking to him.
- Did you know about that?
- I just don't know why.
It's hard to say.
My guess is out of ignorance.
They didn't understand
the situation.
Your hand!
Hand, Ollie!
Fix it.
"If you're reading this,
it means that we've missed
each other.
I'm returning to Poland.
For ever.
I wanted to do so for
a long time
but I didn't have enough
courage until now.
Your disappearance and broken
off tour thought me something.
I understood that you need
time to find yourself, despite me.
Be happy, however you want".
- Come on, guys!
- Frank is back!
See you soon.